What is the direct relationship with wheel diameter, wheel weight, and wheel width in regards to handling and Horsepower.

 

first, wider is better, the more rubber on the road the better handling and less slip.

second. a bigger wheel makes the tranny run harder. slows you down off the start. reason why 15's are pretty popular among street racers. however, at high speeds big wheels let your tranny top out more.

 

never thought about the stress on the tranny while running big wheels, that's a good thought ross.


A few other things, Yes wider is better as far as tires go in relation's w/ traction, but then again, the wider the slower you will be. If you can get traction say w/ 225's you'll just be slower w/ 235's because of the bigger surface having to have contact w/ the ground.


Another thing, smaller is generally better in terms of straight line speed. Sometimes larger rims will help in your handling ability.

More important then size is weight, if you get a 16" rim that weights 8 lbs you're unsprung weight will be greatly lightened thus giving you better performance

the most important thing is the tire, some tires grip unbelievably well, some don't

 

as far as grip, Softer the better but they dont last as long

 

Also side wall height has a big influence on performance cornering. The thicker the wall, the more felx/tire roll you get. Thats why when going for a stock 55 side wall on a 16" to a 40 on a 18" makes a huge handling. Less roll, better contact with the road.

 

and lighter is always better.

 

18" CHROME = Im a slow bitch

I dont really mind though, just a little bit slower than before and I bought my rims for looks because I loved the way the look on a black car. If I was willing to sacrifice looks for performance I would bought a miata and dropped a turbo in it:thumbsdn: :ghey:

 

Thanks for all the replies. Do you guys think it would be a waste of money by replacing my stock wheels with another set of 16's that look better and are lighter. Is the straight-line performance difference so little that it would be better to get 17's for better looks?