jnc2000

I'm on the hunt for a good pair of summer rims. My plan is OEM 18's for winter wrapped with the Alpine PA3s... Summer tire / rim combo I want to stay light, but sticky.

To keep unsprung weight down I'm looking for a lightweight 18x8.5 or 18x9 rim.

The main goal is total weight of rim and tires are at least a couple pounds under OEM weight on each corner. I know there's a balance between to light of a rim.. so that's why I'm seeking advice.

What should I look for, and what are some of your recommendations?

jnc2000

I should also note that I do almost 100% highway driving. I do not have any desire for a stretched look - if anything I'll be looking at 265/35/18's on 18x8.5 as I love the look on my 3G TL.

Mr Marco

I think the best option for preformance is 19", but the 20's look the best on the 4G. If you are concerned about weight the Enkie RPF1 is light and less than $300 at 18x8.5. The 265/35 profile is too low. Your speedo will be off by over 5%.

jnc2000

19"s or 20"s don't necessary mean performance... yes you can keep the same ration rim/tire but the there is going to be a weight difference.

Coil-overs + 18"s should equal a flush look.

You're correct about the 265/35/18 compared to the stock profiling... I ran that size on my 3G TL (Stock wheel was 235/45/17) and it was within .08%.

A similar tire (aiming for a section width of aprox 10.5") should net me a tire size around 275/45/18 -- on a 9" wide rim

285/35/19 (on a 19x9 rim)

jspagna1

I've had good luck with these tire brands in the past.

Toyos - Versada LX
Yokohama
General - Exclaim UHP

Pete2010

The default 18's are 245/45-18 - going with 275/45-18 your speedo will be off by 4%. I think you mean 275/40-18 - that one is a match for OEM.

I can't wait to see what they look like - I don't know if anyone has that wide of tires on their 4G yet.

jnc2000

^^ damn another typo -- yes 275/40/18


Any recommendations for rims guys?

YetiTL

See my quote, loved the rims so far 18x8 @ 17.5-18 lbs each. I shaved off 8-8.5 pounds per corner and the difference is really there. Sticky tires and lightweight rims are my friends now. My tires are Hankook Ventus and they did an awesome job last summer but are noisier than the OEM Michelin (Hankook Ventus are a max perfomance summer tire) but still not that bad and I pump them at around 38-40 psi cold...

Ride quality is surprisingly supernice, smoother than with my winter tires + OEM rims!

In resume, go for it!

My next rims will be RP03 by Enkei with Michelins PS2

jnc2000

Contenders...

BBS RGR

BBS RS GT

Chas2

Watch your rim widths with respect to your tire section widths. Obviously, the lighter wheels will be the narrowest wheels, but if you are getting 275's you need 9 inch wide wheels.

Some of the lightest 18x8's in 5x120 I have seen are Enkei PF-01 under 18 pounds with 245/45-18 would be the lightest combo you could easily get. MAT construction means they will be pretty strong also.

RPF-01's have many more width choices and are also light weight, but not really as attractive to my tastes.

jnc2000

Correct I'm specifically looking for 9" wide rims. Another thing to note I have to maintain a conservative offset. Aggressive offsets run the risk of rubbing.

Both of the BBS rims I linked above are 18x8 and fall in at the 20lb mark. A 275/40/18 tire should be right around 25lbs so that puts me at 45lbs per corner.

Does anyone know the weight of an OEM rim? The OEM tire (245/45/18) weighs in at 27lbs.

Pete2010

Ohh where did you get that calculation from. I love my 20's, but having 18's back on with winters I can really notice a difference. If i can find the right 18's or 19's I might swap to there for the speed benefit...

Chas2

Well talk to the Tire Rack or similar vendor. They may be able to set you up with BMW applications, using a hub ring and different lug nuts. We did 18x9 and 275's for an RL using BBS RE. I am sure they could set you up with the RGR or RS if it came in those widths.

The BBS Acura specific wheels are nice because they come with a 64.1 mm hub and seats for OEM lug nuts, so they are about as close to an OEM wheel, in terms of fit, as you can get. In fact, perhaps better, because OEM wheels are not offered in forged pieces!

jnc2000

The tire calculator is available here:

http://www.1010tires.com/tiresizecalculator.asp

Chas2 - Thanks for the advise. I'm going to give TR a call after the holidays. And yes BBS are forged!

jnc2000

Add another one to my shopping list

Enkei RP03 Type-RC -- Enkei discontinued this wheel 2 years ago, but it's still available. 2 piece forged, lightweight... Just questioning of the offset is too aggressive.

These are the sizes:

19x10 +20 (offset) 75mm bore and 25.2lbs
19x8.5 +35 -- 75mm bore (unsure on weight)
19x8.5 +12 -- 75mm bore (unsure on weight)

Mr Marco

If you can afford the BBS, why look elsewhere. BBS is the BBest.

jnc2000

It's not a matter of affordability.

1. Aesthetics
2. Performance

I'm looking for an equal balance here. - FTR those Enkei's are two piece forged and ring in right around the price of the BBS wheels.

I'm not price sensitive... However, I do want a light weight wider rim. This tends to narrow down the selection to forged pieces over the traditional casting process.


That being said, I would like some feedback on how aggressive of an offset I can go with an 18" or 19" rim given a 8.5+ depth.