16" vs 17" rims (Newbie Thread in need of Veterans)

[Neutral]

Hey out there. I'm pretty new to the pro-touring/autocross scene (and the forum). I usually lurk on G-BodyForum.com but I decided I should come here for this question:

My car ('87 Regal) has aluminum 15x7 rims but I'm looking to upgrade and equip better tires. (Mostly for track use until I do something that doesn't allow the 15s to fit anymore, like larger brakes.) It's a dedicated street car but I would like to have a more aggressive rim+tire set.
I like the look of 16s a bit better but I hear the tire selection for 17s is far better. Mostly based on tire selection, which would you choose and why?
Ideally, I'm looking for a 16x8" rim with a 4 inch backspacing (-12mm offset). I'm not really looking for anything flashy. Just need something to play the part without looking too weird. If anyone knows of any similarly dimensioned GM wheels to look for or a good place to look for 16 inch wheels other than just American Racing, I would appreciated it if you shared that info.

Thanks for your time,
-Brian

[SSLance]

Look for a ZQ8 wheel from a S10 pickup. They are 16x8 with a 4.25" backspace I believe. I picked mine up for $150 and run my Hoosier A6 slicks on them.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2013/10/DSC03738JPG-1.jpg

Craigslist is a good place to look.

[Apogee]

Short of running a dedicated competition tire like the A6(R6) noted above, speed rated, UTQG rated, ultra-high performance tire selection for 17" and 18" wheels is hands down better than it is for 15" or 16" wheel sizes. The additional performance brake options for larger wheels would be the icing on the cake IMHO.

Tobin
KORE3

[Neutral]

Well, you're definitely right about the tire selection, Apogee. At least on Tire Rack anyway. They don't even have my rear tire size for any R16 tire. They stock plenty of sizes for 17s though. I really love the looks of the 16s (including on your Monte, Lance) but I guess I'll keep an eye out for used 17s. Not unless I can find a place that makes aggressive 235/55R16+255/55R16 street tires. Slicks would be cool but I need something with some tread.

[Craig510]

16's will basically eliminate the possibility of being competitive with a 200tw street tire. 225/50-16s are the widest you can get, and with a heavy car that is not enough. I had 16x7s on my falcon and loved the look, but it was just not enough tire. I stepped up to 17x9s and it transformed the car. If I had a boxy GM, I would get some 90 Corvette wheels 17x9.5 and run spacers to get the backspace right.

Good luck

[SSLance]

Here's a picture of my car with my 17" street rims. These are a 17x8 up front and 17x9.5 out back.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2013/10/20130525JohnHiattIV06623-1.jpg

Even with these, I can't yet get a big enough Rival for the rear rims...255 is as wide they are available in a 17 right now.

If I had to do it again, I'd get a set of 18x9s with the correct back space and run them on all four corners with a square setup.

[Neutral]

16's will basically eliminate the possibility of being competitive with a 200tw street tire.

Good luck

I've already hurt my chances a bit by doing an engine swap. My SBB 350 landed me in a "prepared" category. :hand: I'm mostly in it for the fun at this point. Thanks though. It's another good argument for 17s.


These are a 17x8 up front and 17x9.5 out back.

If I had to do it again, I'd get a set of 18x9s with the correct back space and run them on all four corners with a square setup.

All 255s??
How well do the 17x9.5s fit? I've seen lots of guys fit 275s on G-Bodies but I'm planning on being lowered 2 inches so I don't know how much wheel well I'm going to have left..

[SSLance]

Those are 275/40/17 on my 9.5s on the back, they fit great but you have to get the backspace correct

[Rod]

275/40/17 is correct for 9.5 rims here on all four corners

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2013/10/suzyandIincar_zps5755537d-1.jpg

[Paul Huryk]

245-50-16 and 255-50-16 summer tires are just about gone - except for a few cases.

Moving up to a 275-40-17 tire is a huge step up for any RWD front motored car that can fit them - it can transform a car from pretty good (on 245-50-16) to a level or two higher with just rolling stock.

You can fit a 255 on a 9.5" wheel, it will be a slight stretch and add a lot of sidewall stability.

[silvermonte]

17s are the way to go when compaired to 16s. As it sits now tho 17s are on their way out the door also and most tires have moved up to 18s. I bought 17s for my s10 and now I had wished I spent the extra coin for the 18s, but i did find out the front rims from the s10 will fit on the front of my g-body cutlass and they are 17x9.5 with 4.5" of BS,with nitto 275-50 tires and have zero rubbing.