18's vs 19's
 

okay, this maybe a touchy subject to some, but when choosing between 18's or 19's:

Give your pro's and con's. I'm torn between functionality and the appearance factor...

then there's the staggered setup (but that's in another thread)

So... pro's and con's please. I know there are enough people here who have 18's (besides stock) and 19's.. THANKS

I dont care about functionality..... im not a pro racer so thats why im getting 19 in. rims... 19s look soooo much better

19"s can be heavier, but not absolutely.
The stock wheel/tire/TPMS combo weighs just under 50 lbs.
My 19" Rays come in at 42 lbs.
They might ride more roughly because of the low profile tires, but I find my Nittos to be as compliant as the 18" OEM Bridgestones.

I think for 90% of the drivers out there, 19" wheels offer no real performance downgrade with a significant appearance upgrade.

My 2¢.

http://www.mazdamaniac.com/images/rx...quarter_sm.jpg

All things being equal, 19s are going to be heavier, negatively affecting handling, ride, braking, and acceleration.

Like Jeff mentioned, a lower profile wheel will result in a rougher ride. This not only affects your tushy, but it also affects how well the tire is able to consistently keep that optimum tire contact patch. There needs to be at least a certain level of give to be able to conform to the imperfections or street surfaces.

A lower profile tire means less adjustment available in tire pressures, especially if you intend to adjust pressures front and rear in an attempt to balance handling on a staggered setup.

A lower profile tire makes the wheels more susceptible to damage from potholes, curbs, etc.

Personally, I think that "rubber band" tires makes the car look cartoonish, and are no different than curb feelers, or wheels that stick out 6". But that's up to each person.

---jps

Judging from the wheel arches, it really looks like the Mazda stylists designed the car around 19's. Of all the really really *HOT* 8's I've seen on this forum, the really memorable ones, I'd say about 80-90% of them seem to have 19's. Almost all the 18's I see (including stock wheels) have too much gap, and have a little bit of "teeny spare tire-itis". All the 20's I see have crossed over the line into "cartoonish exaggeration".

That might answer a question I had a bout the RE040's. This tells me they weigh around 26lbs each? I know the stock wheels are just around 20lbs eachs. Is that correct?

Nice wheels. They must be pretty light to come in at 42lbs total per corner! Are you using the Nitto NT-555's? Spend any time on the track? How do they hold up? I am looking for the best tire for track/street use and so far I am going to go with the Toyo T1S in a 245/40-18 on the stock rims.

I'd be really interested too to learn the stock wheel weight... can you write it in kilograms too please?

My wheels with tires and TPMS sensors weighed 22.2 kilos.

What coil-over would you guys recommend for 19".

Stock wheels and tires are 45lbs and the TPMS is so light it does not make a practical difference... That said, if you want to race and every single pound counts then 17" or 18" if you track and can find good 19" that are not heavier than 25-28lbs than that’s ok... As far as ride harshness the 19s are not much harsher than the 18" (Not an issue...) The handling is sharper with the lower profile but then the wheel is also exposed more to road hazards (So be careful...) In the end it depends on what you want to do with the car, you can reduce unsprung weight in other ways if it's just a few pounds...

19s always look better...

Stock wheels, tires and TPMS are 49 lbs.


Depends on which 19's. :p

I've seen some pretty ugly wheels around here....

And on the other end of the spectrum, I think 18's are too big for the car. When I can afford it, I'm putting on some nice 17's. Performance wise, unless you do a lot of autocrossing, I dont think it matters betwen 18 or 19's.

;)

then I guess the best thing to do for performance (reducing unsprung weight) is to get the ms magnesium forged wheels. I know they are VERY expensive, but i don't think one can find a wheel lighter than 16lbs...

...and I think 19's are also expensive (just a guess, not sure)

SSR Competition is 15.4 pounds in 18x8.5. Only $429 each from the TireRack. Best wheel for the money I can find.



http://www.tirerack.com/upgrade_gara...&autoYear=2004

just so everybody that didn't already know this knows. the car was indeed originally designed around 19" wheels. it was decided to not go with them for the obvious reason of a large odd ball size that hardly anyone buys so the cost is much greater

That is an interesting assertion. Upon what facts do you base that statement?

i'm sure if you spend enought time searching the net and reading about the early stages of the car design you will find it. it is mearly something i read from what seamed to be a very reliable source at the time. take it as you will, you seem to be a little cocky so i won't waste any more time on you trying to explain myself.

Shyeah, right.

It sounds like someone doesn't have the goods.

---jps

A little cocky? I'm way cocky. And I don't sit well with liars, either.

You aren't wasting time on me explaining yourself - I already know you are making this up. I just thought you might like to save face in front of everyone else.

Ok folks, let's not let this turn into a flame war...

Aww. But why not? 'Tis much fun!

and people wonder why i said this site was turning into a waste of time. now that it has been about 6 months or so i can see that nothing has changed with most but not all of the people on this site, thats just too bad....i can still tell all the locals that buy rx-8's here that this site is still not worth coming to.

I guess i will try back in another 6-8 months to see if anything changes. oh andto any administrators that happen to read this, just do me the favor of taking my user name off the list.

Truth be said- my 19s are for daily driving and shows. My 18s are for the track. If I could afford a superlight wieght 19 for daily driving and the track then I guess I could afford $350 per tire and be a true pimp. But thats for drift cars only it appears.