18" vs 20" wheels... help??

12382 Views 14 Replies 10 Participants Last post by nacranym, May 31, 2010

Racer X

Discussion Starter · May 21, 2010

I have been looking for a set of aftermarket rims for my E.... My main question is which size to go with. I am really on the fence as far as lowering the car with springs as its 7 years old... although it only has 43k miles. I realize the stock shocks may not make it long if I do lower it. I really dont want to do the coil-overs for money reasons.

So to my question... without lowering the car, what size would look better. I really dont want for the car to end up looking getto.. so I was thinking 18s. But I have seen pics of 20s that look great!! Really for only a few hundred $ more I could get 20s. Also what effect are you guys with wheels seeing on gas mileage and ride quality. I am no stranger to doing larger rims on cars, but am curious to the effects on the Element specifically.
Thanks for any help!!

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wickster

· #2 · May 21, 2010

the lower the profile of the tire, the harsher the ride..and thats on any car

toasty

· #3 · May 21, 2010

I would think your first decision would be to find a wheel that you actually like regardless of size. My 09 SC comes stock with 18s and I think they fill up the well nicely. I am not a fan of 20+ rims, but that is my opinion. There are plenty of people here who have them and can testify to ride and mpg. I think 18s look more "stock" and therefore cleaner than 20s.

The other thing to remember is the higher and lower you go, the more "off" your speedo is going to be so make sure you adjust yourself for that or the police will.:-D

Look forward to seeing what you plan to purchase.

Eww-an E

· #4 · May 23, 2010

I'd recommend going with the 20's 8)

Darth Raider

· #5 · May 23, 2010

If you do a proper 'plus tire size conversion,' then it shouldn't affect your speedometer. You can go to Tire Rack and put in your current size tires and it will provide with a conversion table all the way up to 22" rims and tires. I totally agree with Eww-an E, if you're going to do it then go with 20's. Your stock off-set is 45mm, so my suggestion is not to drop below a 40mm off-set on your new wheels. I did two sets of Honda 16X6" wheels (45mm off-set), a set of the Element SC 18X7" wheels (45mm off-set), a set of Japanese SSR's 19X8" wheels (47mm off-set), and now I'm running 20X9.5" DPE's (41.2mm off-set)! I've ran them all and I love the 20's the absolute best!!!

Chief

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bassplayer5504

· #6 · May 23, 2010

I went with 18's because my E is a DD. I also want to keep weight down and went with forged aluminum.

Racer X

Discussion Starter · #7 · May 23, 2010

Thanks guys for your responses!!
Being the E is my daily driver I am also concerned about fuel mileage. Can any of you guys give me an idea what I am looking to lose with a set of 20's compared to the stock 16's. My wife's Camry lost 1-1.5 mpg when we went from 16s to 18s.... the weight only went up 4 lbs a corner and the rolling radius is almost identical.... BUT it lost mpg.

My E is getting just ok milege now so I would hate to lose more then 1 to 2 mpg.... I avg. between 18.5- 21 with my current driving. Most of the time it gets about 19.5

mr2driver

· #8 · May 23, 2010

If you get a lightweight set of wheels, you may be able to improve your gas mileage. For 20" you should look for a set that is around 22 lbs, with a 225 or 235 tire they will be around the same weight as the stock wheel and tire setup.

cg95660

· #9 · May 23, 2010

I would go with 18's and stechs that way you can still run a decent tire and the ride wont be harsh. It does get old after a while also with a tiny tire you risk bending a rim when potholes raise their ugly head. I had 35's on 18's in a ep3 it looked nice but rode like poop.

bassplayer5504

· #10 · May 24, 2010

I gained about 1-1.5 MPG going from stock 16's to the forged 18's. When I was running a chrome set of 19's I lost 1-2 MPG compared to stock 16's. Also consider the wider you go in rim and tire width the more MPG you will loose.

Racer X

Discussion Starter · #11 · May 26, 2010

Thanks guys for the info.

I am now looking at a set of 18X7.5s that weigh 19lbs..... with a 235 tire.... am I to assume that my mileage shouldnt go down much if at all?

Also.. is there a specific offset that looks best? The wheels I am looking at are +40... I understand stock is +45. Can I run say a +35 without them sticking out to much?
Thanks

Racer X

Discussion Starter · #12 · May 30, 2010

anyone..........?

Darth Raider

· #13 · May 30, 2010

A 35 mm off-set will definitely put you out past the fender lip.

Chief

12MPGlol

· #14 · May 30, 2010

Racer X said:
Thanks guys for the info.

I am now looking at a set of 18X7.5s that weigh 19lbs..... with a 235 tire.... am I to assume that my mileage shouldnt go down much if at all?

Also.. is there a specific offset that looks best? The wheels I am looking at are +40... I understand stock is +45. Can I run say a +35 without them sticking out to much?
Thanks

They'll stick out a bit, but nothing crazy.

nacranym

· #15 · May 31, 2010

but look who's talking (writing).
<grin>

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