[abecon5]

I am so torn between switching out my 16'' stock rim with either 16's or 18's.


The big plus for using the 16's is I get to use my current tires and save a ton of money. I am just worried that they will look goofy being so small. 18's will look much cooler.

on the other hand, I use the E for long road trips and need it to be tip top grip in the snow. would the 16's be the wise choice in that case??
will they give me better grip in the snow, smoother ride and better mpg?

please assure me the 16's will look cool. that is my only hesitation

here are the rims i want :grin:

MSW Type 20(Machined w/Black Accent)
Size: 16x7
Offset: 45mm
Backspacing: 5.74"
Bolt Pattern: 5-114
Rec. Tire Size: 215/70-16
Weight: 19.2lbs.
Finish: Machined w/Black Accent

can someone please photoshop the rims on my car. PLEASE

 

[abecon5]

Halp me PLEASE

 

[scorsone]

What about 17's? It would be a trade off.

I had a set of rims a long time ago on my old car and the bigger the rim the less tire you have between a pothole and the rim. You run a bigger risk of rim damage if you hit something.

Look into what tires are available in those rim sizes that will work on the E and in the conditions you are looking at.

You could always get the 18's and then keep the stock wheels for when you need a more rugged/snow tire.

 

[abecon5]

thanks man. great suggestion. I want to keep the 16's so i can use the tires i have already. if I was gonna go i higher size, i think I will go all the wat to 18 :-D

 

[Rick92040]

I have 18 on mine and love em. When you do find the rims you like take a rag and clean em before you buy em. If there not easy to clean keep looking.

 

[abecon5]

I have 18 on mine and love em. When you do find the rims you like take a rag and clean em before you buy em. If there not easy to clean keep looking.

i am buying them online so i cant do that test

 

[abecon5]

I have 18 on mine and love em. When you do find the rims you like take a rag and clean em before you buy em. If there not easy to clean keep looking.

but how can you test that if you are buying them new. lf they are clean already

 

[abecon5]

Help me PLEase!! PLEASE help me. I am desperate here! !:-(

 

[abecon5]

ok, I'll stop begging. just please help

 

[woosterpuss]

go to tirerack.com me boyo.
you can get pics of the wheels in 16, 17, and 18 inches.
good luck!

 

[amcmike]

The diameter of the wheel is not going to have a significant impact on snow traction. Usually it's a matter of tire width (skinnier is better in snow).

One option that you didn't mention, would be to keep your existing combination for winter (eventually replacing them with a dedicated winter tire), and upgrade to 18s and summer-only tires for summer. They do this in Europe all the time. True winter tires for the most part will out-perform an all-season.

Or you could go with a good 18" all season if you don't want to switch off. The Continental ExtremeContact DWS has excellent snow ratings. It's available in 235/55R18 which to me look perfect on an Element and still has a good ride. Again, skinnier is better in snow, but with this tire, I probably wouldn't worry about that. The better tire is more important than a narrower tire with poor ratings.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires...hicleSearch=false&fromCompare1=yes&tab=Survey

 

[nas660]

MY 2 Cents

Look everyone has an opinion, but I once had an Integra and went from stock 15" to 17" wheels. Ride was considerably rougher and I had two bent front wheels with bubbled tires in no time. I personally like the off road bigger tire look on the E and may even go down to a 15"??? I wouldn't go more than 17'" if you prefer a bigger wheel...Again, just my 2 cents

 

[amcmike]

Look everyone has an opinion, but I once had an Integra and went from stock 15" to 17" wheels. Ride was considerably rougher and I had two bent front wheels with bubbled tires in no time. I personally like the off road bigger tire look on the E and may even go down to a 15"??? I wouldn't go more than 17'" if you prefer a bigger wheel...Again, just my 2 cents

Your Integra probably had the 195/55R15s? That's a 4.22" sidewall. To go up to a 17" means you're left with a 3.22" sidewall. So yes, you're more likely to feel that, and more prone to wheel damage if given similar tire width and quality.

The 18" SC tire has about a 4.87" sidewall, and the one I recommended, 235/55R18, has about a 5" sidewall.

The quality of the tire itself also plays a crucial role. Not only that, but a wider tire has more surface area to absorb the impact.

Friend of mine just went from 245/50R16s (4.85" sidewall) to 265/35R18s (3.65" sidewall) on his pickup and it road so much better most of the squeeks and rattles disappeared. I figured it would feel about the same, so I was surprised that it made such a huge improvement.