18" Enkei Rims Need help finding right tire size!!!!
I probably really screwed myself on this one.. just bought some Enkei rims 18" @ 17lbs a piece for like 200$ for the whole set. Now I'm afraid I won't be able to use these rims at all. The description says 18X8.5 with +45mm offset. My question is this; will I even be able to use these rims, would they look stupid, and what tire size should I go for? Maybe 225/35/18 or can I go to 40? Please help, since I might have to turn around and sell them to someone that actually has to use them.
Rims were made for A & L Racing division
Car is 4th gen, just in case you were wonderin why I posted in the 4th gen section..lol
if you can get them to fit without rubbing...... a 40 series will be to big at 225/40/18.. you will be going 63mph when your spedo reads 60mph... best bet is a 235/30/18.. will be going 59.2mph when it reads 60mph...@ 225/35/18 your going 60.8 mph when reading 60mph so no go on that size as well.. and last but not least is the 225/30/18 your going 58.6 when it reads 60 mph... but like i said you maybe able to fit them but watch out becasue they may rub.. have a local tire dealer mount a tire in that size they have in stock and have them check to see if it will rub or anything.... good luck
Not going to happen. You will have rubbing, followed by more rubbing, followed by yet more rubbing, followed by you cursing the day you bought these wheels. Just sell them now. They will not fit.
For comparison, I have 7.5" wide wheels with the same offset and 225/30/18's tires and they rub frequently. Add another 1" to the wheel width and it is going to be impossible.
Thanks guys, I really appreciate the feedback. Yeah I was so excited about 17 lbs 18" rims I overlooked the 8.5 part of the description. I at least got a really good deal of $200 for them, and should at least get my money's worth back. I've been set on 17's anyway, my dumbass should have bought what I was going to buy in the beginning. Thanks for the link on the rim fitments, I should have looked there first.
For reference: I have 18's too, +48 offset, 7.5 wide, 215/35/18
Pretty aggressive drop (5 threads from lowest on the ground controls)
No rubbing.......
are you interested in selling them? and to second what mervin said- i just had the same setup with some 18 in enkei's tire size was the same 215/35/18- tires are a b!tch though cheapest set was 380$ tire rack and my shop quoted me a price of somewhere in the 700$ range- besides the fact i saw fuel consumption increase quite a bit...after putting them on but, they look really nice... just too many negatives so i traded them in lieu of revamping my entire brake system...
besides the fact i saw fuel consumption increase quite a bit...after putting them on but.
That is simply not true. The larger diameter of the bigger wheels/tires causes the odometer to read lower, but the actual change to your mpg is not going to be significant. It may appear to be lower if you are reading the number straight off the odometer without accounting for the difference in tire diameter.
It is true that low profile tires for 18" wheels are more expensive than they would be for 17"s, and there are a limited number of manufacturers that make them in the correct sizes for a prelude.
18's are often heavier and raise the rotational mass, which requires power/gas to overcome...........
This is true, and if you are constantly in stop and go traffic it might make a difference. The weight difference from the stockers, at least for my wheels, wasn't all that much. Also, the larger wheels allow the engine to turn at slightly lower rpm when cruising on the highway, which saves fuel.
I still get ~25mpg with my 18's, and I typically don't shift until ~4K or higher. Check out this link to figure just how far off your odometer is reading: Tire size calculator In my case, using that calculator, my odo is reading about 20-30 miles lower than the actual mileage per tank of gas.
This is true, and if you are constantly in stop and go traffic it might make a difference. The weight difference from the stockers, at least for my wheels, wasn't all that much. Also, the larger wheels allow the engine to turn at slightly lower rpm when cruising on the highway, which saves fuel.
I still get ~25mpg with my 18's, and I typically don't shift until ~4K or higher. Check out this link to figure just how far off your odometer is reading: Tire size calculator In my case, using that calculator, my odo is reading about 20-30 miles lower than the actual mileage per tank of gas.
my 18's are lighter then stock...
so i agree with this... you would have to have some ugly full faced 30 lb wheels to see a difference in mpg.
That is simply not true. The larger diameter of the bigger wheels/tires causes the odometer to read lower, but the actual change to your mpg is not going to be significant. It may appear to be lower if you are reading the number straight off the odometer without accounting for the difference in tire diameter.
It is true that low profile tires for 18" wheels are more expensive than they would be for 17"s, and there are a limited number of manufacturers that make them in the correct sizes for a prelude.
any time you increase the width of the foot print you increase drag. More contact equals more friction. if you drive around with 19 x 6.5 with 205 tires, you will get better gas mileage then with your 17 x 9 with 255 tires. thats one of the reasons the geo metro gets great mileage (same with the older civics) those thin wheels and tires have nearly half as much drag as our 215s.
any time you increase the width of the foot print you increase drag. More contact equals more friction.
As with any other "performance" modification, there is a downside. However, in the case of wider tires the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks. Wider tires = more friction with the road (a.k.a. traction)...which is a good thing.
The loss in gas mileage is so small that it is almost undetectable. Tire pressure and wheel weight has a much bigger affect on MPG than width does.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 98Lude-R
thats one of the reasons the geo metro gets great mileage (same with the older civics) those thin wheels and tires have nearly half as much drag as our 215s.
Bullsh*t. Those cars get such high gas mileage because of the combination of being less the 2000lbs and having anemic gas-conserving engines. It's not because they have skinny tires. Drag due to wider tires only causes an insignificant difference in gas mileage.
Call BS all you want, Indy. The truth is in the science.
Yes, they have tiny engines that sip gas and yes, they are very lightweight...
Still, do me a favor. Just humor me. Find me one notible vehicle with relatively wide wheel/tires that gets under 30 mpg, and find my one gas saving vehicle (hybrids, mini-compact vehicles, etc) that have wide wheels/tires.
You wont find any, and for good reason. Yes, more drag generally relates to having more traction, but treadwear (stickiness) also comes into play there. you can have a 205/50 RT-615 with extremely good traction, or roll on 235/40 snow tires that have a treadwear rating above 400.... they arent very sticky, which = good mileage (and wear haha).
You are greatly exaggerating the effects of tire width on MPG. Yes, theoretically you could get a few more mpg if you have tiny tires with less traction. No, it's not enough to make a difference. To date, I've had 3 different sized sets of wheels and tires on my car. I got almost exactly the same mileage with 225/40/18 as I do with 205/55/16's. I actually get a few mpg better with my 215/40/17's because those wheels are ~10 lbs lighter (each) than the other 2 sets I've used.
Putting wide tires on a hybrid makes no sense, they have no power and are not "performance" cars, so you wouldn't gain anything useful. The only cars that come from the factory with wide tires are "performance" cars with higher output engines that are less concerned with MPG and more concerned with driving characteristics. You could put wide tires on a Prius and it would still get good MPG. You could also put bicycle-width tires on a Viper and it would still get crappy MPG.
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Last edited by indylude18; 01-27-2011 at 03:50 PM.
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