200sx rim help

[XxWickedz28xX]

I posted this in the suspension section and got no replies, so I figure Id post up here.

Im looking to get a new set of rims for my 97 200sx. Right now its still got the factory 13's on it. I cant make up my mind on what size to get. 15's or 16's. From what Ive read, the 15's get a 50 series tire, and 40 series for the 16's. This is my daily driver, I drive about 130 miles a day back and forth to work. Almost all of it is on the highway. So I want to try and maintain a decent ride. How will the 16's feel? Will it be a rough ride? Will they be louder on the road? How about the handeling? I would imagine that it would improve over the 13's right? What about the 15's? It seems that the 15's would be the smart choice, but bigger is better, and 16's look decent on these cars. How will these sizes effect my gas mileage? Gas milegae was a huge factor in me buying this car in the first place, so I dont want to sacrifice that too much. Any feedback would be great!

[nametakennow]

http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html

Use that to determine what size tire to get.

It depends on how good your roads are. Here in Atlanta, I'm wishing I had something thicker than the 45-series I have on my 17"s, so I may be getting 16"s with a 50 series and a wider profile for more grip and a better ride all in one. Also make sure you keep your tire pressures in the right range, a few lbs can make a huge difference in ride on a thinner tire.

[jbarbaresi]

as far as plus sizing your wheels/tires, they recommend you stay within 10% of your oem specs. if you know the aspect ratio of the stock tires you will be able to figure out what size tire to put on larger sized wheels. as a rule of thumb, the thinner the tire the more you will feel the road, how much difference? eh... i have 225/45/17 on my car and it doesn't bother me. i'm upgrading to a 215/40/18 when i get new wheels. as far as gas mileage... one theory is that larger wheels = larger circumference = less revolutions on the road = better gas mileage. however, generally speaking larger wheels and larger tires are heavier which means it takes more energy to get them in motion. for the most part you aren't really going to see much difference in gas mileage because the difference in weight will offset the difference in circumference, so unless you find a larger wheel that is significantly lighter than your oem 13's, not too much is going to change. use the link nametakenow posted to figure out your tire size, being careful not to go too wide or you can have substantial roll while cornering if the sidewall isn't stiff enough.

[nametakennow]

The gas mileage thing is going to have much more to do with weight. If he properly plus-sizes then the overall diameter won't change much if at all, and, thus, the number of revolutions per mile won't change. Stock wheels are generally heavy for their size, and the thick 13in tires are definitely heavy, so in the end the weight should go down a little (or a lot of you purposely seek a lightweight wheel) if it changes at all.

If he gets a wider wheel then the tire can maintain stiffness in cornering, but, yes, avoiding too wide of tires is good. With a 7in wide wheel (which most aftermarket ones are) it's best to go no wider than a 225 series tire.

[jbarbaresi]

The gas mileage thing is going to have much more to do with weight. If he properly plus-sizes then the overall diameter won't change much if at all, and, thus, the number of revolutions per mile won't change. Stock wheels are generally heavy for their size, and the thick 13in tires are definitely heavy, so in the end the weight should go down a little (or a lot of you purposely seek a lightweight wheel) if it changes at all.

If he gets a wider wheel then the tire can maintain stiffness in cornering, but, yes, avoiding too wide of tires is good. With a 7in wide wheel (which most aftermarket ones are) it's best to go no wider than a 225 series tire.

good point about overall circumference not changing if he properly plus sizes. you are right so weight should be the only factor there. stock b16 spec v's come with a 17 X 7 wheel and 225mm width tires. i think they look too big. i would personally prefer a 215 or even 205 for a 7in wheel (most performance tire manufacturer's recommend 205 as optimal width for 7in wheel) i would run a 225 on an 8in wheel, but its all just preference on the look you are going for... 225 will fit anything from 7-8.5in wheels. not to change the subject but did you get a chance to get an outside soundclip of the brm on your car? i can't get greg to write me back about ordering mine and no one answers the phone listed on the website, i don't get it... i figured he'd want a video of the b16 exhaust on here before stillen and nismo and everyone else release theirs.

[nametakennow]

Mine's a B15 w/ SR20DE. I thought I mentioned that in the other thread (it's also in my sig). I saw a video a few years back of a B15 Spec V with a BRM. I don't know what happened to it, but I've looked everywhere it was posted and haven't found anything.

Every BRM I've heard has that same kind of tone, it just varies a little by the displacement and character of the engine. I'd be more than happy to get a quick clip of mine on my way to work tonight regardless.

I get the feeling that Greg is revamping the entire site. I know he's mentioned doing it. Of course, his recent personal tragedy probably put that and the business as a whole on the backburner for a little while, so his slow response should be attributable to that.

Back to the tire thing - yes, recommended size for 7in wide wheels is 205, but it also depends on the type of tire. The higher performance the tire is designed for, the more likely it is to have a stiffer sidewall. The OEM 195/55/16 Firestone Firehawks I had (OE tire) gave as soon as I dove into a corner, while the 215/45/17 Falken Ziex have held on. I'm hoping to get some 225/50/16 Michelin Pilot Sport A/S on in the next month or two, and they should hold on as well as the Falkens have, but with a better ride and better treadwear.

[jbarbaresi]

i know you have the b15 sr20, when i said i figured greg would want a video of the b16 exhaust i was implying that i would post one after getting the exhaust installed. i figured if anyone has bought that exhaust yet they would have said something about it or posted a sound clip. does your exhaust have a round muffler like on the s13 or do you have an oval muffler like on the pictured b16 exhaust, and what is the reason he would use one for a certain application and not the other? sound difference?

as far as the tires, i've had good experiences with nitto nt555 but they don't make the size i'm going to need for the wheels i want, so i'm thinking i'm gonna go with either toyo proxes 4 or tr-1, haven't decided yet.

i don't want you to go out of your way but if you could get a video up i would appreciate it. your video from inside with the injen and brm is what really has me ready to order the brm. thanks.

[XxWickedz28xX]

Well, I already know the sizes I would get. If I went with a 15" rim, I would most likely go with a 195/50/15. As for the 16"'s, it would be a 205/40/16. I dont think I made my question clear. Is a 40 series tire on a 97 200sx gonna ride hard? I dont want to risk denting rims, I dont want to have to swerve everytime I see a pothole. The 50 series tire for the 15" rim seems to be the way to go for me, but I love the look of 16's. Thats my dilema. IM not looking at anything soecial rim wise, maybe something like a Motegi MR7 style. Im sure its lighter than the stock 13's. From what Ive read, neither one of these sizes will mess with my speedo too much, if at all.

[nametakennow]

Gotcha, sorry, I misread it. I have to process the clips, so they'll be up tomorrow.

The B15 setups use a round resonator and muffler. I was hoping for a more stock-looking setup with dual tips, but Greg explain that flow testing showed better gains with a round muffler and a single tip. I think the B16 ones are the same.

wicked:

What size are the stock tires? 195/50 seems awfully thin and narrow. I'd suggest you use that tire calculator I posted if you didn't to begin with.

IMO a 40 series tire is going to be a bit rough in terms of ride, but it also depends on your suspension. You won't bend the wheels unless they're poor quality and you hit a nasty pothole. I've hit some very nasty ones with my suspension and 45-series and had no damage to the wheels at all.

[XxWickedz28xX]

wicked:

What size are the stock tires? 195/50 seems awfully thin and narrow. I'd suggest you use that tire calculator I posted if you didn't to begin with.

IMO a 40 series tire is going to be a bit rough in terms of ride, but it also depends on your suspension. You won't bend the wheels unless they're poor quality and you hit a nasty pothole. I've hit some very nasty ones with my suspension and 45-series and had no damage to the wheels at all.

Yeah, I used that calculator thingy a few day ago. Very helpful link, thanks. My suspension is all stock right now, and probably will remain that way for a while. You kinda answered my question...the 40 series tire is gonna be too harsh for me as a daily driver/commuter car. I love the sporty look of the 16's, but its just not practical for me I think. Im gonna go with a 15x7 rim. So whats the widest tire I can put on a 15x7 without rubbing? 195/50 too thin? Thats what tirerack recommends.

[nametakennow]

IMO, on a 7in wide wheel you're not utilizing it. I'd go 205/50 (or 45 if you have to) or 215/45. It'll be about the same height anyway, so ride quality shouldn't suffer.

[XxWickedz28xX]

Thanks man I appreciate your help. Im gonna go with a 205/50/15. I drive in Manhattan everyday, and the potholes are horrendous! I need as much sidewall as I can get. I cant wait to get em. Riding on 13's is getting old. They are so loud and they handle like crap. Do you think I will rub at all with the stock suspension and a 205/50/15?

[nametakennow]

Unless the offset of the wheels sucks, no.

[XxWickedz28xX]

WHat is a good offset? Ive seen a bunch of different offsets so far. From 38mm, 40mm to 45mm.

[SER96VET]

Thanks man I appreciate your help. Im gonna go with a 205/50/15. I drive in Manhattan everyday, and the potholes are horrendous! I need as much sidewall as I can get. I cant wait to get em. Riding on 13's is getting old. They are so loud and they handle like crap. Do you think I will rub at all with the stock suspension and a 205/50/15?

the 205/50/15 size is a good choice. the SE-R's came with 195/55/15 from the factory. I have a set of 205/50 Azenis RT615's on my stock SE-R wheels for track days and they actually ride alot smoother then my 215/40/17's I have on my daily wheels. to answer your question, it will not rub, even if you lowered it 2.5". then again if you went with some ridiculous offset, then it may rub. lol.

[XxWickedz28xX]

Sorry to bring back an old thread, but im having trouble finding 15"rims I like. It seems that everything out there is geared towards the 16" crowd. So im kinda leaning towards a 16" rim. The size im looking for is a 205/45/16. Will this fit without any rub on a 97 200sx with stock suspension? Some of the tires are even cheaper than the same tire in 15" which is mind boggling. And some tires even have a better overall rating than its counterpart in the 15". If I go with the 16", im looking to get this tire, I live in NY, so I have to deal with some snow, when it gets bad, I'll take the wifes Grand Cherokee, but for everyday driving, these should work well for me. What do you guys think?

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/...1=yes

[jbarbaresi]

need to know what your stock wheel/tire size is. as far as price of tires is concerned, a lot of it depends on how popular that particular size is, don't assume it's more money just because it's larger.

[XxWickedz28xX]

well, right now Ive got the stock 13's...175/70/13

[loonx]

hmm interesting..