Help me select my wheels from these 2 sets

[svard75]

I think you might like these as well. 5 spokes to the outer edge for a BIGGER look. Plus, It can be staggered with a 8 inch wheel in front and a 9 inch in the rear. Nice offsets accompany this setup. Farther out than factory but not enough to upset anything.

Check it out!http://www.elementwheels.com/p...r5189

I agree with fiveliterbeater. The Deep Dish rims display the true character of our sedans. Take a look at any BMW 5 series and above with aftermarket RIMS as examples.

I know this is semi off-topic but if you buy staggered setup how do you rotate your tires? That question has been in my mind for some time now because I know lot's of cars come with that setup from factory.

CHEERS!

[szh]

I know this is semi off-topic but if you buy staggered setup how do you rotate your tires?.

If the tires are directional, you don't rotate anymore and live with whatever wear patterns you get (although you should align more often and more carefully). If the tires are non-directional, you can flip them left to right on the same axle.

That is the only choice you have.

Note that there is some indication (see testing results at Tire Rack) that you can rotate directional tires "the wrong way" and not encounter unusual problems. This would allow you to flip left to right on the same axle with staggered directional setups ... I am not proposing that people do this, by the way.

Staggered wheels can have (or introduce) quite different tire wear rates from front to back, etc. Even non-stagger wear is different from front to back usually! So, if the front-to-rear tire wear rate is different, you get to:

(a) buy four tires at a time even when a given axle set is not worn (and this is more expensive overall), or

(b) stick to the same brand and model from that point on, since you don't really want to mix and match different brands/models as that might lead to different handling problems.

If the factory provides staggered setups, it is usually because they have done the homework of understanding the car handling requirements, and done the necessary suspension modifications for it and it is usually for cars where they assume the extra cost is something the owner can live with!

The Lotus Exige is an excellent example of this. Relatively narrow front and rear wheels, in a staggered setup, but that car can run rings around most others! Ever see the video of an Elise or Exige racing a Bugatti Veyron? It shows the Lotus catching up to the Bugatti on EVERY corner ... that video is in our media forum here at NICO.

Personally, I prefer to stick with my current non-staggered (front-to-back) OEM wheels and spend my money on the best tires that I can afford for those wheels. More often than not, this gives better performance and handling as an outcome.

But, replacement larger diameter wheels - that are usually heavier than stock (although not in the case of the ones shown here) - is something that many people do seem to want to spend their money on. Looks outweigh performance in their mind. Which is fine if that is understood before making the purchase.

Z

[marosari00]

Good information! I dealt with performance versus looks. Ended with keeping the stock rims and improve on the RSAs the vehicle came with.

[SteveTheTech]

Great post Z.

Anyone who contemplates replacing with a staggered setup should read some of the G35coupe tales of woe. Please don't get directional tires with staggered wheels. This cannot be stressed enough to those who have larger wheels, the G used 18s and a different set of alignment specs but the concept is the same.

Wheel selection has progressed from the good ole days of going the local Sears for a set of Craggers that were the same size or at most 16s. Now with the large variety in size and quality of universal fit replacement wheels options the primary deciding factor usually turns out to be preference.

InfinitiMe- While I applaud your desire to keep your new tires I agree with PetrolHead. Keeps the stocks and get some spacers. It's much cheaper and if you decide to drop it you will alter the look enough where you may be satisified with it without investing in wheels. From my experience seeing all types of wheel and tire combinations the DC area is not kind to aftermarket wheels. Whether the friendly neighborhood kids think your wheels would look better on their car or the car size craters in the road of the metro area want you to remember your trip to the city with a dented wheel. If you replace the wide multi-spoke OE wheels with 18" narrow spoked wheels without anyother modification you may not be pleased with the over aesthetic outcome. It may accentuate the larger sidewall and wheel arch gap common in the M35x.

[maxnix]

With a front heavy car like the Y50, one must maximize the load bearing capacity for the front tires, not under capacity too narrow tires to look kewl. Staggered fittings should be avoided unless you have a high horsepower engine and cash coming out your kazoo. Think about dynamic weight transfer during braking and cornering. Driveways demand nothing. Most of the dirveway queens on any board have heavy, cheap weak wheels and even cheaper crummy tires because the static fashionable appearance is more important than the actual dynamic performance.

Most do this backwards. What one should do first is research the tire size, construction, compounds, and load capacity that will serve your driving needs first, then buy the best (correctly sized of highest strength and with lowest weight) wheel that will accomodate that tire.

Performance costs money. There is a reason the Very Impaired Performance crowd's motto is "Low and Slow."

Spacers are dead excess unsprung rotating mass. Buying the correct offset is important.

Ignore static looks unless you want a parking lot queen. Performance is dynamic, and important specifications are weight, strength, offset and hubcentricty assuming the wheels are acutually round (not all are!).

When you see cosmetic fake rivets and bolts, you know the wheel weight and strength is not optimized! For real wheel manufacturers and not dub pretenders, look at what racers use, starting with F1 and work down in internationally sanctioned events. Even BBS and OZ Racing have some heavy clunkers for light trucks and the bling crowd. But they won't compromise on strength

You can ignore exhibitionists like drag "racers" (no corners, no hills, no brakes) and drifters (seriously ill-handling and slow cars).

[OneOfOne]

take the first choice. you dont need stupid lips or over sized rims just going for a 'look'. the 5 spoke rim is stylish enough without being garish. some people want to try for a look that says 'the only taste I have is in my mouth'. dont be that guy.

http://www.elementwheels.com/p...r5189