I have 2002 rims on my 3rd gen. Does the car actually drive slower because the rims and tires are slightly bigger? Is it as fast as it is with the stock 15's?
The reason Im asking is because I have noticed a slight difference. Maybe its just me I dont know. Any advice? Thanks.

 

yes, bigger wheels=less torque... at the wheels, also if they weigh more thatll slow you down to. thats why i dont really want any different rims, that and i dont mind the stock ones, and new rims are pricey

im not sure how much of a difference it makes, but it does make a difference.

 

Bigger? Not a big difference. Biggest reason is those wheels weigh a freakin' ton

 

It is all about the weight of the wheels. For every pound a wheel weighs it's similar to adding 4 pounds to your car gross weight because it's rotaional mass. So lets say the stock wheels are 17lbs each and you put some 18's on that weigh 27lbs each that is a 10lb difference. 10x4=40 (rotational mass) and 40x4=160 (four wheels). So it will feel like you have an extra 160lbs in your car all the time. I think of it as being kind of like getting a light weight flywheel. You can find some lightweight wheels that actually make it feel like you have more power. Tires can make a pretty big difference also.

 

The standard tire for the 2002 Maxima is a 17" (P215/55R17), our 3rd gen is 15". A larger diameter wheel will affect the overall gearing of the driveline causing slightly(?) slower acceleration. The extra weight (as noted above) is a factor that slows down the acceleration. The larger diameter also causes a speedometer error in that the speedo will be registering slower than your actual speed (good luck with Officer Friendly).

 

it also depends on how the mass is distributed. if the mass is concentrated more on the outside of the wheel it wil make it harder to turn. and if the mass is more evenly distributed like a plate, aka saw blades, the wheel is just a little easier to turn.
and of coarse the more mass the harder it will be to turn.

 

thats why you need to get the right size tires. you might get better responses in the tire/rims section.

 

rim diameter will not affect overall gearing, however the tire diameter can.

 

Yeah, internetautomart is right. It doesn't matter if you have a 15, 16 or 17-inch rim, but you need to have the right size tire to equal closely to what the stock size should be. There is a tire and wheel calculator in the stickies in the Tire and Wheel forum.

Tire size will affect your speedo reading if they aren't the right size. If you have bigger tires, your speedo will show a slower speed than you are really going. Those heavy-ass rims will also hurt your acceleration.

 

just a thought but while we talking about weight and acceleration.
Do they make lightweight performance axles? lightweight rubber?
I think it would be alot cooler if they did.
A ve 5spd with some like 14lb 17" racing rims with some lightweight rubber, a fidanza flywheel, performance clutch, lightened pulley, and lightened axles I think would have some awesome torque and hp to the ground because it has lot less weight than stock transfering from crank to wheels. just a dream of mine. hopefully this spring the fidanza and clutch will be swapped in my car

 

I have 13.5 lb 17" wheels, Fidanza, ACT clutch, pulley (coming) and a GReddy exhaust (need to install). I can really tell the difference in the wheels. I swapped my snow tires and wheels on last week and the acceleration isn't nearly the same. It also doesn't seem to stop as well.

I also weighed my rims and tires compared to my stock sawblades with tires. Each one of my light wheels weighs about 29 lbs with tires on. The sawblades weigh about 38 lbs each with tires. I have no idea if the tires are considered heavy or not. Both sets of tires are pretty low on tread, too.

I don't know if I would want lighter axles, due to the chance of breakage. Maybe if they came out with some that are heat treated titanium or something.

 

how about carbon fiber axles?

 

carbon fiber rims?

 

they already have those