If I was to completely ignore looks, would 16x7 rims be the best for 4th gen Maximas as far as pure performance is concerned? I know 17s would look better, but looks aside, would 16x7 be best for performance? The 16" rims would obviously be lighter. Actually about 5 lbs lighter. 11 lb 16" and 16 lb 17".

Thanks for your inputs.

 

wider is better..
lighter is better..
more concentrated mass to the center is better..
bigger is better...but I say 17 is big enough....wheel wall flex factor....
softer compound is better...but you burn rubber fast for traction...
good luck

 

Wider is better for handling, not acceleration as much. I should have specified I want more in terms of acceleration, especially straight line from a standstill (street racing).

So if the 16s are lighter than 17s go with 16s?

It is almost impossible to find the mass distribution on a rim when you are looking at it so assume that they are all similar... so proportional to weight itself.

I know 17 is big enough. My question was if 16 was too small. Is there an advantage to 17s over 16s? (remember I don't care about looks)

I am thinking about the Bridgestone Potenza RE730s.

 

well..the more traction you get..the better...this is probably more in terms of the cross section that contact the road surface...so wider is better...
and there is a potential problem of wheel hop...I do not know much on how to address this..but if I recall correctly...had something to do with both your wheel (tire rim) and your suspension setup...
Lighter..is always better...
I do agree it is tough to get wheel mass distribution...but given you can do inertia testing on the guy..well..you might just be able to found out....spin the wheel at different axis.. ^_^...yeah that is not too easy...
anyhow...I hope what little I know helps
good luck on your quest for the perfect drag wheel
PS: Don in Texas might have a lot references on this. Have you seen his signature? ^_^

 

If you want fast straight line speed, you will want skinnier, smaller tires.

BUT you will also want the smallest diameter

High pressure 15" tires will be good performance racing tires. Try to go with a light rim and you will be good.

The fatter 17"+ tires will eat up speed and will probably not be very helpful for your type of racing.

 

Why would you want skinner tires? You won't be able to get sufficient traction then. Maybe you're thinking of RWD cars with skinnys on the front, but if you look at the rear tires, they are huge.
If you want tires for drag racing then you will need a wider tire to prevent wheel spin, or else you could get slicks. There are so many factors to determine the best wheel. If you have LOTS of power you might need a larger, wider wheel.

 

Let's put to rest these myths about wider is better and such. Sounds like we've been watching too many Pontiac commercials. I clearly remember reading a interview with the head engineer of the Dodge Viper who said that the Viper is capable of better handling numbers with narrower wheels and tires......but the public wouldn't go for it.

The 4th gen Maxima is relatively light for a sedan. There is a fine line between just right and too wide. The wider the tire gets, the wider and shorter the contact patch. The contact patch will ALWAYS be the same in size because the weight of the car doesn't change. The shape of the patch is determined by the width of the tire and rim. Wider and shorter contact patches result in better cornering and turn in, but worse straight line performance. Narrow and long patches result in better straight line traction (ie drag racing, snow driving). Traction is also determined by rubber compounds and the sidewall height and stiffness. A sticky, narrow, and taller tire will always get more traction than the same tire in the shorter and wider profile. If low profile was so great for drag racing then, drag racer would run 20 series tires.

I got rid of my 46lb 17X7s 235/45s in a quest to make my car quicker and handle better. I bought a set of Kosei K1s 16X7.5 with 215/55 Yokohama Avid V4 all season tires. This setup weighs just under 38lbs. The car is much more responsive and straight line acceleration is by far superior to the 235/45s. The 17s had better turn in, but at the limit handling still goes to the 16s. They howl more, but they hold the line a bit better. The ride is smoother and less harsh because there is less unsprung weight. My Max doesn't look as bad-*** as is used to, but it's quicker, handles better, rides better which is exactly what I set out to accomplish. Pics can be seen on my homepage. The K1s actually look bigger than 16s due to thier ultra thin spokes.

Dave

 

Dave B

I looked at your website, and I was wondering what type of paint (brand name and where you got it) you used on your fog lights. Do you also have Yellowstar bulbs or regular halogen bulbs?

 

The paint is from autodynamic.com ~$25

I smoked out my taillights with the same stuff. It works great and doesn't chip.

I've got slightly brighter foglights, but they are still white. The light that shines thru is a faint yellow. I could make it more yellow by simply adding another coat of paints (1 coat is on there).

Dave

 

=]
wider is better to a limit and vise versa
btw...why does tall tire wall perform better? Just wondering...I don't have drag tires, but how different are these compared to street tires? Is the wall thicker by any chance?and also..wouldn't taller wall be more prone to shearing?...
btw..is there any reason that for most drag cars, the wheel that provide power has wider tires? Is it because of weight or is it about traction?
Or maybe it is more of a stability issue than a traction issue with wide vs narrow and tall vs low?
^_^
this is cool...we should have more tech related stuff like this...

 

=]
wider is better to a limit and vise versa
btw...why does tall tire wall perform better? Just wondering...I don't have drag tires, but how different are these compared to street tires? Is the wall thicker by any chance?and also..wouldn't taller wall be more prone to shearing?...
btw..is there any reason that for most drag cars, the wheel that provide power has wider tires? Is it because of weight or is it about traction?
Or maybe it is more of a stability issue than a traction issue with wide vs narrow and tall vs low?
^_^
this is cool...we should have more tech related stuff like this...

 

I have always wanted to save up and buy a set of 18s with 235/40s on them. Would that drastically slow down my max? I love the handling of the car, but I also want the "street" performance....

 

Dave B, you said you ditched the 17x7 for 16x7.5. What's your opinion of 17x7.5 then?

For everyone else, is 17x8 "better" than 17x7.5?

 

The wider they are the more the rims will weigh cause you will also be putting bigger tires on wider rims. And the tire is most the weight. The wider you have the better steering and turning you will have. Also you will stay on the road better. Look at race cars. Small diameter wide rims and tires. The only problem is you can't get those for your car, but you can get either big diameter wide or small diameter thin. Its all your call.