I am looking for a lightweight 17" wheel thats within my budget. I will be getting Toyo Proxes t1-s 235.45.17. Rota Attack 17x7.5 are 16.5 lbs, Black Racing N1 are 17x8 at 20lbs. Is a half inch in width worth the extra 3.5 lbs?

17x8



17x7.5

any other options?

 

You could also look into getting P245/40s as they are acceptable for a 7.5" wheel and of course it will give you a bit more traction than the P235's. Thats what I would do anyway....

Jesse

 

get the x7.5 and 235's. thats what i would do atleast

 

i'd definitely go for the 7.5's

 

Once again, lots of opinions but very few facts.

Purchasing tires and rims involves a number of factors, StrongIsleMax. Rim width and weight are just two of them. Tire geometry is another. All of these aspects have been discussed ad nauseum. Between the FAQs and the search function, you can locate all the information you need to make an informed decision. Rely on the information that gets posted in this thread and you probably won't have an opportunity to make an informed decision. The choice is yours.

 

Go for the 7.5 so you can keep most of your performance (accelerating, braking) while upgrading your wheel size. With a 17x8, you can put on a wider tire, but since the Maxima is so light compared to other 4 door sedans, the benefit will not be as great. And the 17x8 will slow you down more in terms of acceleration and braking.

DW

 

Black Racing is probably a better wheel than Rota Attack.

Black racing is made by the same company (http://www.arw.co.jp/) that makes Gewalt and 5Zigen wheels.

Rota is either made in Taiwan or some south asian country. ie. Malaysia.

 

Another thing, I don't know if the spec is correct from the link you provided for the Black Racing N1. 8" and 7.5" both were listed as 20lbs.

 

Rota is made in the Philippines by the same manufacturer as Konig and some OEM Toyota and Nissan stuff.

 

How so? You have a wider contact area which is better for braking. Wider whels, wider contact area, better acceleration. Why do you think people with supras and 300z's put wider tires/wheels on their rear, more contact, more sticking to surface. The top speed might be less but not braking or acceleration...

 

Very good point. I've never bought the "1# will slow you down" speech. Why do you find 9-10" rims from the factory on German cars? Why don't they put lighter, smaller, narrower rims on their cars so they wont get "slowed down?"

On a 235/40-WR18 like I have, the 18x8 is NOT the optimal width, it is narrow. That's all the Maxima front suspension can correctly handle. Again, 8" is narrower than optimal for the 235 tire. If it were me, I would not want to go 7.5--I'd double-check that that's even acceptable for a 235.

 

When you're talking about 300ZXs and Supras, you must mean turbos. Well, they kindof have gargantuan power potential, compared to a NA Maxima. Those turbo cars will more than offset a wheels weight. A 17x8 wheel, when compared to a 17x7.5 wheel, not only weighs more, but has even more of its mass on the outside of the rim. I actually learned that here on the org, too. Acceleration is hurt b/c the car has to push, and especially rotate, more mass. Braking is hurt b/c the car has to pull, and especially stop rotating, more mass.

You're right, the more contact patch the better, but the car's weight also has a factor. The Maxima is a very light car compared to most 4 door sedans. Do you really think it would make sense to put the OEM Viper wheels on a Mini? It'll be able to corner like nothing else, but acceleration and braking will be hit real hard. With the brakes, it's an OK assumption that the brakes are not upgraded.

You have to find a balance. SInce the maxima is light, I feel there's not really a need to put all that rubber and wheel on it. It looks great. I love the way a Max looks with 19s, buy hey, I don't want to lose performance to get that look.

DW