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17" or 18" rims - ride quality


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I have a 2000 Accord EX sedan w/ 2.3L engine. I think it has 14" or 15" alloy wheels now. I want to make it look a little sportier than it is, so I was thinking about adding 17" or 18" rims (similiar in design to BMW M series rims). I don't want a real rough ride, but I know 17" or 18" rims will be rougher than what I have now and that's fine. I also don't know if I will have to modify the car at all to fit this size rim on there.... can anybody help me out with this? A set of rims I was looking at were 18" x 7.5" - and they said something about +45mm - I don't know if that is how much more tire width I will need or if I need to alter the car 45mm or what.... Thanks for your help guys. :)

 

http://www.getcrashparts.com/product.asp?m...tt=&sku=2497664

 

Those are the rims I have now ^^^

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I got 17's on my accord and the ride is still smooth as hell

I got 18's on my skyline and the ride is not as smooth but not uncomfortable either I think it is definitely worth the sportier look

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Cool. I think I may go with 17" rims then, if at all. Do I have to worry about the wheels hitting the wheel wells at all? What does 45mm offset mean?

 

What I'd really like to do is find Honda / Acura rims (4-lug) that are 17" that I can put on my car. I don't know if that is possible, but I think it would look better than some aftermarket company rims... but that's just me. I don't want to look like a typical Honda ricer boy.

 

Do the larger rims affect handling at all? Positively ot negatively? I'm going to browse around. I found nice 16" Honda rims, but it's not worth it to spend all that money to go from 15" to 16" rims imo. I want either 17" or 18" rims, which I don't think Honda makes 18" rims but maybe Acura makes them that will fit my Accord...

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yea, ther is no honda or acura wheel that is an 18.

 

bmw style wheel? are you saying BBS wheels?

 

the ride doesnt change much when you put `7/18s but if you dont lower it you will have a lot of space in the fender well. i dont like how it looks much.

 

if you want it to sit flush. install some 1.5-2 inch lowering springs or coilovers. they will run you:

 

100-200 for lowering springs

250-1000 for coilovers.(depends on make)

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I may put on some 17" wheels. The thing I don't get is the offset... From what I've read my car should be at a 0mm offset with the standard 15" wheels that came with the car. I am looking at some 17" wheels and they all have an offset of 35mm or more... which means the tires stick out 35mm more on each side? I have to worry about the tires rubbing suspension parts.... I don't get it. Can someone help me out?? :mellow: ???

 

I am considering something like this:

 

http://www.adrwheels.com/wheels/?sfID1=12&sfID2=41

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Your car should not be at 0 offset and I'm not sure that they even make wheels with 0. Your offset will change depending on the width of your wheel. The company you buy them from should know what offset you need for certain widths. If you are not buying from a company, then just call up tirerack and ask them what the offset is for a 7" wide wheel on your car and any other widths your looking at. Also, I would guess that on a 7" wide rim, you would want 40-42mm offset. That's the way it is on civics and integras.

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  • 4 weeks later...

I have having the same debate for my wheel upgrade on my 95 Accord, 17s or 18s. It's true what has been stated about lowering the car. If you stay at stock height, it will look like crap. What pieces you use to lower will affect your ride quality. Also, the quality of ride depends on the tire you choose. A tire with a very stiff sidewall will be felt more than one with a soft sidewall. If I choose 18s, I'm getting the new Bridgestone G009 as they have a softer sidewall. I don't do any crazy driving or hard cornering so I'm not concerned about sidewall flex. I have Koni Yellows set at softest settings and H&R OEM Sport springs. My drop is about 1 inch with current setup.

 

I am considering Axis Mod for 18s or Exel M-7 for 17s.

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I have Bridgestone Potenza G009 on my stock wheels and love them. They have excellent wet/dry traction considering they are an all season performance tire. I'd highly reccomend those tires. They also have great ride quality and are really quite, (although could change with a low pro 18).

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I have Bridgestone Potenza G009 on my stock wheels and love them. They have excellent wet/dry traction considering they are an all season performance tire. I'd highly reccomend those tires. They also have great ride quality and are really quite, (although could change with a low pro 18).

Cool, thanks!

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  • 3 months later...

Hey, I've got an 02 Accord Coupe 4cyl w/ 18's and they're great...

 

If you like a sporty (aka: firm, sensitive, rough) ride, 18's are the way to go. You sacrifice ride quality for sporty feel and look, but IMO it's worth it.

 

Around corners the tires stick like glue; I can do 25 mph curves at 55-60 mph with no slipping or screeching, and the steering has a much more precise feel.

 

If you want a sporty look but want stock ride quality, maybe get a set of 16s? They difference will be noticeable as far as appearance is concerned, but not as far as ride quality is concerned.

 

Also - if you get 17/18s, definitely follow the advice of the other posters - get new springs or coilovers. I love my rims, but hate the gap. Haven't had the car long enough to fix it yet. :)

 

No problems with clearance for 18's on the Honda, also. I can post pics of them if you like, so you can see what 18s look like on your model Accord...

 

Cheers.

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  • 3 months later...

For comfort... buy a Cadillac...

 

For sport... get good coils and quality wheels/tires.

 

Period.

 

But seriously... Get some good coilovers and dont slam the car, and get some comfy tires with not too much air pressure and, you can run just about any tire/wheel set-up without compromising too much comfort.

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  • 2 weeks later...

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