New to s2k in general, and actually just pulled the trigger on an AP2 about an hour ago (should be here in a week) anyway.. I'm curious why not a lot of people are running 18" wheels on their track cars. I've got a wilwood 6piston bbk coming, which I've read doesn't seem to have the clearance issues some other brands have, but still makes me consider going with an 18" wheel.

It also seems 18" R-compound race tires/takeoff's are plentiful in the 18" size, which is another attractive plus with the 18... but with so many people running 17's, there has to be reasoning.

Any recommendations on a wheel that will clear BBK in either 17" or 18" sizing. Seems the TSW nurburring is a safe choice. I really like the enkie nt03 in the 18" size, but again don't see many people running this wheel... just looking for info, this isn't a WTB thread! Thanks

 

congratulations! as far as track wheels are concerned it's all about light weight. obviously, the smaller the wheel the lighter it's going to be and the fast you are going to be. as long as you get the correct widths for the tires you want to run then 16s or 17s are better than 18s. don't know about specific wheels and BBK clearance but honestly it's probably overkill if you are running NA. i upgraded to SS brake lines, high temp pads, and dot 4 fluid and have been completely happy on the track.

 

People use 17s because the tires are less than half the price for most street tires. I believe 18s have actually been proven to be marginally faster. Many people are using the RS-3s, 255/40 17 square which are about $550. Figure out what your budget is, what tire you want to run and than pick a wheel for that tire. Good luck! You'll love your new car.

JJ

 

18's are marginally faster, but most of us here are not running full on time attack machines, and have budgets to stay within.

It's also the reason why most people run 255; that's generally the widest readily available tire for us in 17".

 

Thanks for the info guys... Keep it coming. The car is currently NA but motor is setup for supercharger/turbo internally.. That being said car will likely stay NA.

That being said, the nt03 is attractive to me, but is 17x9.5 which seems to be a bit wide using a 255... Maybe time to look at other wheels... I wasn't aware the rs3's were that cheap, whos got the best deals on those?

I guess the only advantage running 18" is if I was to purchase world challenge/koni 18" r-comp take offs.

As for 18" wheel, what's the ideal offset and width?

 

Actually, 17x9.5 is the ideal width to run with 255 rs3.

You can even run 255s on a 17x10 with a very small amount of stretch to the sidewall such that it stiffens it up a little bit. Quite a few guys have done comparisons of 17x9 vs 17x10, and the 10s are marginally faster. I think 9.5 is just right.

Now you just need to get the correct offset. Anything lower than +40 will be a major pain in the ass to fit. Ideally, +45 to +50 with the correct spoke design is the best of both worlds as far as not requiring crazy fender modification to fit and still being able to clear a big brake kit.

And yes, I also prefer 17" over 18" due to tire cost. Also, some 18s (not all) just look way too big on the car and make it look ghetto bling bling in my oppinion.

 

That's good to know. Im keeping that in mind for when I buy wheels

 

17" tires are cheaper. Also, for a street car, the extra sidewall comes in handy for ride comfort and preventing bent wheels. For a dedicated track car? 18's are not a bad way to go as you can fit wider rubber. However, you will need significant fender mods.

 

Ferrari/Porsche/Dodge/etc all run a 255 on a 9.5" rim...

 

Exactly Which is one reason, among others, that I run a 245 on a 9" wheel. 255 works pretty damn well on a 9", but not optimal; trade a little squishiness for the extra width.