Alloy Wheels. 16's Or 17's

[nik]

I'm planning on lowering the IQ and adding alloys. My question is 16's or 17's and the pros and cons of both?

[craggle]

I went 17" from the standard Toyota 16" wheels.

My wheels are OZ Racing F1 wheels in 7"x17 with an offset of 42mm. I use Toyo Proxes T1-R tyres in 205/45 17 size which happens to be the same size as the BMW Mini uses so there are plenty of tyre choices from budget £30 each ones to over £150 each depending what you want.

The 17" tyres have a slightly (1/2") lower side wall so ride does get slightly harsher but then handling improves as they flex less in the corners. The increase in width from the standard 175 to 205 makes a difference too and grip increases significantly.

Downside to wider tyres though is more rolling resistance meaning less MPG. My car averages around 50mpg with the standard size tyres and about 45mpg with the Toyo's on.

I have had no problems with clearance with the wider wheels either so don't worry about that.

Here are some images, one with the standard wheel on the rear and 17" one on the front.

Craig.

[nik]

Thanks Craig. Your car is looking awesome. My biggest issues are the lack of grip with the standard alloys and the way the car front lifts under acceleration hence the springs.

[Soeley]

I also went for 17" wheels, the choice of tyres is far better than for the standard 16" wheel size. I also have the Eibach lowering springs fitted.

http://www.toyotaownersclub.com/forums/topic/129583-soeleys-iq/page-6