lordagrabah

iTrader: (1)

I've heard some people on the forum say don't go with a 18x7.5 wheel just because you shouldn't. Is there a better explanation and will it even be noticeable. I want to use a 225/45/18 tire (thinking hankook ventus v12s) and this is my daily driver so no, I don't track the car. I have some curb rash on the stock wheels and I'm looking for some "cheaper" wheels that will look nice without breaking the bank. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

red5eight

Stock are 18x8 so you would be losing .5" of width, most people want to go in the other direction, 18x9 or 18x9.5 are pretty common. Narrower rims don't support the sidewall as well so you will lose some responsiveness, and it should be less stiff (fewer vibrations transfered to the car). But with such a small difference it may not be noticeable, especially if you are changing tires at the same time since the different tire will have more effect than the wheel.

lordagrabah

iTrader: (1)

Appreciate the feedback.

lordagrabah

iTrader: (1)

Is there a visible difference going with a 18x7.5 over a 18x8 if the tire is 225/45/18?

9krpmrx8

iTrader: (46)

No, you won't see a difference and usually when you go with a wider tire you will feel the difference in steering.

Many people state things as fact when they are not. Try and remember what most of us post if just opinion. There are plenty of performance oriented cars that run 18 x 7.5" wheels. I have seen many run 245/40's on a 7.5 wheel without issue. That being said, there are also plenty of low price, 8" and wider wheels available as well. Looks are subjective, I run 245/40-18's and there is a difference in appearance versus stock but then again that too carry vary depending on brand. Tires with the same specs can vary in actually in terms of actual size and looks..

red5eight

Well depending on the offset they may look more "tucked." Stock wheels are a +50mm offset, to maintain the exact same look you would want these to be +44mm offset (move 6mm or 1/4" outboard to compensate for reduced width).

This will probably be pretty minor, what offset are these wheels?

The only reason to go with these wheels is if you are in love with the look, unless they were significantly lighter than stock it's not going to be a good move performance wise. You might be happier spending the money to upgrade to some Michelin PS2 tires or even Yoko AD08 or Bridgestone RE-11 if you want ultimate performance.

REDRX3RX8

Lord,
Hey, I bought a (new) 2007 rx8 gt with Enkei wheels and 225/45r18 Kumho spts. They look like perfect fit, and I didn't know for 3 years that they were 18x7.5 not 18x8. However, the Enkei GF1's are 38 offset instead of 50 so I'm actually 6mm wider track. I plan to go to smaller 225/40r18 this year to gear down 3.3%, and it'll lose about 7pounds per wheel compared to the stock setup; a huge difference. I even track my car to the limit; if I want more tire I'll buy stickier, not bigger. In fact my next set is 225/40r18 Hankook Ventus V12 K110, and if those don't feel tight enough, the set after them will be 215/40r18 hankook, and about 9 pounds per wheel loss. I like MOMO's V10 in 18x7.5, and would buy if I didn't like my GF1's so well.

lordagrabah

iTrader: (1)

They are drag dr-14 and the offset is 42. They look like the axis matrix wheels. I never track the car and I'm going with the 225/45/18 hankook ventus v12 tires. I'm coming off my winter set and I just got a body kit. The main reason I'm going with this set of wheels is because they're cheaper and since I'm going with a decent tire I thought I would be ok, but then again, that's why I'm asking. Keep the feedback coming, I appreciate all the help I can get.

9krpmrx8

iTrader: (46)

Yeah, and I think these 18 x 7.5's look like they are doing pretty good on the track