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View Full Version : 17" rims/ power loss?


LDJ
04-21-2002, 02:41 PM
I was just wondering if I would loose some power when I get my 17's, I drag a lot with my buddies and I don't want to be slower, I know they will look good, but I really don't want it to effect my performance. I can easily get some nice 15 or 16" rims and just lower it a little more. Any suggestions on what I should do!

Thanks in advance!:D

bckwld94acc
04-21-2002, 02:57 PM
Get 17's, you may loss like 2 HP but you won't notice it at all. They look very good and inmprove handling alot.

azn_nite_ryder
04-21-2002, 04:20 PM
exactly.. dont worry about the extra weight... you wont notice any difference at all... unlesss of course they are some big shiny chromes :crazy:

94_AcCoRd_EX
04-21-2002, 09:31 PM
You might be a little slower, not much, but your car will handle better and get good traction off the line. Go with 17s

ebpda9
04-21-2002, 10:50 PM
ditto. if you go with 215/40/17 you will have the same diameter as the 185/70/14

Mushroom
04-22-2002, 08:07 AM
Originally posted by bckwld94acc
Get 17's, you may loss like 2 HP

WTF? How can wheels affect your power output? Yes, adding weight (especially unsprung rotational inertia) would slow you down, but what does this have to do with HP?

Accord Man
04-22-2002, 08:19 AM
Originally posted by Mushroom


WTF? How can wheels affect your power output? Yes, adding weight (especially unsprung rotational inertia) would slow you down, but what does this have to do with HP?

I was thinking the same.. But I guess he meant lesser acceleration.. & the hp number was just bogus.. :paranoid: :D

MacRulzMan
04-22-2002, 09:26 AM
It would also have the effect of gearing your car (slightly) higher, as the final "gear" (the wheels) would be larger, thus moving farther with each rotation, which would put more strain on the engine per rotation.

Mushroom
04-22-2002, 12:38 PM
.. although if you use lower-profile tires with the 17s, as per hondaman-iac's suggestion, you could probably get close to the same OD and therefore the same effective gearing. (?)

94_AcCoRd_EX
04-22-2002, 12:42 PM
About the power output... I was thinking the same thing, but it does affect the hp put down to the wheels. An issue of SCC put a civic on the dyno and it lost up to 5 hp with very heavy wheels. I might have it somewhere, if I do, I'll post the explanation.

accordboy00
04-25-2002, 05:08 PM
How about 18's?

94_AcCoRd_EX
04-25-2002, 06:14 PM
Originally posted by accordboy00
How about 18's?

They'll slow you down more... especially if they're heavier :cool:

Mushroom
04-26-2002, 10:09 AM
Originally posted by 94_AcCoRd_EX
About the power output... I was thinking the same thing, but it does affect the hp put down to the wheels. An issue of SCC put a civic on the dyno and it lost up to 5 hp with very heavy wheels. I might have it somewhere, if I do, I'll post the explanation.

Hmm... how does a dyno measure power? I'm guessing it knows it's resistance (torque required to spin it) and your acceleration (measured), so it can calculate the power output to the wheels. Maybe it assumes an unsprung weight? It seems that even if there was *no* dyno resistance (frictionless dyno?) power would still be required to accelerate the wheels (and more power for a higher wheel inertial moment) - maybe the difference in wheel mass is ignored.

LDJ
04-28-2002, 10:27 AM
Thanks to everybody for the replies, but 17's are now out of the question. The Reason is because there is too much theft going on right now in Washington state that I know they would get jacked. Just 2 days ago my buddies car was stolen and he was in broad day light at a little grocery store. Then my girlfriends rims off her acura were stloen last month and they were $40 a rim, rims. I am too afraid of getting my stuff jacked to get nice rims for my car, so I am getting the stock ex rims off of a 95 accord, the alloy ones. That way there might be a chance they won't be stolen. i will just slam it and leave it alone. It really sucks that people can't get nice things for there cars without losers stealing things. With the money I will save I will probably get headers for my car.

94_AcCoRd_EX
04-28-2002, 05:10 PM
I understand where you're coming from. The EX alloys look good on a dropped car, that' what I'll be doing.