SSR Competitions. Need Advice.

remz01 · 01-10-2004, 11:35 PM

simple question. 17s or 18s? and what is your reasoning?

*stock jbp 04 wrx

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dj_noose · 01-10-2004, 11:43 PM

I went with 17's cause they're a little lighter and having a more protection with the 45's rather than the 40's 18's will have. 12.5lbs for the 17's and 15.5lbs for the 18's. I wanted to lower the weight from stock (16lbs) and the wheels look awesome too.

Dueysan · 01-10-2004, 11:49 PM

17's because popping tires and bending rims is an expensive and stupid habit.

remz01 · 01-10-2004, 11:51 PM

any recommended tires?

cnk · 01-11-2004, 12:18 AM

17's here as well due to the bad roads here in NJ. I went with Falken Azenis ST-115 tires. . .very impressed with them.

Calvin

kenchan · 01-11-2004, 02:16 AM

17's cause i like the ride quality of 17's over 18's espcially with
S03's. also, unless you get larger brake rotors, you got a
huge-ass gap inside the wheel and it looks too rice to me.

if i go 18's it would be a mesh type wheel to cover up the
inside gap.

Dueysan · 01-11-2004, 02:00 PM

Well on a 17" wheel your best match for overall diameter is going to be a 225/45R17 . I'm guessing your using the car in Florida so you won't have to worry too much about snow and ice, but perhaps lots of rain. I've been researching summer tires (for here in Montana) which would probably match your year round requirements pretty closely. I'm leaning towards the Bridgestone RE750, but there are plenty of other good choices. The Dunlop SP9000 is also on my list. If you want extreme handling with pretty crummy treadwear you might check out the Bridgestone S-03 tires or the Pirelli P-Zero Nero. If you want something with some more treadwear check out the Pirelli P-Zero Nero M+S......it's basically similiar to the Zero Nero but with a harder compound and some limited snow capabilities. You loose a little bit of maximum grip in exchange for better tread life and better temperature range. Unfortunately it is not available in the size I'm looking for 225/50R16 (incidently on a SSR competition rim), but I believe they make it in a 225/45R17. Good luck.

makofoto · 01-11-2004, 06:59 PM

A fellow I know has 18's (SSR's) ... broke one on a everyday bump that wouldn't hurt mine ... and I've had some nasty bumps ...

Lots of threads on "favorite tires"

What do you want from your tires?

toyo T1's!

YinUCSD · 01-12-2004, 12:50 PM

i agree 17" because of weight, a bit more rubber for protection and performance, price (remember 18" tires are more $ also). and 18s dont look so good if your car isnt lowered a little. stock wheel gap looks kinda weird with both 17 and 18 (especially).

as far as tires go, DUEYSAN basically summed up all the favorite tire threads. also check out the yokohama avs es100, very nice tire for less $. i have them now and they are GRIPPY! stiff sidewall even with my stock 16" size. very good in rain too.

ElTorrente · 01-12-2004, 04:09 PM

18" advantages/disadvantages:

Disadvantages:
Heavier
Rougher Ride
Lower Performance
More Road Noise
More Expensive
More prone to breaking/bending

Advantages:
Some people think they look cool

essogas · 01-12-2004, 06:05 PM

18's are not neccessarily lower performance. For instance, all the rally teams run 18's on all the tarmac events nd they are some harsh roads. I know they have many rims, but rarely do you see ateam bending a rim from rough roads. If you spend the $$$$ a light, durable 18" wheel can be had.

Jon Bogert · 01-12-2004, 09:09 PM

Quote:

all the rally teams run 18's on all the tarmac events

Ok, so WRC quality 18" wheels will last up to 30-40 stage miles and another 50-100 transit miles before tires are dismounted and they're x-rayed for cracks. How does that give confidence to the street car owner with much lower grade wheels and no metallurgy facilties in his garage?

stiles_sm · 01-12-2004, 11:03 PM

Not meaning to hijack the thread, but what about 16x7 SSR comps? I'm considering these for my wagon...

11lbs, and some additional sidewall cushion...

makofoto · 01-12-2004, 11:28 PM

16" won't fit over Big Brakes ...

Some AutoX'ers like to use 16's because they are so light ... but GrassRootsMotor Sports test have shown that differences in weight barely make any difference in AutoX times ...

But 17's definitely firm things up and give better responsiveness, stability ... even Consumer Reports reported that ...

So I would think you gain more from the 17" then you gain from the weight savings of the 16's.

16's might be good for drag racing ...

stiles_sm · 01-12-2004, 11:57 PM

Nice! Are those the 17x7.5 et50? Do they stick out of the wheel wells at all (in front, when the wheels are pointed straight.

I had heard the 16x7 ssr would fit over the 4-pots. What are you running?

stiles_sm · 01-12-2004, 11:58 PM

Oh, and another reason I was thinking 16" in the SSR was the horror stories I used to hear about SSRs bending...

Dueysan · 01-13-2004, 12:03 AM

Hey stiles..that's exactly what I'm going with ....16x7s SSR comps. That is the proper width for most 225/50R16 tires. A little wider than stock, slightly lower profile, almost identical overall size of the stock 205/55R16s....a good choice in my opinion. Check out the BBS RG-F's at the Tirerack website too.....available in 16x7 only, little expensive but very sweet. If I had a blue WRX sedan or wagon I'd go with a set of these in a heartbeat.

eyeballs · 01-13-2004, 12:23 AM

I just got falken GR-B's, awesome grip wet and dry. I have yet to auto-x on them though. For the price ($95 for 225-45-17) they are tough to beat.

stiles_sm · 01-13-2004, 12:26 AM

The BBS RG-F is pretty, but the offset on the 16x7 ssr is better for the wagon (50 vs 48), plus they look tough to clean

makofoto · 01-13-2004, 01:31 AM

stiles ... can't find any shots with the front wheels straight ... but no ... they dont' stick out ... 17 X 7.5 50 mm

The tires however are only 215/45/17's ... going to 225/45/17's next time.

I've had some VERY hard run in's (head on) with my 17" SSR wheels/tires ... where I actually stopped to check my wheels ... I was sure they were bent ... but they've always been O.K. 16" is being too conservative ...

SUBY2.5 · 01-13-2004, 06:49 PM

I bent one of my ssr's hitting a pot hole crossing the gw bridge tire didn't go flat till about an hour later. But I got it fixed. But you feel everything on the road with an 18'' wheel. I feel the wheel bent to easily. Other than that a great looking wheel and light weight for a big wheel.

Zuffy · 01-13-2004, 09:39 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by makofoto
stiles ... can't find any shots with the front wheels straight ... but no ... they dont' stick out ... 17 X 7.5 50 mm

The tires however are only 215/45/17's ... going to 225/45/17's next time.

I've had some VERY hard run in's (head on) with my 17" SSR wheels/tires ... where I actually stopped to check my wheels ... I was sure they were bent ... but they've always been O.K. 16" is being too conservative ...

Wow, looks sweet!

Is your car lowered at all? I'm just wondering how a sent of 17 SSR-Type C's would look on a standard ride height car like my own.

makofoto · 01-14-2004, 02:13 AM

Zuffy ... lowered on Tein Wagon Coil Overs ...

Here it is with oem springs ....

Dueysan · 01-14-2004, 02:27 AM

Damn Makophoto your wagon looks really sharp.....now you've almost got me sold on the 17" wheels over the 16"s. I've got a red (real red not the maroon of earlier years) sedan and plan on buying the anthracite rims.......decisions decisions....

makofoto · 01-14-2004, 02:34 AM

I would have bought the anthracite SSR's if I had realized that they aren't too dark.

Anthracite SSR:

01-10-2004, 11:35 PM	#1
remz01 Scooby Newbie Member#: 32369 Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Florida Vehicle: 2004 wrx java black	SSR Competitions. Need Advice. simple question. 17s or 18s? and what is your reasoning? stock jbp 04 wrx Registered users of the site do not see these ads.

01-10-2004, 11:51 PM	#4
remz01 Scooby Newbie Member#: 32369 Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Florida Vehicle: 2004 wrx java black	any recommended tires? Last edited by remz01; 01-10-2004 at 11:57 PM.

01-13-2004, 12:23 AM	#18
eyeballs Scooby Specialist Member#: 31629 Join Date: Jan 2003 Chapter/Region: South East Location: Gainesville, GA Vehicle: 2012 Mazda 2 Spirited Green	Tires I just got falken GR-B's, awesome grip wet and dry. I have yet to auto-x on them though. For the price ($95 for 225-45-17) they are tough to beat.

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01-10-2004, 11:43 PM	#2
dj_noose Scooby Specialist Member#: 17302 Join Date: Apr 2002 Chapter/Region: MAIC Location: Camp Hill, PA Vehicle: 2002 Impreza WRX you know... the blue one	I went with 17's cause they're a little lighter and having a more protection with the 45's rather than the 40's 18's will have. 12.5lbs for the 17's and 15.5lbs for the 18's. I wanted to lower the weight from stock (16lbs) and the wheels look awesome too.

01-10-2004, 11:49 PM	#3
Dueysan Scooby Newbie Member#: 50292 Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Missoula, MT Vehicle: 2004 Impreza WRX Red	17's because popping tires and bending rims is an expensive and stupid habit.

01-11-2004, 12:18 AM	#5
cnk Scooby Guru Member#: 10757 Join Date: Oct 2001 Chapter/Region: Tri-State Location: NJ Vehicle: 2013 BRZ Limited 6MT DGM	17's here as well due to the bad roads here in NJ. I went with Falken Azenis ST-115 tires. . .very impressed with them. Calvin

01-11-2004, 02:16 AM	#6
kenchan Scooby Guru Member#: 15106 Join Date: Feb 2002	17's cause i like the ride quality of 17's over 18's espcially with S03's. also, unless you get larger brake rotors, you got a huge-ass gap inside the wheel and it looks too rice to me. if i go 18's it would be a mesh type wheel to cover up the inside gap.

01-11-2004, 02:00 PM	#7
Dueysan Scooby Newbie Member#: 50292 Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Missoula, MT Vehicle: 2004 Impreza WRX Red	Well on a 17" wheel your best match for overall diameter is going to be a 225/45R17 . I'm guessing your using the car in Florida so you won't have to worry too much about snow and ice, but perhaps lots of rain. I've been researching summer tires (for here in Montana) which would probably match your year round requirements pretty closely. I'm leaning towards the Bridgestone RE750, but there are plenty of other good choices. The Dunlop SP9000 is also on my list. If you want extreme handling with pretty crummy treadwear you might check out the Bridgestone S-03 tires or the Pirelli P-Zero Nero. If you want something with some more treadwear check out the Pirelli P-Zero Nero M+S......it's basically similiar to the Zero Nero but with a harder compound and some limited snow capabilities. You loose a little bit of maximum grip in exchange for better tread life and better temperature range. Unfortunately it is not available in the size I'm looking for 225/50R16 (incidently on a SSR competition rim), but I believe they make it in a 225/45R17. Good luck.

01-11-2004, 06:59 PM	#8
makofoto Scooby Guru Member#: 25243 Join Date: Sep 2002 Chapter/Region: SCIC Location: South Pasadena, CA Vehicle: 2006 Legacy Outback Blue	A fellow I know has 18's (SSR's) ... broke one on a everyday bump that wouldn't hurt mine ... and I've had some nasty bumps ... Lots of threads on "favorite tires" What do you want from your tires? toyo T1's!

01-12-2004, 12:50 PM	#9
YinUCSD Scooby Specialist Member#: 44945 Join Date: Oct 2003 Chapter/Region: SCIC Location: santa monica, ca Vehicle: 05 Fxt black	i agree 17" because of weight, a bit more rubber for protection and performance, price (remember 18" tires are more $ also). and 18s dont look so good if your car isnt lowered a little. stock wheel gap looks kinda weird with both 17 and 18 (especially). as far as tires go, DUEYSAN basically summed up all the favorite tire threads. also check out the yokohama avs es100, very nice tire for less $. i have them now and they are GRIPPY! stiff sidewall even with my stock 16" size. very good in rain too.

01-12-2004, 04:09 PM	#10
ElTorrente Scooby Newbie Member#: 49964 Join Date: Dec 2003 Vehicle: 2002 wrx wrb	18" advantages/disadvantages: Disadvantages: Heavier Rougher Ride Lower Performance More Road Noise More Expensive More prone to breaking/bending Advantages: Some people think they look cool

01-12-2004, 06:05 PM	#11
essogas Scooby Specialist Member#: 35703 Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Toronto, Ontario Vehicle: 2004 WRX STi Blue/British Black 18's	18's are not neccessarily lower performance. For instance, all the rally teams run 18's on all the tarmac events nd they are some harsh roads. I know they have many rims, but rarely do you see ateam bending a rim from rough roads. If you spend the $$$$ a light, durable 18" wheel can be had.

01-12-2004, 11:03 PM	#13
stiles_sm Scooby Newbie Member#: 47828 Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Redmond, WA Vehicle: '04 WRX wagon ... 03 996, 00 S4	Not meaning to hijack the thread, but what about 16x7 SSR comps? I'm considering these for my wagon... 11lbs, and some additional sidewall cushion...

01-12-2004, 11:28 PM	#14
makofoto Scooby Guru Member#: 25243 Join Date: Sep 2002 Chapter/Region: SCIC Location: South Pasadena, CA Vehicle: 2006 Legacy Outback Blue	16" won't fit over Big Brakes ... Some AutoX'ers like to use 16's because they are so light ... but GrassRootsMotor Sports test have shown that differences in weight barely make any difference in AutoX times ... But 17's definitely firm things up and give better responsiveness, stability ... even Consumer Reports reported that ... So I would think you gain more from the 17" then you gain from the weight savings of the 16's. 16's might be good for drag racing ...

01-12-2004, 11:57 PM	#15
stiles_sm Scooby Newbie Member#: 47828 Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Redmond, WA Vehicle: '04 WRX wagon ... 03 996, 00 S4	Nice! Are those the 17x7.5 et50? Do they stick out of the wheel wells at all (in front, when the wheels are pointed straight. I had heard the 16x7 ssr would fit over the 4-pots. What are you running?

01-12-2004, 11:58 PM	#16
stiles_sm Scooby Newbie Member#: 47828 Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Redmond, WA Vehicle: '04 WRX wagon ... 03 996, 00 S4	Oh, and another reason I was thinking 16" in the SSR was the horror stories I used to hear about SSRs bending...

01-13-2004, 12:03 AM	#17
Dueysan Scooby Newbie Member#: 50292 Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Missoula, MT Vehicle: 2004 Impreza WRX Red	Hey stiles..that's exactly what I'm going with ....16x7s SSR comps. That is the proper width for most 225/50R16 tires. A little wider than stock, slightly lower profile, almost identical overall size of the stock 205/55R16s....a good choice in my opinion. Check out the BBS RG-F's at the Tirerack website too.....available in 16x7 only, little expensive but very sweet. If I had a blue WRX sedan or wagon I'd go with a set of these in a heartbeat.

01-13-2004, 12:26 AM	#19
stiles_sm Scooby Newbie Member#: 47828 Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Redmond, WA Vehicle: '04 WRX wagon ... 03 996, 00 S4	The BBS RG-F is pretty, but the offset on the 16x7 ssr is better for the wagon (50 vs 48), plus they look tough to clean

01-13-2004, 01:31 AM	#20
makofoto Scooby Guru Member#: 25243 Join Date: Sep 2002 Chapter/Region: SCIC Location: South Pasadena, CA Vehicle: 2006 Legacy Outback Blue	stiles ... can't find any shots with the front wheels straight ... but no ... they dont' stick out ... 17 X 7.5 50 mm The tires however are only 215/45/17's ... going to 225/45/17's next time. I've had some VERY hard run in's (head on) with my 17" SSR wheels/tires ... where I actually stopped to check my wheels ... I was sure they were bent ... but they've always been O.K. 16" is being too conservative ...

01-13-2004, 06:49 PM	#21
SUBY2.5 Scooby Specialist Member#: 31985 Join Date: Jan 2003 Chapter/Region: Tri-State Location: Ny-Ct Vehicle: 06 Outback Wagon SWP	I bent one of my ssr's hitting a pot hole crossing the gw bridge tire didn't go flat till about an hour later. But I got it fixed. But you feel everything on the road with an 18'' wheel. I feel the wheel bent to easily. Other than that a great looking wheel and light weight for a big wheel.

01-14-2004, 02:13 AM	#23
makofoto Scooby Guru Member#: 25243 Join Date: Sep 2002 Chapter/Region: SCIC Location: South Pasadena, CA Vehicle: 2006 Legacy Outback Blue	Zuffy ... lowered on Tein Wagon Coil Overs ... Here it is with oem springs ....

01-14-2004, 02:27 AM	#24
Dueysan Scooby Newbie Member#: 50292 Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Missoula, MT Vehicle: 2004 Impreza WRX Red	Damn Makophoto your wagon looks really sharp.....now you've almost got me sold on the 17" wheels over the 16"s. I've got a red (real red not the maroon of earlier years) sedan and plan on buying the anthracite rims.......decisions decisions....

01-14-2004, 02:34 AM	#25
makofoto Scooby Guru Member#: 25243 Join Date: Sep 2002 Chapter/Region: SCIC Location: South Pasadena, CA Vehicle: 2006 Legacy Outback Blue	I would have bought the anthracite SSR's if I had realized that they aren't too dark. Anthracite SSR: