Rims - 17's or 18's

[MC20GT]

What are the pro's and con's of 17 inch rims compared to 18's. I intended get 18's, as they might look a little better with a lower profile tire, which may even add to handling, however...I heard that they can be bent alot easier. Is this true? Am I being a smuck and it really doesn't matter?

[blue00gt]

It is true that it is easier to damage your rims the lower the profile of the tire.
I considered getting 18s also but decided on 17s for my car. Every inch in diameter will cost you about another $100 per wheel and $50-$100 per tire (I go through a lot of tires). Also, if you have a stiff handling suspension, the lower your tire profile the harsher the ride.

[1BAD89]

Even if you don't have a stiff suspension, 18's will provide a harsher ride.

[MC20GT]

I expected there to be a harsher ride and I am aware of the price differences...my main concern is how easy it is to damage a rim. These CT roads are terrible and I dont want to invest in 18's if normal day-day driving will kill them. Did anyone ever bust up an 18? If so, how easy did it happen? Thanx guys.

[blue00gt]

I have 40 series on my 17's up front and have never damaged them yet. The roads here in California are the as bad as I have seen in any state. If you go with 18s you are probably looking at a 35 series to get the same overall height as stock if you go with a 245 or 255. I have seen some cars with 275s in front, but you'd have to go 30 series then.
Basically, a deep pothole hit at highway speed could damage a rim, but you are not going to hurt anything just driving normally on really bumpy roads.

[blue00gt]

One other thing I have noticed about larger diameter rims with lower profile tires is that they seem to stick a little better in corners than with smaller rims and taller tires, but in my experience if you do lose it taking a corner at the limit they make the car a little harder to recover (the *** end comes out faster when you get sideways).

[1BAD89]

The reason they corner better, is beause the lower profile tire has no give.

[97snakedriver]

Looks wise 18s all the way. Parked next to my Boss's Vette (with 18s) all of a sudden my 17 inch wheels look pretty small.

Performance, it depends. The advantage of lower profile tires is they tend to (but not universally) have less sidewall deflection under cornering. But there are other factors at work towards handling. For example the tire acts much the same way as the springs and shocks do in the suspension. They absorb and damp bumps, and for the same reason race cars use $5000 Penske shocks; It makes a big difference in handling.

Anyway, you can fit a 275/40R17 on the front of a Mustang. I've run that size on 17X9 inch wheels at all four corners for 3 years. With Goodyear F1 GS's I had no rubbing issues. With my new BFGoodrich g-force KDs (nice freaking tires, but expensive as hell) I do have a bit of a rub at full lock. I pulled a wheel off and found its nearly an inch wider in treadwidth then the Goodyears even though they are both 275/40s which falls into the "eh?" catagory...

Anyway, run 18s if you like the look (which is very nice) and think its worth the extra cost, but I would expect a harsher ride and wouldn't expect any great performance advantage. I wouldn't worry too much about damaging them as long as you watch their air pressure, which is much harder to feel in a low profile tire, and don't rub any curbs. :)