240Z handling with 17" wheels

[wildy55]

Ok, time to get the final verdict – what will my car handle like with 9 x 17 (-13, 225/45) and 9.5 x 17 (-19, 245/40) wheels and tyres. Will it find more road imperfections than with my current 15 x 8 (205) set-up?

How will the steering be affected?

How will it handle bumps, pot-holes etc?

And what will I need in to correct the camber difference that comes with lower suspension and bigger wheels. Is it best to do the adjustment with adj lower control arms, spacer blocks between the shock strut and the lower arm or weld-in plates on the inner wings?

Is there anything else that I can do to retain the drivability of this street-only car with the bigger wheels?

Any help here appreciated.

Cheers Martin

[d3c0y]

Probably should search this one since it's been covered on just about every zed forum before.

[.]

Why bother asking?

 

If you are that keen on the 17 inch image then you can't be concerned about handling.

 

How many V8 super cars or F1 cars do you see with 1 inch profile tyres on huge wheels?

 

I'm not against big wheels, they do look good but I would never sacrifice my handling for that look. You have to choose one priority over the other, you can't have both.

[chev z]

Are you talking handling or ride comfort

 

As I race with 17" for handling and to get rim width, I also don't  rate ride comfort infront of handling

17" should give you a bigger foot print on the tarmac compared to a 16" or smaller

 

Just one thing you should investigate, is the availability of 17" road tyres compared to  other sizes to fit your rims

[wildy55]

So, I asked the original question and got no replies. Now everyone's got an opinion! Including me, as went the whole hog and got the 17s. 9-inch fronts, 9.5 at the rear (225 - 235/45 profiles). As I've got coilovers, I simply jacked the car about 10mm and could get the wheels under with no rubbing. That's without any arch mods - no cutting, welding, rolling. They do stick out like tits on a bull, so I've put the flares on with race-tape, just to make sure they don't foul the tyres. I've placed them close to the hoops so the car doesn't look 4x4, I reckon it has exactly the right stance now. It doesn't scape anything on speed humps, the comfort isn't affected and it goes round corners like a kart. In a word, it's great. $900 for the wheels, $380 for four new tyres, fitted and balanced. Looks so good now I had a bloke trip over the kerb staring at it while I drove through Sydney.

[Zedman240®]

Road tyres on a 17" rim will give you a better ride than the same size semi's; the race tyres do have a very stiff sidewall. Tyres for a zed in 17" are common.. 215-45x17 you will find is the correct overall diameter. I had Dunlop semis on 17" rims and they were quite harsh for the road.

[chev z]

Boy you sure haven't many friends if three [3] is everyone in your life , sorry I took the time to respond

But looking on the bright side I've just come back from driving a 351 XY GT with a worked motor and 4 speed toploader so your crap pales into insignifficance