Sparco 17 x 7 Wheels, has anyone used them?

Lokiel · Postby **Lokiel** » Wed Jan 22, 2014 10:27 am

Cort500 wrote::
It is going to be the wife's fun car so I will go with the 17's and look at some Proxes 888 for the standard wheels for when I do some fun driving.

17" rims are for looks only, NOT FUN!

1. 17" rims will be heavier than 15 or 16" rims, negatively impacting handling and performance - reduces FUN factor.
2. Heavier rims increase unsprung weight, negatively impacting handling - reduces FUN factor.
3. You will feel every bump in the road with 17" rims; potholes will jar the "shiite" out of the car - reduces FUN factor.

You say that this car is "the wife's fun car" - she's not going to be impressed at how uncomfortable the ride is.

I'm driving a loaner NA at the moment with 16" rims and they REALLY suck from a comfort point of view - I'm half tempted to put my track 15x8 6ULs on it.

Magpie · Postby **Magpie** » Wed Jan 22, 2014 10:41 am

Lokiel wrote:You say that this car is "the wife's fun car"

Maybe she prefers the extra 3" of rim?

I also have a set of 16" at home that came off the Red NA, however it now has stock 14" rims and it is so much better to drive. Put whatever size rim you want but try and keep the mass the same as stock and you will not 'spoil' the road handling. If you are set on the 17's change your springs (I assume that you are keeping stock dampers) to account for the increased unsprung weight.

On a side note, I find 595 RSR's just as good as the 888's and cheaper. If going for the 888's then consider the DZ03's instead. These last 2 sentences may spark a whole other debate...

Cort500 · Postby **Cort500** » Wed Jan 22, 2014 10:52 am

Yeah it's always fun sparking debates.....as I said in earlier posts on here, I do understand what heavier wheels and less sidewall height will do to a vehicle<<<< yes I do actually know.
The car is a 4th car and I have told the wife that any bumps will be greatly increased with te new wheels. If she gets the poos with them I will sell them on and get something new. She likes the look of them so I am happy to put them on.
But thanks for the reiteration

Cort500 · Postby **Cort500** » Wed Jan 22, 2014 11:10 am

Once wheels are on I will select appropriate springs to reduce height and make it slightly firmer.

meanmx · Postby **meanmx** » Wed Jan 22, 2014 1:58 pm

I love how passionate people on here are about 17's. I had 17's on my NA6 and I have 17's on my NB and surprise, surprise I still have fun in my car. I have never been left behind on runs due to my extra heavy rimmed ruined suspension car. On the road you shouldn't be hitting 10/10th's anyway. It is dangerous and reckless so I can't see the problem with 17's other than a slightly harsher ride. On a racetrack is an entirely different matter but all you have to do is swap rims and presto you have a racecar. People need to get over it and accept that sometimes others have a different perspective on what makes an enjoyable car. You want to run 15's on your road car then all power to you, just don't force your opinions on others.

Lokiel · Postby **Lokiel** » Wed Jan 22, 2014 2:15 pm

Given enough information, people can make their own decisions - what I've stated above is not opinion, it's fact. If the OP decides to ignore it then I'm OK with that, at least I've done my bit to keep him informed.

meanmx · Postby **meanmx** » Wed Jan 22, 2014 2:24 pm

You are well known around here for your rants against 17's Lokiel. Everyone gets it, you don't like 17's.

Lokiel wrote:Given enough information, people can make their own decisions

So why is it whenever 17's are mentioned I see the same thing over and over . Mention it once and then let it go, it's his money.

Cort500 · Postby **Cort500** » Wed Jan 22, 2014 8:47 pm

I do appreciate the warnings on the 17's and I will be keeping the 15's as well.
I will see how they fare and report back

alexbwang · Postby **alexbwang** » Sun Jun 08, 2014 8:14 pm

I would be keen to hear your feedback on 15 vs 17s, thanks!

Crapweasel · Postby **Crapweasel** » Sun Jun 08, 2014 11:24 pm

I agree on the 15 vs 17 debate. If you're after a few tenths or even another second on the track go for 15s no question. If however you're only on the street and like the look and are happy to compromise a little comfort (everything is a compromise on a sports car) then just get what you're happy with. If that happens to be 17s, 15s or even 14s - that's your choice and I have no place to tell you otherwise.

You may change your mind down the track, and that's fine too - repeat after me, we are all individuals! :mrgreen:

MINX · Postby **MINX** » Mon Jun 09, 2014 8:27 am

We are at Yamba this morning
Been on a Bris chapter club run all weekend finishing in bellingen yesterday
Had about 23 5s of sorts, NAs NBs NCs modded and stock
Went down the cork screw to dorigo and great waterfall way awesome roads
And amazingly the people with 17" rims were not left behind and afaik none were left on side of the road with broken buckled rims or requires ambulance for spinal damage
Buy what you like as long as you research shows they are of reasonable quality safety and fit

If your car sits in the garage while you modd everything for 6 million hp but never drive it then just check with Lokiel first on wheel choice ( sorry Simon)

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Postby **Okibi** » Mon Jun 09, 2014 10:25 am

MINX wrote:..And amazingly the people with 17" rims were not left behind and afaik none were left on side of the road with broken buckled rims or requires ambulance for spinal damage..

If you're driving so hard on the road that rim differences could mean the difference between life and permanent disability then you need to slow down.

I've dríven faster on a road than a ferrari, does that mean I have better wheels or tyres? - no. Does that mean I have more power? - no. Does that mean i'm a better driver? - no. It means my car was travelling faster than the ferrari.