I still have the stock 15" wheels on my Fit Sport. I love the handling and would like to put 18" wheels on my fit but don't want to loose the handling that I love so much.

Would there be a dramatic loss in handling going all the way up to 18" wheel instead of 17"?

Thanks for helping out the newbie!

 

Im not sure because i havent really drivin a fit that hard but I plan on getting one and getting some 18's on it as well

 

I want 18's because I think 18's would fill the wheel well and give it a great look. I am willing to settle for 17's if I wouldn't be able to take turns at 45mph without flinching I love this car

 

18 arent going to fill out the well any better. The wheel gap is going to remain the same, regardless of the wheel size (more or less). Generally, the larger the wheel, the more need there is for a 1-2" drop to fill it out. Im going with a 16" wheel and a 205/50/16 tire.

 

Larger wheel means shorter sidewall tire. Overall diameter needs to stay the same or your speedometer will not read the correct speed.

 

oh I didn't know about that

 

If you dig around in the tire threads I think you'll see that most performance minded folks are going with 15" or 16" wheels, mainly to reduce unsprung weight. 16" is plenty of tire and a 18" wheel might weigh more than twice what a good 15" wheel will weigh. It is mainly about the stickiness and quality of the tire when you're looking for cornering speed.

 

Thanks for the info. I didn't even think about the unsprung weight difference.

 

i put 205/40/16 on my FIT and the handling is not so great,im going back to 15 inch again and will put 195/50/15,i learn the hard way,i guess.

 

The lightest 18's you will find are around 16 lbs a wheel and those would be Japanese forged wheels like Volks but in 18", there gonna cost you about $500 per wheel. The stock 15" sport wheels even though I havent weighed them, I can say with good confidence that its anywhere from 16-17lbs per wheel. Now if you go with a 15" forged wheel, its anywhere from 9 to 10 lbs so your saving about anywhere from 6 to 8 lbs per wheel which is huge for aiding in acceleration, braking and handling.

A 18" wheel depending on who makes it, what technique was used to make it, forged or cast can weigh as high as mid 20 lb range.

In the end though it comes down to whats more important to you, looks or performance. If you want a middle ground, 16's are usually the way to go for the Fit given that you get some decent wheels not some Taiwan made chrome wheels weighing 20 lbs a piece.

 

The main issues have already been addressed by other members, but the big one is unsprung weight. Overall diameter can be fixed by recalibration of the speedo (PIA) but unsprung weight in a car with 110hp is a MAJOR issue. You lose acceleration and handling. I'd say a bump to 16" is all I'd consider after looking at the car's current tires on my friends new Fit. I don't own one, but I had the same issues when I was considering 19" versus 20" on my G35 coupe. 19" won out and I got em and don't have any regrets. Its always better to go one up instead of two unless you have suspension mods as well. Here's a pic of my car with my first post.


PS. The 17's would look pretty badass! If you are doing suspension mods, I'd find a set of lightweight forged rims in 17" and go for it!

 

It's all good until you hit a pothole huh Balzac?

If I do go up it'll be 16's on mine. Although I've seen some pretty light 15's on this board so far...like under 10lbs each! Anyone know how much the Stock Sport Wheels weigh?

 

those are some pretty slick wheels

 

hot G35 man

 

the general consensus is that the stock sport wheels weigh 18# (from various other posts)

 

If it is as high as 18 lbs, going with even the heaviest of 15" wheels which are about 14 lbs, your still saving about 4 lbs per wheel so its still a nice improvement and it will be evident under acceleration and braking.

 

you guys are forgetting that to make a good 18" tire, they will put a lot of steel belts, etc inside.. so you have to take into consideration the weight of the tire as well

putting 18s on a fit with only 109hp (at the crank even) will be like taking 25hp off the top

-joe

 

Bascially what you do when you go up in rim size is you get smaller and smaller sidewalls.. I got the same if not better handling on my 17x7s, I went to 205/40/17 rubber.

 

you trade off performance and comfort for the handling.. there is a certain point at which you start getting diminishing returns..

-joe

 

Goint to lower profile tires will give you quicker turn in response and better lateral stability. Unsprung weight is always a factor. Just go with the lightest weight wheel and a better handling tire. If you are not an aggresive driver and it is just for looks it really is not going to matter much. Just get what you want and the look you want.
If I can help let me know.