Hello!


Just wondering here. I've been looking around this forum, and havent found an answer to any kind of related posts to my question yet. So, if you could point me towards the right direction that would be good too.

Well here it goes, excuse the newbie like attitude question.

What are the performance gains from switching from the stock 16 inch wheels and tires to 17 inch wheels and tires on The MY02 Subaru WRX?

From what I understand (which is pretty limited), switching the stock wheels/tires to 17 inch tires/rims usually ends up putting more weight at the wheel. This means it takes more power to make the tires spin and takes away power to go faster.
Also, it will mess up the odometer readings on the car and throw off the on board computer.

Correct me if Im wrong here (probably am, but just want confirmation)....

Other than being able to place larger calipers and bigger rotors for better braking performance, is there any performance gains?

Does adding bigger tires and rims(17 inch tires) improve cornering performance? Does the car grip the road better over the stock 16 inch rotors and rims?

Thanks!

- Ulysses

 

I'll answer your questions in a slightly different order so it will make more sense.
Usually when you go up a size in rims, you'll try to keep the tire diameter the same. This is one of the reasons why tires have different profiles. For example, a 225-45-17 has a very similar diameter to a 205-55-16 (only a 2.4mm difference in fact). This means that the odometer will read the same.
This is not always the case. Since you are trying to keep the same diameter, you are just replacing the bit that was tire, with rim. Aluminum is quite light, and depending on the cross section of the rim the 17" wheel/tire combination may end up being very close to the same weight. In fact it may even end up being lighter, if you choose wisely (or expensively).
The performance advantage is that the lower profile tire has a stiffer sidewall (usually), which reduces flexing and increases stability. This is a real advantage on smooth solid roads. Bigger brakes etc are just a happy coincidence. I should also note that the lower profile does not help on gravel etc, where the limits of the sidewall are not reached. In cases such as that, a taller profile is actually desireable.
If you don't understand profile and tire size try reading the tirerack stickies at the top of the tire forum.