as above.

Please discuss.

Thank you to all in advance.

 

I've been after this info for a while but never get very far! Just about to fit a set of 7.5 x 17s.

 

I have had......

Sapphire on...

7.5x17

215/40 front and rear - handled ok

7x17

215/40 rear
205/40 front - handled ok

8x17

215/40 front and rear understeered badley

205/40 front
225/45 rear


3dr

205/50/15 std rims not bad for a std car

8x16 Escort cos rims

215/40/16 - Horrible to drive

8x16 et35

215/40/16 - Nice to drive and comfort/handling was good

7.5 x 18

215/35 - tramlined like fook and wished i'd kept above



215/40/16 on 8x16 ET35

best out of the lot imo

 

i think 16's are great. I have 16's on the saph but havent really had the chance to try the handling out.

anyone else.

Im having a little arguement with my dad. He believes that I should put my 18's i have had lying around for ages on the saph before driving it again but i really dont want to.

 

any one elses views.??????????????

 

i love the 16's on mine 205 45 16. et28 7.5x16

Ill go 225/40/16 on the rears soon though. seems to tram line a little but i still need the tracking sorted

cars comfotrable and has a better turn in that on 17's on a saph i drove.

 

on 18's at moment, ok for smooth / good roads, crap for everyday, not going to change just yet as engine getting work forst! alot of my trouble with the 18's may well be the lairy hard tarmac springs - will try different set up soon!

 

On Escos I think standard sized wheels are good enough for tarmac

 

The best setup I ever had was a 7.5 x 17" rim, ET35, running 225/35s all round.

2wd saff

 

Think it depends on suspension aswell as the wheels.

 

ok, whats the best suspension setup for the different sizes of wheels. Think about a car thats a good allrounder. Good for track and road. I know there will have to be compremises made but what are they.

I want to get the best out of my car in the handling department.

 

Personally, I loved my old setup.

Konis, and a correct matched set of springs.

7.5 x 17s and 225/35s

Handled really well both on road and track.

 

Personally for a road car i would say Koni's with a tyre and wheel package that is as close to the overall diameter of the standard wheels tyre package.

I.e 16's x 7.5-8 with a medium wall height. i.e 215/40/16's

or 17's x 7.5-8 with a smaller wall height i.e 215/35/17's

Just my opinion of course. As you say everything is a compromise, and 1 persons preferance might not suit anothers.

 

JRST - I am biased by very bad roads in my country and my more rally oriented handling experience then track handling, but form little what I know about setting up Escort Cossie I would go for:

-8x16 wheels for road, if you can afford 8x18 wheels for track (altough extremly stiff tire on 8x16 wil be almost as good). May be slightly smaller ET then standard (ET15?), the lighter rim the better, so try gong for real pro wheels like Speedline, Compomotive, if budget allows magnesium

-rose-jointed adjustable TCA's in front (I have those - great!)
-rose-jointed adjustable rear setup -> Zoo Beam, preferably the lighter one.
-fully adjustable coilover suspention -> I think I will go for new kind of AVO's
-if needed - adjstable front top mounts or compstruts/whishbones + remote mounted front ARB
Somebody wise to set it all up!

To further help the handling diff upgrades (if it's 4x4):

-centre and front first (front ATB)
-rear (www.gearboxman.co.uk is the place to go for those I think)



I don't have MUCH comparision between different setups but this is sensible way of doing it I think. I currently have completly powerflex kit on mine, wront TCA's from ZOO Motorsport and Bilstein shocks with progressive springs by Lesjofors. + centre VC Grp N. It's quite fine altough there are too many downsides which I would like to remove.

 

Thats such great answers from all. I have 16 x 8 Speedlines (3 piece split rims) on the car at the moment with yoko prada's (front) and a539 (rear). Suspension wise I have AVO coilovers which ride good.

 

I wouln't change anything with wheels. Try removing bushings and having more adjustable geometry. That will change a lot!

I was shocked what was difference between standard Impreza Turbo and one with heavily altered geometry for rally use and still standard apart from that. It's couple of seconds per kilometer of stage!

 

My Sapphire is on the standard 15s and handles well on bumpy country roads compared to some cars I have followed and who have reported that they were really feeling the jolts on their 17s.
I did have a set of 7.5j x16s off my old XR4 which I tried for a while and the turn in felt better but I seemed to think it was worse on some bumpy roads.
I would say 16s are a good road compromise simply because you have access to a wider range of performance tyres - for example they don't do the new Yoko Paradas in a 15 ( I think).
Depends what you want to use it for really - you'll probably find the bigger wheels are good on a smooth track

 

What is ET??

 

ET is offset...pics might explain better...

Regards

 

mine are ET 30