forced to buy wheels sooner than I'd like, need advice

[JackRabbit]

Hey, thanks for all the tips guys! I'm only interested in autocross to practice skills, not even worried about competing in certain classes at this point. But good to know!

I am realizing I should just get an OEM wheel for now, and save up for when I have more time/money/knowledge to make a decision. It's cool there are so many options, but also means I shouldn't make a rushed choice. Thanks again!

[JackRabbit]

Does this seem like a legit deal? I have no idea if this is a decent price, or if it's a reputable seller.

https://midwestwheelandtire.com/prod...RoCQ1wQAvD_BwE

[HaXx]

200 is about right, considering you can get a 17x9 rpf1 for 266 from vivid racing. But ur in California right? That a hot spot for these cars. I'm sure you could get a used one with a tire on it for 50 around you. Look on fb, check the cal for sale threads etc.

[ls1ac]

You might call Tirerack and ask if they have closeouts, I got two set quite cheep for my track tires. They will send with tires balanced to your door.
Mine were black with blue pin strips that matched my car color.

[JackRabbit]

One more question on this--is it worth the extra $$ to get a pair of front wheels instead of just one side? The shop is telling me if I can afford it, it's always better to get a pair because different batches of wheels won't match as well, they'll be slightly different within the tolerances.

I get the idea, but do you think it would be enough to make any real difference? To me it only matters if it would affect the handling or cause wear and tear to other parts.

[RToyo86]

Unlikely to be any issues. A defective wheel being out of round is rare, not sure what else could come up that would be a concern.

Have you tried scouting local online ads?
You can score a set of OEM wheels used dirt cheap. A few hundred at most for a full set(often includes the tires too)

[why?]

Originally Posted by JackRabbit

One more question on this--is it worth the extra $$ to get a pair of front wheels instead of just one side? The shop is telling me if I can afford it, it's always better to get a pair because different batches of wheels won't match as well, they'll be slightly different within the tolerances.

I get the idea, but do you think it would be enough to make any real difference? To me it only matters if it would affect the handling or cause wear and tear to other parts.

It'll be less expensive to buy someone's used stock wheels. I am sure someone near you has a set they are not using any more. That way if anything else stupid happens you'll have an extra wheel already on hand.

[mrhayes1]

I have Niche 18x8 inch wheels and they are a very good fit. I don't know the offset off hand, but the front is perfectly flush, but back is tucked a bit and could use a 1/2 spacer but I don't wanna do that. If you are all about performance you should stay with 17s and not go bigger. However, I think 18s looks the best. The performance increase of going with a lightweight 17 inch aftermarket wheel is negligible to very minor at best in comparison to 18s. I would stay away from 19s personally as they will reduce ride quality the most, risk rubbing, and arguably look too big. Going with 18x8s lets you run a wide range of tires. I can pretty much run what I want with no risk of rubbing. In terms of looks, I wouldn't go with anything smaller than an 18x8. Also, many people run a 9 inch wide wheel but it has really been shown that a 9 inch wide wheel is completely unnecessary unless you are forced induction. A 9 inch wide wheel is really only for looks/forced induction cars and you run the risk of rubbing, especially on stock suspension and depending on the offset. I run 235-40-18 tire and as long as its a good tire it is much more grip than you really need on a stock car. Check out the wheel size calculator on here in case no one mentioned it.