CE28N 17x7 +50 and Stock Tires?

[leevanf]

Hi Guys, someone is selling 2003 CE28Ns 17x7.5 +50 @ USD 1,100. (japan surplus)

I want lighter wheels for a better DD feel =(more efficient suspension, and acceleration)

But, I also want to retain the stock dynamics so I decided to stick with stock height, and wear out my primacys in them first, and eventually, switch to a max/ultra performance tire with the same size.

(1) pics of the ce28 and all seems good. but anything i should be worried about a 2003 manufactured wheel? I mean.. arent construction methods and material quality WAY different from a 03 made vs late 2010- CE28?

(2) at 215/45/17 stock size, with +50 offset, am i going to need any spacers or any additional modifications to my suspension?

(3) considering lightweight wheels too for spirited/dd (no competitive track) - I am looking at the lightweight extremecontactDW or the ventus v12 both at 19lbs. what can i expect going smaller at 205/45/17? or should i go 40/50? which will fit in a 7.5 wheel?

[churchx]

205 imho might be a bit stretched for x7.5". Maybe better stock width 215?
Manufacturers roughly state for x7.5": min 205, ideal 215 or 225, max 235.
Yes, reducing sidewall profile height may change gearing a bit, rising acceleration. But not by much. Different FD may change at higher ratios then tire profile reducing of one or two steps down.

[ichitaka05]

1. Volks do have very high standard in quality, so you won't see much difference in which year it's made.

2. Stock wheel spec is 17x7 +48, so only 2 difference, so you won't notice any performance difference other than the wheels is 2 inside the fenders.

3. Lightweight is nice and all... but balance is the key for this car. yes, 205 will give you lighter tires... but at the same time you'll use more traction. You might be able to fix that problem w having stickier tires, but still have other issues comes up. My recommendation is drive the car around to see the wants and needs. If you want more grip, get performance tires in same spec. If you want more brake power, get better pads and so forth.

[leevanf]

Originally Posted by ichitaka05

1. Volks do have very high standard in quality, so you won't see much difference in which year it's made.

2. Stock wheel spec is 17x7 +48, so only 2 difference, so you won't notice any performance difference other than the wheels is 2 inside the fenders.

3. Lightweight is nice and all... but balance is the key for this car. yes, 205 will give you lighter tires... but at the same time you'll use more traction. You might be able to fix that problem w having stickier tires, but still have other issues comes up. My recommendation is drive the car around to see the wants and needs. If you want more grip, get performance tires in same spec. If you want more brake power, get better pads and so forth.

Thanks for that! What i feel that I want in this car so far are the following - based on 3 months of driving it where it will be most likely spending its life.

By priority:
a. stock breaks bite hard and well, but there are times tires just slide a bit even while breaking which i feel i want to reduce this slide for more confidence in immediate stopping.
b. I definitely want better acceleration
c. we live in a lot of imperfect roads/bumps/humps. - i want to reduce the jarring effect of these random bumps.
d. Tires tend to slip a lot when in full wheel turn and accelerating out of a corner even when not in sport mode. - id like to reduce this. but still be able to "powerslide" and have fun at times.
e. least important - more nimble turns? but im pretty o.k. with how it turns now.

[churchx]

a. only thing that will reduce braking distance is grip of tires. Want stop sooner, grippier tires. Caveat being loosing playfulness you mentioned in 2nd part of (d.) though. BBKs will increase for how long it takes to overheat prior fading, better pads will increase amount of brake torque per brake pedal travel, but braking distance is reduced only with more tire grip (for cases where current brake system is capable of locking tires till engagement of ABS. If insufficient, then for current grip one can stop quicker also with pads of higher friction coefficient).
c. you are driving MY2014? Imho shocks from MY2017 should increase comfort/compliancy. Or Bilstein B6. Or Koni Yellows on full soft. With tire that flexes more (chosen model or chosen size) you'll get more comfort/compliant ride, but paying with turn-in sharpness.
d. sounds job for alignment. Slight toe-in in rear should increase stability accelerating out of turns. It sure did for me (vs stock 0 toe, but actually a bit uneven even toe-out i had). Also work on own pedalwork, for when you should start gradually increase accel and at what speed increase (the lesser steering angle, the more on gas), doing it gently/smooth will also reduce chance of slipping.
e. also imho alignment. More front camber?

[venturaII]

Imperceptable difference in offset, so no effective difference in ride from that. You'll definitely notice the lighter wheels, though it's not a night-and-day change. Regarding the tires, I've had both Conti DW and V12 Evos, and I'd take the Contis (or the DW's replacement, the Extreme Contact Sport) in a heartbeat over the V12. Much better tire in every respect, IMHO.

205 versus 215 is a different issue. As mentioned, the tire category has far much more bearing on the tire's behavior than the size (at least, between the two sizes you're thinking of). Given that a 205/45 is going to be shorter than the OEM setup, you'll be changing more than just gearing - road compliance, comfort, sidewall flex, etc will also be different, and I'd assume that is a significant consideration where you live. However, you can change those just as easily with different brand/model tires, and still keep the factory gearing, and not have the additional empty fenderwell space you'll get with a 205/45.

[ichitaka05]

Originally Posted by leevanf

By priority:
a. stock breaks bite hard and well, but there are times tires just slide a bit even while breaking which i feel i want to reduce this slide for more confidence in immediate stopping.
b. I definitely want better acceleration
c. we live in a lot of imperfect roads/bumps/humps. - i want to reduce the jarring effect of these random bumps.
d. Tires tend to slip a lot when in full wheel turn and accelerating out of a corner even when not in sport mode. - id like to reduce this. but still be able to "powerslide" and have fun at times.
e. least important - more nimble turns? but im pretty o.k. with how it turns now.

a. Then I would recommend upgrading the pads to better performance pads like Hawk, Project Mu, StopTech or other brands. I myself use Winmax and love it every min of it, but if you search around, you'll see threads after threads on those topic.
b. There are several dozen way to accelerate faster. Weight reduction (shaving weight, cf parts), engine power-up (bolt on), more grip (stickier tires), ECU tuning (reprogram throttle opening), suspensions (LSD, driveshaft, CV Axle) and so on. You have so many options, but keep in mind, each one you do to your car, car character will change so don't do everything at once.
c. Like Churchx stated, better suspension setup can fix that issue. Koni, Ohlins, Bilstein, Cusco lists goes on. Also keeping tire all in 45 will reduce small dips & bumps.
d. That might be do with few reasons. 1. Tires - Stock tires are by any means grippy. Upgrading it to better girppy tires can reduce that problem. 2. Driver - You need better driving control, specially throttle control.
e. There are limited turn angle car can do in a stock form... unless you change the suspension setup (modified knuckles)... but most of those parts are for drifting anyways.