17x8 all around or staggered 17x8 & 17x9

[cawith]

Hi everybody,

I've been trying to get to a conclusion on this question for quite some time now, but can't make the decision myself.

First of, my car is stockish, only changed to a HKS drop in filter and got an OFT tune. I've been running E85 for 6 weeks now, which gives amazing gains. Right now I'm running 225/45 winter tires on the stock wheels, and I'm struggling for grip with the slightest amount of damp asphalt and on dry roads in corners.
I know winter tires aren't the best performing grip wise but still

I need new wheels for sommer tires, and think I've decided on the Rota Titan 17" in Hyper Black. The thing I haven't decided on yet is which width of the rim and tires.
While I'm not considering ordinary FI, as this is complicated and expensive to get approved in my country, I am almost certain that I'll buy the Phantom ESC.

The tires I am going to get are the Dunlop Sport Maxx RT, which are light weight street performance tires. I've read a lot of good testimonials of them.
I won't be tracking more than maximum 1-2 days a year, so I'm not looking for a track setup, but I still like to do some power slides once in a while when road and lack of traffic permits and like to drive enthusiastically.

I'm torn between 17x8 with 225/45 on all corners, or staggered 17x8 with 225/45 in the front and 17x9 with 245/40 in the rear. I've made a little weight comparison as you can see.
The staggered setup will save weight compared to stock, mostly on the front wheels though, but will give more traction and drag on the rear. I have read about people saying that this will mess with the balance of the car, but does it really make that big a difference compared to the extra traction and still a weight loss?
My guess is that with the ESC, the extra grip on the rears will be appreciated. Am I right?

Pr. wheel:
Wheel size - wheel weight - tire weight - total weight
17x8 - 7,75 kg - 8,2 kg (225/45) - 15,95 kg
17x9 - 8,2 kg - 9,5 kg (245/40) - 17,7 kg
17x7 - 9,5 kg - 9,1 kg (215/45) - 18,6 kg (OEM wheel and tire)

Hope you guys can give me some input and advice


Cheers!

[Thorpedo]

Your weight savings won't make any appreciable difference. I greatly prefer square setups on this car. 17x9 with a 245/40 all around is always my pick. It looks good and performs well.