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QUOTE (qatar11 @ Oct 24, 2010 - 1:41 AM)

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QUOTE (BonzaiCelica @ Sep 21, 2010 - 2:51 AM)

>15" haha please. we've all already established that 16x7 rims with 215/45R16 tires will be the best setup. period!!!
Can you elaborate on this? Or is Manny going to have to close another thread due to my Negative and Skeptical nature?!
16" wheels will give you the best weight to tire wall ratio.
What this means is a 14" rim will have thick monster truck rubber tire where as a larger 18" rim will have thin rubber band tire to keep the wheel diameter the same.
In general the best set up for our celica is a 16" rim. The 16" rim are relatively light, and they give you an aggressive thin tire side wall while keeping wheel diameter the same.
However when your racing in 24 hour LeMons, and your not allowed to invest in horse power or brakes. The only advantage you can gain is in reducing weight, especially rotating mass.
If you have not notice, a smaller rims will always be lighter then a larger rim. That is why most hybrid cars come with ugly 14" rims. There are some cases where that is not true, but that involves using exotic carbon fiber. For qatar11 event that is not feasible.
There is also an added bonus of using a smaller rims and thin tires as it lowering your gearing. On most race tracks the Celica will never reach top speed, so lowering your gear ratio my be beneficial. The last bonus of using smaller rims are cheaper tires.
So are 16" rims the best for our celica? yes
Is it the best rim for racing. no...