Lowering or Big Alloys

[Daz]

Hey,
I Currently have standard Clio Wheels and the recommened tyres (155/70/13).

I Have been looking at alloys for a few months now. Want to make the right decision so I dont have to change them sometime in the future because I dont like the choice I made.

Firstly 16s with 195/45/16 or 195/40/16.
Then I started looking at 17s (205/40/17)... Everyone looks at 17s at some point, right?

Then I started looking at 15s and wondered about lowering it to the deck.
Currently, I have it lowered -35mm so I could fit 16s and 17s on (17s need arch work, but its do-able).

I would like the Speedo to be kind of correct - the 17s put it out by 8.9% which is quite a lot, but I could either get it calibrated or live with the difference in mind.

What would you do? Would you get 15s and lower it like crazy, or would you get 17s and leave it at -35mm?

Got a standard Mk1, Phase3 Clio. No wide arches or anything like that.
I have searched the website for what people have said in the past, but its often for the newer shaped (mk2, mk3) Clios or Valvers.

Sorry for the Essay, Wanted to try and get it cleared up in one thread without having to post yet another topic down the line

Thanks,
Daz

 

[JillyB]

Sorry for interupting and being thick, but i have just put 17"s on and would someone tell me why it puts the speedo out 8.9% please

 

[Ben P]

17s wont put the speedo out by that much on a 172 but on an earlier car, they have a much bigger rolling circumference than the standard alloys.

If you fitted 17" alloys to a 172 with 205/40/17 tyres, your speedo will be approximately 2.4% too slow.

Basically when your speedo says you are doing 60mph you are actually travelling 61.4mph

On my car (a phase 3 1.4) the standard alloys are 14" with a 165/60/14 tyre. This means that 17s would put the speedo 7.6% out. When my speedo reads 60mph, I would actually be travelling 64.6mph.

This might not seem too important, but the bigger surface area on the road also increases friction and increases youy cars gearing, which means that acceleration will be adversely affected.

I reckon you should go for 15" alloys with 195/45/15 tyres. This way you will lose virtually no acceleration and you will be able to put your car on the deck, making it handle like its on rails. Also they will be cheaper and so will the tryes when you come to replace them.

 

[rjs1000]

15s are lighter...

17s cost more (may buckle one and need to buy another...)

 

[Daz]

Well thats that I thought about the cost. The money I save getting 15"s I could spend on getting some adjustable shocks for the front or something. The torsion bar on the back can be dropped down quite easily.

Keep the suggestions coming, Thanks to those who have replied already

Daz

 

[telford_mike]

Hi Dazman - my 2p worth..

I guess the answer is - it depends on what you are trying to achieve!

If you are going for maximum performance for track days, Santa Pod etc, forget the big wheels as theyll slow your car down a little. Lowering will improve the handling a treat though, as well as looking good, as long as you get good quality springs and dont overdo it.

On the other hand some of those big alloys do look the business, so if its looks youre after, youll probably want to do both!

 

[Rob_johnst69]

Well if you still want that terminator kit you would be able to lower it like mad as of the lenght of the bumpers. All depends on personal peferance but i perfer 16,s althou there is an extra cost.

 

[timrud]

Bah, be different and put 18s on! Push the boat out a bit

 

[Nick Read]

Slam it and go for 15s. If you want big wheels the starting point now has got to be 18s anyway, which would take a bit of work to get on.

One word of advice - DONT get big wheels without lowering as well. That is the 8th deadly sin. Lowering first, then see how much room youve got to play with. Even a £200 sh*tter looks good totally slammed but a new car will look cack on big wheels that make it look like a roller skate cos its so high off the ground!

 

[timrud]

Thats true. Nothing looks worse than a skateboard looking car!

 

[Daz]

Ive got -35mm at the moment. It looks cool on standard wheels. I imagine if I had 15"s and slammed it even more, maybe something like 50-60mm, it would look even better.

Thanks.

 

[Nick Read]

Yeah spot on -60mm will do nicely, or if you want to go serious say a 60mm drop with 17s or 18s, then do the job properly:

Take out all the sh*tguards
Roll the arches
Use coilovers for more clearance

100mm drop on 18s will look mental!

 

[Daz]

-60mm with 17s is crazy. -60mm on 15s would look great though - and would make the bodykit I want very very low to the floor.

How could I get -60mm though? What companies make kits which can do this? I know JamesG has P.I. Kit which is -55mm on the front...
Id wouldnt have thought I could just get some springs - Dont wanna spend loads of money though...

Thanks.

 

[Nick Read]

What I mean is get coilovers and not only can you wind them up and down for whatever drop you want and the handling will stay right, but they are that much smaller so you can fit a bigger rim without scrubbing problems (as long as youve dumped the sh*tguards and rolled the arches)

 

[Daz]

Whats the chances of getting 17s on with a -35mm drop?

Ive done some measurements and 17s wouldnt go under the arch, but arnt far off it.

When the 5 Door Clio was in Fast Car, he said he had major problems with the rear and that he cant carry anyone in the back.

I kinda want to be able to carry people in the back, but, I want 17s

On the front, I dunno how much work it would be... I want full lock still though, and I dont want any scraping cus new tyres wont be cheap.

I know 16s with 195/45/16 go on with -35mm and dont scrape with people in the back... so how would I fair with 205/40/17s?

Daz.

 

[DAVE77]

Ive dropped my car 60/70mm with 17"s on and it handles like a dream.
Catches a bit on full lock, but I think its because my trackings out.

 

[Daz]

If yours catches, imagine what mine will do without the Valver arches!

Think Ill stick to 16s.... hehe.

Daz.

 

[Gareth]

i know this might sound strange looking at the previous posts, but i know someone who lives near me with a 16v clio with 17s lowered 100mm!!??

Mine lowered 60mm on 17s, (clio 2 though)

 

[Daz]

its do-able I think... but major arch work is needed... and you probably cant use the back seats.

Would look so cool though

Daz.

 

[minx]

i cant beleive u lot r actually dicussing major arch work for 17s, ours has been lowered 60mm and got 17s on and no arch work needed and looks wicked !!!! and yes back seats are still usable!