My 2002 has 17" 21 lb wheels on it. They were on the car when I bought and look very nice. I'm considering lighter wheels, possibly 16 or 17s. Will moving to a 16 lb wheel make the car respond and handle noticeably better? What else could I expect or is the $ better spent elsewhere?

 

Reducing unsprung weight will make the car "faster" or "more responsive".

Not sure about handling though.

 

It will theoretically hold the road better over uneven roads. You will also have a slight acceleration/braking advantage, though it's unlikely you'll notice it.

 

I was hoping that a 5 lb reduction per wheel would be noticeable in acceleration too. But if not I may do a cat back and high flow cat or test pipe. I like the design of the 17" wheels but 21 lbs certainly isn't light.

 

They do make 16lb 17" wheels ya know I think it mostly help with braking if anything. Rotating mass is the hardest to accelerate/decelerate so it makes sense that it does more than just "lighten the car up."

 

keep in mind also where the weight sits on a wheel will also make a difference. a 17" package will put more of the rotating mass on the outside of wheel, not to mention the heavier tire too

 

Believe it or not, but the 255-35-18 Hankook Rs-3 tires weigh 25lbs, compared with 26lbs for rear 16" OEM Ap1 Bridgestones. It seems the more low profile a tire is, the lighter it is. My 18" SSr Type C rear wheel and tire package is 2-3 lbs lighter per side. A lot of 18" tires are actually LIGHTER then 16 or 17" tires. Food for thought.

 

You'll lose a lot more performance (handling) by going with the taller sidewall of 16" tires than you will gain in weight savings.

 

Werd.

My 255/35/18 star specs weigh just a tad less than my 255/40/17 rs-3s...

 

Some quality coilovers will make the car handle better while improving the look... Also, grippier tires will improve handling noticeably.

It wouldn't be a bad idea to save up for some quality forged wheels - it may not be as noticeable but will help especially when paired with other mods.

I think a couple really light quality wheels are SSR Type C's (they are 14-17 lbs a piece) and most Volks (usually around 15-18 lbs)