i need to come to a decision....

[waveresponder]

ok...so ive found a really good deal on the OZ palladios...the only thing is they are 18inch rims.........$215 each....brand new in box and believe it or not...reallly local.....maybe its a sign..lol......tirerack has them for $239 a piece...they offer the service of if you buy tires mounting them on the rims before shipping....how hard is it to mount the tires on rims since id be buying the tires for them later......also anyone on here currently running 18"s?...would the mudflaps interfere at all?....as of now im not planning on lowering the vibe i was thinking maybe it would be good to get springs to lower it 1 to 1.25 inches........whats everyones thought.....i have to come to a decision before january 1st...i know i saw someone who was running 19"s on here somewhere...

[kevera]

With the 18"s you'll be fine.Just make sure wherever you bring the rims and tires for mounting,they don't scratch the hell out of the rims.

[Kamikaze]

Quote, originally posted by kevera »With the 18"s you'll be fine.Just make sure wherever you bring the rims and tires for mounting,they don't scratch the hell out of the rims. Yep, What Kev says... I have 18's w/ 225/40/18's right now, no problem with rub, I'm going with 235/40/18's b/c they better match up: I did some calculations and the actual diameter of the tire with a 235 40 18 is closer to stock than 225 40 18's.(stock being 215 50 17)You also have to remember that the price at Tire Rack does not include shipping... so the amount of $ you pay for shipping would probably be the same if you were to get the 18's mounted...You'll probably pay a shop $15-$20/wheel for a mount and balance. If you have to pay a little more to get a shop that looks like they would do a better job (be more careful) it's worth the extra $, you don't want your new shoes scratched...If you lived closer I've got a place that will mount em for like $5 each (b/c of our business connection)You can do 19's, but you are going to be running a lower profile tire. Your diameter of the tire from stock will be probably the same, problem is, you will have a harsher ride, feel more bumps, risk bending a rim if you hit a pot-hole more, tires are probably going to be like $50-$75 more per tire... Trust me I've looked into 19's and honestly for a vibe, unless you get a screaming deal, to me, it's just not worth it... (unless you're doing shows, and whatever) But since it's probably your daily driver, I say do 18's.

[Sublimewind]

To add to the above, you are stepping into a new relm of performance, things are going to change a bit, you should be doing reaserch on tire selections and driving technique... While bigger wheels and low profile tires are nice there ARE a few short commings. You will have more overall grip in most cases BUT, when the tires decide to let go of the road, they will do it in a very quick and possibly violent manner... I remember when I had 205/40-16 on my VW and do a "panic" move to miss a asshat turning left one day.... It sent me into an uncontrolable spin...I ended up looking at traffic comming up from behind me after doing ~270 degrees of rotation, no control.... You "may" end up with less WET grip based on this as well, there will be less sidewall complience to keep the tread on the slippery road... I'm not saying the performance will be less than steller, because it will be a HUGE change in "turn in" response, but your driving knowledge will need to be updated. This is something easily achieved, in a few spirited "parking lot sessions" both wet and dry.... Something else to consider, tires when they are made the belts overlap slightly, where they overlap the tire is heavier in that area, THIS IS USUALLY MARKED WITH A DOT ON THE SIDEWALL of the tire... You may consider finding out from whatever tire manufacture you go with weather the dot represents the overlap, or it's marking 180 degrees AWAY from the overlap... Which ever it turns out to be, try and get the tire shop to mount the tire so the overlap is oppisite from the valve stem... This will help reduce the weight needed to balence the wheels overall... You can also opt (and you should) for either placing the clip on weights on the INSIDE of the wheels OR stick on weights, that go on the inside of the wheel just behind the spokes... This keeps the face of the wheel nice and clean... If I think of more, i'll post, but those are just a few pointers I thought of here quickly for you.... Cheers,AaronP.s. get ready to start dodging ever pothole to come to, you'll know your roads like the back of your hand after you make the switch.... it will become second nature...

[Kamikaze]

Quote, originally posted by Sublimewind »You can also opt (and you should) for either placing the clip on weights on the INSIDE of the wheels OR stick on weights, that go on the inside of the wheel just behind the spokes... This keeps the face of the wheel nice and clean... P.s. get ready to start dodging ever pothole to come to, you'll know your roads like the back of your hand after you make the switch.... it will become second nature... Usually on aftermarket rims they'll do tape on, or clip on the inside...(I like the tape on's)So True... I can tell you where every pothole is within a 7 mile radius from my house.