Wheels .. 2 stagger or Not ?

[NyC NsX]

Why do we use a smaller wheel in the front then we do in the back ?

And would it do any damage to the vehicle or throw off the tcs if we used the same size wheel front n rear ?

Im sorry if this topic has already been answered.But what are your opinion n answers on this subj.

 

[nsxtasy]

Originally posted by NyC NsX:
Why do we use a smaller wheel in the front then we do in the back ?

Because Honda designed the car (as most rear-wheel-drive cars are designed) with wider tires in the rear than in the front, and with wheel sizes (diameter and width) to match.

Originally posted by NyC NsX:
And would it do any damage to the vehicle or throw off the tcs if we used the same size wheel front n rear ?

Not necessarily, but you need to select tire sizes that keep approximately the same outer diameter and preserve the front-to-back ratio of those diameters.

 

[ChopsJazz]

I think I remember reading that the NSX was designed with the front wheels smaller for two specific reasons. The first was to make the coefficient of drag as low as possible by keeping the frontal area to a minimum. And the second was to allow as much area inside the driver's and passenger's footwells.

Also, remember that the fronts and rears are made of different compounds, with the rears being more sticky than the fronts.

 

[docjohn]

there are many owners who use 17/17 and 18/18 wheel combos.It is the rolling diameter of the tire that matters most.As long as you are within 5% of the oem size stagger you'l be ok for tcs.Other problems may arise if you let the diameters get too big in the front you'll run into fender liner rubbing issues esp if you lower the car.

 

[Nsxotic]

The main reason is for weight and handling. The smaller/lighter the wheel, the better it will corner. This is discussed in the NSX books in more detail. Keep it small up front unless you only car about looks. Although I think it looks much better with smaller front than rear anyway.

 

[NyC NsX]

I am currently running the 16/17 combo on my 91 with the stock yokos from that size combo...but i find it looks a bit small and after seeing a few photos of other nsx's with 18+ wheels im wondering if i could just get away with goin 17/17 instead of 17/18 this is the reason why i was looking for more info and input from the members.but if i was goin to go to the next tire size ( 17/18 ) what tires would you recommend that comes close to the stock yokos in performance .

 

[docjohn]

The more you reserch this topic you will find that honda had the oem tire designed as a package to work with the susp. settings.Going with a non oem tire will reduce the crisp feeling but once you've been on a different tire for a while you get used to it,untill you drive someone elses or keep your stock set up.I use to use my 16/17 for track but now use ssr-c in a 17/17 size.Wieght is a factor but the manuf. are realizing lighter is better and therefor you have choices in 17/17 17/18 that are near stock weight.The 18 tires do add a few pounds.For the street I've been happy with bridgstone so3 pp.

 

[nsxtasy]

Originally posted by docjohn:
The more you reserch this topic you will find that honda had the oem tire designed as a package to work with the susp. settings.Going with a non oem tire will reduce the crisp feeling

True... However, starting this year, the NSX is now available with 17" wheels front AND rear. Furthermore, the tires (now Bridgestone RE040) in the new sizes (215/40-17 and 255/40-17) are still designed to be corner-specific for the NSX (as you can see from the specs on Bridgestone's website). So, if you're considering a 17"/17" wheel setup, you might want to try getting widths of 7.5 and 9.0 inches, and that way you can continue to use the NSX OEM tires with them.

Incidentally, this answers one of the questions we had had about tires for the 2002 NSX (whether NSX-specific OEM tires would continue to be available). Also FWIW, I looked on Yokohama's website and Tire Rack's website, and the best I could figure out, there is no NSX-specific OEM Yokohama tire (A022H or otherwise) in the new sizes to compete with the Bridgestones.

 

[maomaonsx]

on a rear/mid engine RWD car, there is less weight at the front of the car thus less work is needed to be done by the tires. So smaller tires and smaller wheels are put upfront which also contributes to less drag, more leg room, ligther weight, etc, etc. You will rarely see a front engine car using stagger sized wheels. mostly when they do, it's for looks rather than any real world performance benefits.

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G Dummy~

Faster than stock.