Okay, I'm a newbie to buying rims and tires that are not stock so please excuse the lame questions. I have been reading the forums here and can't seem to find a definitive info on what larger or smaller rims and tires on an XB effects other than looks.

Do smaller or larger rims screw up odometer and speedometer readings?

I want to know if they do can I correct the gauges or do I have to stay stock in order to believe my gauges?

Do lighter rims and tires save significant gas to justify spending 1K or whatever?

I plan on keeping my XB for at least 10 years or until it dies. If I purchase better rims I need a trusted brand that will last that long and be worth the money. I also want a decent ride and not have to worry about scraping my rims.

What brand makes the strongest lightest rims with the best warranty?

Thanks for any help! :D

 

Lighter Tires & Wheels will help better your go power. You could get up to speed a little faster. Also if you went with a little bigger like 16" or 17" you would get better handling because of less side wall flex. As for the speedo, keep the over all tire diameter with in 3% I think it is of factory size & your gauge will still read about right. Can the wheels do much for a $1k+ cost? I dont think they would make that big of a diff but might be enough to make it worth it. I dont think it would save you any gas, maybe 1% or 2%. Also depending on how light you go you could gain a better power to weight ratio also. Hope this helps some.

 

Thanks! Anyone else have any advice?

 

Q1) Do smaller or larger rims screw up odometer and speedometer readings?

A1) You can select any of the following size without fear of rubbing or odometer and speedometer readings:

185/60-15
195/55-15
205/55-15
215/50-15
205/50-16
225/45-16
205/45-17
215/40-17
215/35-18
225/35-18
215/35-19

Q2) I want to know if they do can I correct the gauges or do I have to stay stock in order to believe my gauges?

A2) Your vehicle's computer should have a built-in 3% allowance for different tire diameters before any adjustments should be needed. You can verify this by contacting your Scion Dealer. At the same time, your dealer should be able to confirm if they can make changes to your vehicle computer to correct odometer and speedometer readings if needed.

Q3) Do lighter rims and tires save significant gas to justify spending 1K or whatever?

A3) Yes, lighter wheels will have an impact on gas mileage, horsepower, and braking (stopping) power. By lowering what is called "Rotational Weight", improvements in all three categories can be made. Rotational Weight has been estimated to equal 3 to 10 times the weight value of an item sitting on the floor of the vehicle. This means that for every pound of "Rotational Weight" weight you save, it's like removing 3 to 10 pounds of weight from the cabin of the vehicle, and remember to multiply the savings per wheel by four, one unit of weight saved for each wheel.

Q4) I plan on keeping my XB for at least 10 years or until it dies. If I purchase better rims I need a trusted brand that will last that long and be worth the money. I also want a decent ride and not have to worry about scraping my rims.

A4) The two most important areas to be concerned with when shopping for wheels is, "Warranty" and "Approvals" In most cases, the better the warranty, the better the wheel, and you should always look for a wheel that carries either the German TUV or Japanese JWL and or VIA approval listings.

Q5) What brand makes the strongest lightest rims with the best warranty?

A5) Two excellent wheel lines we carry that are strong, light weight and offer a limited warranty on most of their offerings are SSR and Kosei.

You can view these wheels on our web site by clicking on the link below, or feel free to contact me for personal service.

 

Thanks for all the info Roger!

I really like the Speed Star Competition 15x6 but I am worried about what others have said about the durability of this brand:
https://www.scionlife.com/forums/vie...ght=speed+star

From the tire sizes you mentioned above-how do I figure out what rim size(s) best fit with each tire?

Thanks again for all the info!

 

The stock odo reads 4.5% low to begin with, so larger wheels will make this a bit worse.

The stock speedo reads 3% high, so you can go to larger wheels and probably make the speedo _more_ accurate!

Theoretically, lighter wheels will allow your car to accelerate more quickly, but larger wheels will cause it to accelerate less quickly. In reality, you probably won't be able to feel any difference at all.

George

 

The stock odo reads 4.5% low to begin with, so larger wheels will make this a bit worse.

The stock speedo reads 3% high, so you can go to larger wheels and probably make the speedo _more_ accurate!

Theoretically, lighter wheels will allow your car to accelerate more quickly, but larger wheels will cause it to accelerate less quickly. In reality, you probably won't be able to feel any difference at all.

George[/quote]

Thanks George!

Do you know what size tire is 3% larger or will make the speedo accurate?

 

Thanks George!

Do you know what size tire is 3% larger or will make the speedo accurate?[/quote]

185/65R15 is what stock JDM bB aka xB come stock with in japan. So if you stick with a tire that is 24.5" Tall or so you should be good to go.

 

Thanks!!!

185/65R15 is what stock JDM bB aka xB come stock with in japan. So if you stick with a tire that is 24.5" Tall or so you should be good to go.[/quote]

 

I'm thinking about getting these rims from Speed Star Racing.

http://www.tirerack.com/servlet/Call...13&showRear=no

Any comments :?:

I think the 15x6 is closer to the original offset than the 15x6.5.

I currently have One Ton Garage spacers in the back and am happy with the flush fit that the steelies now have. I want the same look no matter what rims I end up with.

185/65R15 tires should make the speedo and odometer more accurate and should fit these rims :?:

 

actually, lighter wheels have a negative impact on gas milage. heavier wheels means more rotational inertia keeps the wheels in motion instead of using energy from your engine to keep the wheels spinning.

 

Is that for highway driving only or is that city and highway :?:

 

hmmm... i'm not a physics expert by any means... i always thought, the heavier the wheel is, the more energy is required to get it moving... and more energy is required to keep it moving...

i recently switched to lightweight 15's and used the stock tires, over the last two months, my gas milage has actually increased by about .5 mpg over the last few tanks...

i could be totally wrong, but the idea of getting 20 inch dubs to increase gas milage, just doesn't seem right...

any physics experts out there that can chime in on this?..