[Blacksheep_74]

Hi,

first post here ever and looking to draw from the passion and maybe some expertise you all have for Integras.

Saw my first Integra around 1995 while in college in KS. Neighbor girl from CA rolled in with an Aztec Green and it stuck with me. I finally got my own- a 97 Grenada Black GSR with ~120k all stock and 100% service records from Acura dealership last fall out East after a few months of research.

project for this spring is an upgrade to the rims and tires. I have my eye on some Konig 17x8 rims.

I have a couple goals in mind. First is upgrade in appearance of course. I also don’t want downgrade performance and also want to make sure to create room for brake upgrades down the road.

a couple questions:
1) Will 17” rims cause significant issues that would make going with a 16” a better option?

2) I am obviously a bit of a novice- Would a 45mm offset also create significant issues?

3) In doing some research it seems like there are good tire options for 17”. I ultimately want something with good grip like a summer performance tire. It looks like 205/40R17 may be best way when going from stock 15” rims up to 17”. Any recommendations from experience with a setup like this?

4) last question for now- would above setup cause issue with changing how the speedometer works?

thanks for thought.

 

[matthewk.exe]

1. Yes. The issue is that the factory tire is 23.4" in diamater. If you want to retain anywhere close to the factory sizing which impact acceleration, gearing and braking performance, the only options for 17" in around 23-24" would be 205/40R17 and 215/40R17. There are not a lot of tires in those sizes. So, you have two choices, either go with a larger 17" which will change how the car drives or go with a 16" which have fewer tire choices.

2. 45mm offset is pretty aggressive, but it all depends on how low your suspension is.

3. Yokohama Fleva V701 and Firestone Indy 500 are both good summer tires in that size.

4. If you only go with 205/40R17 it will only be 0.4% change in diameter, which will not impact the speedometer at all. However, if you want something significantly bigger like 215/45R17 it would definitely change how accurate both your speedometer and odometer are.

My recommendation is to look at 215/45R16. This was the optional JDM Type R upgrade size for '98 spec cars. I assume the engineers choose this size for a reason. Also, most brake upgrade kits for the Integra will fit under 16", although I think stock Integra brakes in good condition are good enough for 99% of drivers. Also use, [Tire Size Calculator] and try to keep the diameter within about 3%.