rim size
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Yeah i figured there was something weird about that cuz im planning on buying my rims on tuesday. I just now after reading thta last post started lookin for 18's lol. I know that didnt sound right. I guess i just assumed if u were to get bigger rims ur also gonna drop the height but maybe some people dont do that?
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I have 17X7.5 on mine, fit just had to roll the fenders in slightly, as for the difference with the 18X7 and 17X7 I wouldn't think it would make a difference if it was dropped or not, because it's no taller or wider, there's just more rim and less rubber or vice versa. But I personally wouldn't go to 18's either, I find my 17's look great!
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Everyone wants to go faster, and then puts 25 pound 17" rims on their car and wonders why they aren't fast. 
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Maybe not as fast in the straight line, but the handling bonus that you get in those tires is amazing, 7.5" of rubber on the road compared to the speed bike tires that my escort came with (ok, maybe it was the size of 2 speedbike tires that came on it) well, all in all, I'd say ur gonna have a higher speed, I have no problem taking a 90 degree corner at over 60 without my car sliding! Hell, just last week those tires saved my life when some ass in a civic decided to run a red on my advanced green - I must have been over 75 by the time I finished that corner! And well, I find that the rims that I have now are 1 hell of a lot lighter than the stock rims, they're all an alloy instead of the stainless steel or whatever came on my scort! (oh, and all these speeds are in KM/h - not miles)
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Will? 18X7.5 rub on the strut?
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From Buffalo? Ok, I wouldn't blame you if you never listen to a word I say. On this one though, you have to listen - get your car undercoated every fall. It's $100 (Cdn) well spent.smoke187 said:
Otherwise, your Escort will look like mine. You don't want that; every day I wait for the cops to pull my car off the road.
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^ 18x7 @ 3.5" of drop. rolled front and rear fenders.
18x7.5 is rumored to fit if you get really thin spacers to stop it from hitting the strut.
NEUMAN
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Eh... to me it's a trade off, which I don't think is worthwhile.96EscortLX said:
On one hand you can get wider tires... but on the other hand you have 5-10 pounds more of rolling stock which will hurt your acceleration, turn in and braking.
I dunno, just not worth it to me. I'd rather have 15x6s with a 205/50 series tire on it, that'll be plenty of contact patch for a 120-180 hp car.
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im going to have to agree with james on this one... id NEVER waste my money on wheels smaller than 16 though. its like why upgrade a little for a bunch of money when you can upgrade more for slightly less. id have to say 16s and over though because there are more tire options for these wheels and less sidewall which will always give you a more planted feeling. although it is basically what you plan to do. if you wanna impress the ladies with looks... bigger is better (no one track mindes WHEELS) but if you wanna impress the ladies with acceleration and braking then the smaller the better.
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So 18X7.5 Will fit but i need some spancers. I've flare out the fenders so I wanted to get them as wide as permitted by the struts
15x7wheels will allow you to run wide sticky rubber, and not slow you down. As for handling.. the cars at autocrosses with FTD (fastest time of the day) are usually running the smallest diameter rims that will fit over the brakes, and the widest rim to match the widest rubber that will fit on the suspension without throwing the offset out of whack. You will never see a compact with 17s or 18s win FTD.. just too slow and not enough grip.
Once you start getting into super low-profile tires, the tire tread stops conforming evenly to the road according to tire pressure. It begins to be heavily effected by the sidewalls, causing hotspots and uneven handling over bumps.
Big wheels are nothing but bling on a compact car.
Yes, I have some lightweight 16s, and they're too big for autocross use. My car is noticeably faster with the stock 13" steelies on. The problem is that I can't get any 13" tires that are sticky..
The best size wheels (for performance), on the Escort, would be 15s. You can get sticky tires, and they don't detract from the acceleration.
If you're going for looks, all the power too you. 18's are fabulous if you never drive on slightly rough roads.
Once you start getting into super low-profile tires, the tire tread stops conforming evenly to the road according to tire pressure. It begins to be heavily effected by the sidewalls, causing hotspots and uneven handling over bumps.
Big wheels are nothing but bling on a compact car.
Yes, I have some lightweight 16s, and they're too big for autocross use. My car is noticeably faster with the stock 13" steelies on. The problem is that I can't get any 13" tires that are sticky..
The best size wheels (for performance), on the Escort, would be 15s. You can get sticky tires, and they don't detract from the acceleration.
If you're going for looks, all the power too you. 18's are fabulous if you never drive on slightly rough roads.
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Like Numan said 18x7's fit I don't know where some of you guys get your info from.neuspeedescort said:![]()
^ 18x7 @ 3.5" of drop. rolled front and rear fenders.
18x7.5 is rumored to fit if you get really thin spacers to stop it from hitting the strut.
NEUMAN
My escort when it had 18's
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15x7 is THE size if you want the best handling out of your escort, hands down. If ultra-low profile rims really gave a huge advantage to handling, you'd see national autoX and roadrace winners using them all the time. low-pro can help a little, but there is a diminishing return. remember, for each 1lb of mass that a rim weighs, the drivetrain sees it as 5-8 lbs. now add a larger diameter, with heavier tires to match, and you've got a hell of a lot of added weight at a further distance from the axle. that means it takes longer to stop and longer to start, and taken to extremes, even longer to change direction.
Sure, you'll see 'vettes and other similar-performing cars with really low-profile 18's, but they're 335/35-18's and other similar sizes, not narrow like 245/30-18's, and their sidewalls flex a LOT more than the narrow ones do, just because of the force that is being exerted on them by a huge-ass patch of rubber on the road.
bottom line, determine what you want your car for, looks or performance, then go with the best of that choice. Compromise is ALWAYS less than 100%.
--sarge
Sure, you'll see 'vettes and other similar-performing cars with really low-profile 18's, but they're 335/35-18's and other similar sizes, not narrow like 245/30-18's, and their sidewalls flex a LOT more than the narrow ones do, just because of the force that is being exerted on them by a huge-ass patch of rubber on the road.
bottom line, determine what you want your car for, looks or performance, then go with the best of that choice. Compromise is ALWAYS less than 100%.
--sarge
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