edooze

Does anyone know who built this? Want to know where to get that kick. /hijack. Sorry.

Sounds like it could be stuffed piston rings, and you're getting blow-by. If you're getting too much of this, it'll shorten the life of your engine.

There's a few more things to consider when changing your wheels. Larger wheels will probably weigh more, which weighs down your acceleration and steering. Also, if you put larger rims and tyres on, your speedo will be out and they will affect your fuel economy. There are a few good charts out there (Google) which will make sure with a lower profile tyre you'll get the same rolling diameter, which will make sure the speedo isn't as much of an issue, but the FX-GT rims (GTI in Australia, I think) are actually pretty light so hard to beat. I used to have a set of standard rims with balding tyres, and they handled much better than my 16s with meaty tyres for (I assume) weight reasons. Accel took a hit, too - not ideal. Have a bit of a hunt around, and talk to some tyre shops about their recommendations. Offset was the biggest thing for me here, I think ET+35 is the max the 'rolla can take (correct me if I'm wrong, guys). This is without spacers, anyway. One more thing: with larger rims and a smaller side wall, you don't have as much travel in the side of the tyre. This makes it harder on the rims and suspension when going over bumps, and affects handling also. A friend of mine who worked at a tyre shop a number of years ago seemed to think 16" was the optimum size to go for in a smaller car for the reasons mentioned above, but bear in mind since fewer new cars are released with 16" rims as standard (you get heaps of 15" or 17") tyres are more expensive (because they're not as mass produced). Hope this helps!