Wheels/Tires

Just put 17's on my Smart Car

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Old Jul 16, 2008 | 05:35 AM
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Just put 17's on my Smart Car

here are a few pictures of my car (on the left) with a friends car. he did all the work at his shop zen speed here in jacksonville. and yes, his car has been painted flat black. he said its much easier to paint b/c all of the panels come off. i bought 17inch mercedes c-class sport wheels on ebay. had them painted flat black, bought the 3-5 lug adapters. i am super stoked at the look of the wheels on my car.






 

Last edited by jaxbch987; Jul 19, 2008 at 06:45 AM.
Old Jul 16, 2008 | 05:38 AM
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very smart
 
Old Jul 16, 2008 | 08:12 AM
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haha, i wish i had one of those, how much has your gas mileage suffered with those new wheels

Two thumbs up!
 
Old Jul 16, 2008 | 08:15 AM
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Originally Posted by CarChrisM5
haha, i wish i had one of those, how much has your gas mileage suffered with those new wheels

Two thumbs up!
i just picked it up 2 days ago with just under half a tank. it has dropped any bars on the gauge. i will fill up in the next week or so and keep track from a full tank.
 
Old Jul 16, 2008 | 11:16 AM
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Very nice!
 
Old Jul 16, 2008 | 02:28 PM
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Keep a close eye on your bearings and suspension components over time.
Such a radical change in wheel size/weight/offset will have a negative impact on component durability.
Does it handle weird? Most cars with such a radical change in offset develop a nasty "bump steer" on rough surfaces.
 
Old Jul 17, 2008 | 05:31 AM
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Originally Posted by Forgedwheeler
Keep a close eye on your bearings and suspension components over time.
Such a radical change in wheel size/weight/offset will have a negative impact on component durability.
Does it handle weird? Most cars with such a radical change in offset develop a nasty "bump steer" on rough surfaces.

actually it handles much better and feels more stable on the road. points taken though, thanks!

here is what my mechanic said here in jax:

"Bump steer is caused by changes in steering by having non-parallel steering tie rods which cause the
tires to steer (involuntarily) as the wheel moves through its vertical
range of motion. A very bad thing, but completely unrelated to what we
did.

Regarding wheel bearing life, the centerline of our rim is still
centered over the bearing, just like with the stock rim, so again, not
an issue.

Besides, half of Europe is running around on adapters"
 

Last edited by jaxbch987; Jul 17, 2008 at 06:30 AM.
Old Jul 17, 2008 | 10:17 AM
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whoa...never imagine someone would mod a smart.. this is awesome!
 
Old Jul 17, 2008 | 10:38 AM
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Originally Posted by cellg8
whoa...never imagine someone would mod a smart.. this is awesome!

lol, i figured i love a cool set of wheels on my cars...why not the smart!
 

Last edited by jaxbch987; Jul 17, 2008 at 10:41 AM. Reason: spelling
Old Jul 17, 2008 | 05:02 PM
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how is driving such a small car... is it scary feeling?
 
Old Jul 17, 2008 | 06:08 PM
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Originally Posted by boca996tt
how is driving such a small car... is it scary feeling?
its really not scary. trust me, i'd be the first to say "hell no", but my cayman has been parked and i've been driving the smart car daily. it looks much smaller from the outside than it feels on the inside.
 
Old Jul 18, 2008 | 10:30 AM
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What did the adapters cost you? I would really like to get off the stock smart wheels as well.

 
Old Jul 19, 2008 | 04:53 AM
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they were $300
 
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