I have a blue onyx xb, that I am going to trade in shortly for the rs 3.0. My work commute is about 60 miles total. I want to put 17's on for the ride quality but the wheel I like the most only comes in an 18 its the diablo web because I want to color match the painted portions on the rim. here is a link http://www.discountedwheelwarehouse....ShowLarge=True

ok the question is what is the bent rim factor? I kinda know because I put 18's on my wifes lancer and they have definitly been an issue with having bent rims, already replaced one and others have some small bends in the lip. but since the scion is lighter and I am only going to lower it probably an inch there should be travel enough to avoid some bent rim situations, think I could run 45 series on and 18? sorry for the long blabbering post in advanced

 

Doesn't seem like the suspension travel will have as much effect as the tire size. A bent rim usually comes from the tire not cushioning the blow. Get as much rubber on it as you can. RageStevens bent his on the way to a meet:

 

It's not the lowering that will cause you to bend a rim. As the rims get larger in diameter, the sidewall of the tire gets shorter and reduces the cushion between the rim and the road. For instance, sidewall height on the stock 15"'s is approx. 4-3/4inches tall while on 18"'s it will be more like 3 inches tall. Therefore, when you hit a pothole (especially one with sharp edges), the tire actually deforms enough to allow the rim to hit the road with only a layer of rubber in between, and the result is a bent rim. Lighter weight wheels with few or small center spokes are more prone to damage.

 

That pic actually made me cringe.. >,<

 

LOL... that bend is nothing. 5 minutes with a rubber mallet or a sledge and 2x and I would have that thing looking like brand new.

What these guys are saying is correct. It is the aspect ratio of the tire that can kill wheels. But it is all up to the driver. If you know how to drive with low profile tires, they won't be much of a problem. I would recommend a 225/35/18 for the wheels you are looking at.

My wife drives every day on 215/35/18s and we haven't had a problem yet. This is also her first set of low profile tires ever. So far she has put about 5k miles on them.

 

man my wife has no concept of slowing down for bumps and such ,she has gotten much better, but is still not as gentle as I am with her car when going over wheel bending, car bottoming out terrain. I am thinking of putting 17's on her car, we are also getting tien coilovers to adjust her hieght up a bit. I know you said that is not what causes it but she is pretty low right now, a little to low. here is a pic you can see my xb in the back


Back to my Xb So you think I should go with 17's then? I really like those wheels, maybe I will just never go over 15 mph.