I just bought new 17 in wheels and tires but I plan on keeping my 16s to run at the track. My Nitto DRs on my 16s are still new. Will I have any problems other than weight and appearance keeping the 17s on the front and the 16s on the back when racing?

Thanks

 

Just rolling resistance, Tim!

 

As mentioned above a 17" rim will have a huge tire on it. Good for autocrossing but for drag strip racing you want a narrow front tire to reduce weight and rolling resistance. The disadvantage of having a 16" on the rear is the selection of tire sizes. 14" and 16+" rims are considered street rims so race tire manufacturers only produce a limited amount of sizes for them. The best selection of race tires are for 15" rims however unless proper backspacing is chosen, a 15" rim may not fit over some new large brake rotor/calipers.

As for different rim sizes front and rear, it may just look wierd.

 

I have my 275/40/17 on the front and 26x10.5 Et Streets on a 16 inch rim on the back and I think it looks ok.I just wish I had skinnies cause I am lazy and it is too much work driving around the waterbox

 

Dude, that IS lazy!

 

Thanks Mark I figured you would be the one to chime in.