Is it just a weight savings? or why do people go with 8in wheels? I really dont like the way they look, but if they are better and will save me weight, I might go with 8in wheels. I like the look of 10 or 12in diameter wheels, but they are a bit heavy!

 

Some of it depends on what you plan to do with them. The larger 10" wheels are typically used for mounting paddle tires. They are not as good for all around use because of the thinner sidewall they create. With mx type 18" tires 8" wheels are preferred because they leave a larger sidewall to absorb impact from jumps or xc hazards. 9" are a happy medium, typically used for radial tires which are popular with oem manufacturers.

thickness is also important. .125 and .160 wheels are designed for weight savings and not for jumps or bumps in the road. flattrack, ice, and dune riding are the typical uses of these sizes. oem alum. wheels are typically a little stronger than that, closer to .190's. .190's are used as oem replacement wheels and are often optioned up with rolled edges to increase rigidity over obstacles and from landings. For the extreme mx, xc, and rec rider beadlocks are used. These are typically 8" wheels as well.

 

I believe the 8s are lighter and the tire grows a bit when you get them up to speed. Larger rims are better for all around duning because of less sidewall flex less likely to pop the bead and wont bounce as much when jumping.

 

i personally used to run paddles on 10" rims and just recently switched to 8" and feel a huge difference in ride!

 

I agree with bad350. The larger the wheel, the more rough the rides gonna be. I just went from a 9" rear wheel to a 10" on ITP tires, and it really made for a rougher ride. The good thing is, the 10" wheels are beadlocks, so I can air them down to get the more comfortable ride back.[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-cool.gif[/img]