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Originally Posted by SweetDaddyD
But the increased breaking load of 18" wheels on a car designed for 15" does put increased load on the brakes.
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Not unless they are 1) heavier than the originals, and/or 2) the overall tire diameter is greater. Most folks put super-low profile tires on larger diameter wheels and the net overall tire diameter remains the same or close. If the larger diameter wheels are a modern alloy, especially if they're forged, they probably won't be any heavier.
You could make the argument that, even if the weight is the same, the mass concentration is out farther from the center, thus the polar moment and the rotational energy are greater unless the rotors are enlarged similarly. Practically, that doesn't make enough of a difference to worry about brake life or stopping power. Remember, it's the mass and speed of the
car that is the energy input to the braking system.