17'' or 18" rims

[colt 45ss]

put ions on drops the car about an inch from stock

can i run 18" without rubbing or should i stick with 17"

thanks

[TSiWRX]

It's not necessarily about your rim diameter - but about how your rim measurements, including things like offset, pair up with things like the size/dimensions of the particular tires you choose to run.

 

For example, I run 225/40/18 tires on a set of 8-inch wide, 18-inch diameter rims with 51 offset. No rubbing. And yes, I'm on iONs, too.

 

Look at Keefe's (screen-name Xenonk) "Wheel and Tire" FAQ, stickied at the top of this very Forum, to get a better understanding of what you need to know.

[colt 45ss]

thanks much appreciated:icon_bigg

[TSiWRX]

Np.

[REM87O]

It's not necessarily about your rim diameter - but about how your rim measurements, including things like offset, pair up with things like the size/dimensions of the particular tires you choose to run.

 

For example, I run 225/40/18 tires on a set of 8-inch wide, 18-inch diameter rims with 51 offset. No rubbing. And yes, I'm on iONs, too.

 

Look at Keefe's (screen-name Xenonk) "Wheel and Tire" FAQ, stickied at the top of this very Forum, to get a better understanding of what you need to know.

 

[TSiWRX]

This is the 225/40/18 (Fuzion ZRi) - on Prodrive PFF7, +51 offset.

 

Lowered on iON - Rotora 4-pot BBK (which also fits in our stock 17s).

 

I apparently missed a bit of brake-dust on one of the spokes. And pardon the "rusty" looking rotors - that's because I'd just washed her.

[Xenonk]

^ SSR GT7 look-a-likes

 

 

doesnt matter what you get, 17 or 18, I ran them all.. for street driving, it doesnt matter. Some people here already drive on 19"s and 20"s.

 

but a note is that 18" rims and tires cost more, something to think about when it comes time to open that wallet (I would know, I had a total of 15 sets of rims by now and about 30 to 50 sets of tires that I have gone through in the past 4 to 5 years)

[CreoSTi]

What everyone else said...

 

^ SSR GT7 look-a-likes

 

Psshh... Weren't the PFF7s released here before the GT7s?

 

-Mike-

[TSiWRX]

^ War!

[SubiGT]

I want to run a Big Brake kit later on in life. I think I'll need 18's for that, right? Are there any lighweight 17's that will clear some of the big brake kits?

[TSiWRX]

^ There's quite a few (just off the top of my head, there are Rotora and StopTech kits) that'll clear even our stock 17s. Search around a bit to get a more complete picture of which of the aftermarket "BBKs" work well with the "smaller" wheels.

 

Also, even with the rather "fat" calipers found on the OEM STi Brembos, there are still 17s (albeit aftermarket) that will fit - check the thread on Nabisco, and you'll get a full listing.

[Xenonk]

I want to run a Big Brake kit later on in life. I think I'll need 18's for that, right? Are there any lighweight 17's that will clear some of the big brake kits?

 

it's more so about the fatness of the new caliper than the overall rotor size. Your spoke clearance is more important than the rim/hoop clearance. You can certainly look up different "faces" of a rim to clear the caliper, or get lower offset (the lazy way) of clearing the spokes. There are plenty of wheels out there that can clear the rotors, it's the FATNESS of the caliper and the spokes hitting the caliper is the more common issue.

[Xenonk]

What everyone else said...

 

 

 

Psshh... Weren't the PFF7s released here before the GT7s?

 

-Mike-

 

I ain't gonna pay 2x as much for the same-design rim

[TSiWRX]

it's more so about the fatness of the new caliper than the overall rotor size. Your spoke clearance is more important than the rim/hoop clearance. You can certainly look up different "faces" of a rim to clear the caliper, or get lower offset (the lazy way) of clearing the spokes. There are plenty of wheels out there that can clear the rotors, it's the FATNESS of the caliper and the spokes hitting the caliper is the more common issue.

 

Well said!

 

 

I ain't gonna pay 2x as much for the same-design rim

 

Wait, this, from a man who had, what, about a half-dozen full sets of wheels and tires lying around his garage?

 

Second-hand FTW! Budgets FTL!

[colt 45ss]

so next time email me and maybe i'll buy a set of those unwanted tires and rims

[Xenonk]

Wait, this, from a man who had, what, about a half-dozen full sets of wheels and tires lying around his garage?

 

Second-hand FTW! Budgets FTL!

 

how else did you think I had so many SSRs at one point? 3 of my 4 sets were used sets.. only the GT7s were my only new set.. the rest of the comps were used.

 

it's more than just 1/2 dozen, it was a full dozen and a HALF at one point.

[SubiGT]

Thanks TSI+WRX and Xenonk. I had read different ads and posts about brakes, alot of which mentioned that stock rims would not fit. I just want to avoid putting on a bitchin' brake setup, and not having my rims clear. That would suck.

[EL PAALO]

dubs yo!

[SubiGT]

dubs yo!

Sorry, middle aged white man, yo!?!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The preceeding message was not politically correct, and no harm was meant to any protected parties who may have been offended by it.

[TSiWRX]

^ ROFL!

 

----

 

it's more than just 1/2 dozen, it was a full dozen and a HALF at one point.

 

Now that's enough to qualify you as a retail outlet!

[DickDastardly00]

I read somewhere here that installing 18's throws off the Speedometer (if it says 65 mph, you are really doing 60 MPH). My question is, if you get 18's, is there anyway to recalibrate the car so that everything reads accurately again?

[Xenonk]

I read somewhere here that installing 18's throws off the Speedometer (if it says 65 mph, you are really doing 60 MPH). My question is, if you get 18's, is there anyway to recalibrate the car so that everything reads accurately again?

 

it's about your overall tire diameter, not so much of your rim.

 

stock tire overall tire diameter is around 24.7".. so 17" of those is your rim, the rest is your tires' sidewall...

 

when you goto 18", you CAN get a tire that has the same 24.7" overall tire diameter to KEEP your speedo reading the same as stock, but your sidewalls will be shorter in height. Makes sense? That's how it works.

 

So really, you could get 20" rims, but that only leaves you with a 4.7" worth of that as your sidewall for your tires.. (which is really 2.35" tall sidewall)

 

 

 

 

For most of us, including myself, say "screw the speedo, it's not that off". In my FAQ for tire sizes, I stayed within the normal 2% range for tire sizing, so the error in reading your speedo cant be that far off.. we are talking about needing to drive something like 100 mph to even notice a 5 or 6 mph difference for oversizing a tire. You could go further as I did and ran something nearly 5% larger than a stock size in tire diameter.. it's no big deal, just dont drive so fast.. if the speed limit is 55, make sure you are below 55 mph on your speedo because in actuality, you are probably doing 57 to 60 mph depending on your tire size.. this is also true when you go with a smaller tire diameter where your speedo will read higher than what your actual speed is.

[itsme]

Here's 19"x 7.5" w/ 225/35/19 and H-tech springs no rubbing. With the right offset the wheels will tuck when the supension compresses. Check the FAQ on wheels and tire forum for more info. My new tire are alittle wider then the one in the pictures and still do not rub.

[itsme]

Heer is a side shoot.

[DickDastardly00]

it's about your overall tire diameter, not so much of your rim.

 

stock tire overall tire diameter is around 24.7".. so 17" of those is your rim, the rest is your tires' sidewall...

 

when you goto 18", you CAN get a tire that has the same 24.7" overall tire diameter to KEEP your speedo reading the same as stock, but your sidewalls will be shorter in height. Makes sense? That's how it works.

 

So really, you could get 20" rims, but that only leaves you with a 4.7" worth of that as your sidewall for your tires.. (which is really 2.35" tall sidewall)

 

 

 

 

For most of us, including myself, say "screw the speedo, it's not that off". In my FAQ for tire sizes, I stayed within the normal 2% range for tire sizing, so the error in reading your speedo cant be that far off.. we are talking about needing to drive something like 100 mph to even notice a 5 or 6 mph difference for oversizing a tire. You could go further as I did and ran something nearly 5% larger than a stock size in tire diameter.. it's no big deal, just dont drive so fast.. if the speed limit is 55, make sure you are below 55 mph on your speedo because in actuality, you are probably doing 57 to 60 mph depending on your tire size.. this is also true when you go with a smaller tire diameter where your speedo will read higher than what your actual speed is.

 

I guess if the difference actual MPH is that minimal, then why bother trying to recalibrate the Speedo. I though It would be off by more than that. I know I want to retain a decent amount of sidewall if I go with 18's so chances are I will exceed the stock diameter.

 

At first I really thought I was sure on buying 18's, but now I'm rethinking that. 17's are lighter on average, and lighter is better, but I still like the bling of 18's lol. I'm just so torn on this one.