galiff Posted October 25, 2011 Share Posted October 25, 2011 I'm looking at a set of 17x7 wheels with 40mm offset. What would be the result of just mounting these on the car (05 legacy 2.5i)? Would the wheel sit further inside the wheel well? Do i need a spacer to make it sit correctly? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigTDogg MA Posted October 25, 2011 Share Posted October 25, 2011 Further out than stock, so more toward the edge of the fender. Spacer would do the opposite of what you want. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scoobydoobie Posted October 25, 2011 Share Posted October 25, 2011 Higher offset # = closer to the strut, lower offset=more "poke" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
galiff Posted October 25, 2011 Author Share Posted October 25, 2011 oh, so is a 40 offset going to hit the fenders with a 225/45/17 tire? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mk6933 Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 oh, so is a 40 offset going to hit the fenders with a 225/45/17 tire? Are you lowered? Even so, I highly doubt that 17x7 +40 will hit your fenders. You should be fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ehsnils Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 Also be aware that incorrect offset puts more strain on the wheel bearings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunder240 Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 Also be aware that incorrect offset puts more strain on the wheel bearings. To piggyback on this thread, if I were to replace the stocks steel wheels on my 2.5i (16x6.5) with 18x8 alloys, how would I determine the correct offset to use? My goal is to improve handling, not looks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeblow Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 What do you mean when you say handling? Dry roads, you want the widest possible wheel/tire for the largest contact patch, wet roads you want a narrower wheel/tire to cut through the water/snow and avoid hydroplaning. Wheel weight is an issue with steering response. 18s will naturally weigh more than your stock 16s so steering response will decrease with a heavier 18. 17s would make a nice compromise of weight and increased size for aesthetic purposes. With a 17, you can run a taller sidewall than with an 18 for comfort purposes too. Fender clearances are the same for the 2.5i and the GT, so all the fitment info in the sticky at the top will be the same. Plus you have smaller brakes, so a higher offset won't be as big of an issue for clearance. TLDNR version... if you really only care about handling, go with a wider 16" wheel. Since you're thinking about 18s, you obviously have some aesthetic inclination, so go with a 17x7.5-8.5 with a +45-55 offset with an appropriately sized tire and you should be good to go. It's cool; I'm with the band Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunder240 Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 Wow, great succinct explanation of tradeoffs. Thank you. I should have said my " priority is handling" rather than "goal is handling", since like you pointed out, looks are a consideration. I was thinking of handling as my car's ability to corner precisely on dry, curvy roads, but I realize that is a rather limited definition. I'll take a look at 17s. Re eight, although like you suggested a lot of the inexpensive 18s are as heavy or heavier than my steelies,I've seen a few lightweight 18s that aren't overly expensive. If the Enkei Fujin 18x8 had the right bolt pattern on the +45 or +50, it would be exactly what I'm looking for aesthetically and weigh in 3 lbs lighter than my steelies. But for some reason their spec sheet says that the 5x100 only is available with +40. If you don't mind, can you explain what advantage if any a wider rim offers assuming constant diameter and constant tire size? (Disadvantage seems obvious - added weight.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeblow Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 I'm assuming you mean that you'll be using a 235/40/18 tire (hypothetically for this example) on either a 8 or 8.5 wheel. At that point there won't be much difference in performance. And on the weight issue, there are definitely sets of 18s that weigh in around the same as your steelies, but with a 17, you can go even lighter. I had a buddy with ssr racecomps in 17x8 that weighed in around 14lbs. My 18x8.5 rays weigh in around 17-18 lbs per wheel. Coming from a set of 18x8s that weighed about 22-23 each, the weight difference was very noticeable in steering response. It's cool; I'm with the band Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunder240 Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 You hit the nail on the head -- I was looking at Rota P1s (18x8) vs DPTs (18x8.5). Their weights are nearly identical at 19.2/19.3 lbs, but the DPTs cost an extra 150 (800 vs 950 per set at wheeldude.com). For the price (and I'm trying keep the price under $1000 for the set), that weight seems to match up pretty well against any of the 17s I've looked at with the notable exception of the Enkei RPF-1 (17x7.5, 15.2 lbs). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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