legacycentral bbs

and another...
94 wagon, Zeal Coils.
18x8.5 Volk Racing RE30, +44 offset
235-40-18 azenis RT615

slightly rolled front and rears

Resurrecting an old thread...

My tires are at the end of their life, and i have a set of 17" rotas sitting around that i wouldn't mind throwing on.

I'm on kyb gr2s and h&r sport springs. The wheels are 17x7 et48. I'm wondering what size tires i can get on their without rubbing or having to roll fenders and what not. Ideas? Thanks!

I have sti suspension. Probably not as low as yours, and had 205 45 no rubbing unless my trunk was loaded with tools.

No clue what my offset was.

on 17x7? hmmm. that might be worth it. I wonder if i can find a cheap set of tires just to try. Thanks CJ!

I'll take a look at the rims later. They're stacked up in my garage for the time being.

The STi rims will likely have an offset in the +50mm's.

The +48mm rims may have a greater chance of rubbing the wheel arches.

Aw dang. So basically then, the issues that come with rubbing aren't really the 17inch size, but more likely because of the large numbered offset?

It's a combination of size and offset. There just wasn't a lot of room in the fenderwells on the first gen Legacy. Higher positive offset can cause rubbing concerns on the strut tower, while lower offset can cause rubbing concerns on the inner fender.

Things like coil overs and rolling your fender are potential solutions. It also depends whether you're ok with saying I want no rubbing at all or are you ok with it rubbing occasionally. I am on the side that doesn't want any rubbing at all, but I know there are others that have run the larger rims and tires....so it's being done.

Ok. so I should find out if it'll rub on the strut tower then with the higher offset. In that case, can i get an idea just by putting on a wheel with no tire, as far as width? or is it the rubbing on the spring perch that's an issue?

Honestly, i guess i don't mind it rubbing at full lock, though i would certainly prefer that it didn't.

I guess my only real option is to try and use a tire calculator and get something that is almost the same diameter as my current set up, then try to find a single tire in that size and hope for the best.

I'm running 17x9.5 et20-ish and I don't have any problems, 215/40 tires.

The tire rubbing on the perch in the rear is most common. If you have a slightly smaller diameter wheel that can affect the tire's shape and whether it rubs or not.

Unfortunately it's a bit of trial and error unless you have someone with the same tire & wheel combo. Even with that....different tire manufacturers may be slightly different.

blerg, yeah. And, there's wear to account for as well i imagine. OK. i'll see what i can do. Thanks!

Robert, i'm guessing that it's probably because of the offset, but I can't be certain unfortunately. I'll start my search around that tire size though. Thanks!

Well...here's what i got. Chime in since i have no real idea.







From what i can tell, compared to the wrx wheels and tires that are on the legacy now, they should be pretty closely matched. Backspace looks like it's off by 1mm. Offset is off by about .3". Total diameter is about 6mm greater, putting it at a little less that .25" taller.

Here's a link to the calculator: http://www.rimsntires.com/specspro.jsp

Based on that info, it looks pretty close and has a high probability to work. The calculators are based off of standard measurements of what a 205/55 r16 tire would be; same goes with the offset & wheel measurements. What the calculators don't provide is variability in tire width due to manufacturer differences and wheel width.

A tire that is put on a 6.5" wheel will be a little more narrow compared to a tire that is put on a 7" wheel. So these type of things are what the calculators really can't provide you and why they can't be used as a 100% guarantee. They will get you into the ball park though.

I'd look at your fender/suspension and see if you have the clearances on the tire that the calculator says you're going to move towards with the 17" wheel. If you're very close, then it may be a tough call, but if you have more room than it says is required you should be pretty confident that the 17's will work.

Ok Josh, thanks for all the help. i'll probably end up giving it a go, if 17s don't make the legacy look like a covered wagon.

Edit: apparently the offset is off by +2, as the 02-04 wrx wheels are +53 not +55.

Bump from the dead!

Since I don't want to start a new thread, does anyone know if 225/50/16s on 16x7 +50 will fit properly? Looks like there might be some rubbing issues if I'm going off of what this thread looks like...

An additional bump

I thought finding 15 inch wheels would be easier said than done, and bought a set of tires to replace my current tires. However, I'm having problems getting a set of wheels. Subaru still wants nearly $400 each for the five spoke turbo wheels!

I found a set of 2000 RS six spoke 16 inch wheels with 205/55 mounted with plenty of life. Or so the seller says.

I think they will fit, but would these fit with the stock suspension?

I image it would be something like TheSubaruJunkie's car



Also, for correct speedo/odometer reading, would it be worth it to find 215/50R16 tires?

SC

The 205/55 r16 tires typically fit fine. That is what the 2002 WRX wheels/tires are. If the interweb is correct they have +53 mm offset. Again if the interweb is correct the 2000 Impreza RS six spoke wheels are 16x7 with +53 mm offset.

The 2002 WRX tires rubbed very slightly against the strut post on my car. With the wider rim it may be more prone to rub against the strut, but others with direct experience may be able to provide better feedback.

I just tried mounting 225/50/17's, +55 offset, on my car with KYB's all around and it was a no go on all levels. Probably going to stick with 15's on the next try with an offset closer to 40 and a beefier tire.

originalcyn wrote:Well...here's what i got. Chime in since i have no real idea.







From what i can tell, compared to the wrx wheels and tires that are on the legacy now, they should be pretty closely matched. Backspace looks like it's off by 1mm. Offset is off by about .3". Total diameter is about 6mm greater, putting it at a little less that .25" taller.

Here's a link to the calculator: http://www.rimsntires.com/specspro.jsp

Turns out that the wheels are 17x7.5. I did manage to get them underneath without rolling the fenders. So, on KYB GR2 struts and H&R Sports Springs I got 205/45/17s underneath without rubbing (so far).

I know I'm resurrecting an old thread for the third or fourth time again haha.

But I haven't been contributing on here for the past few years but I do have *some* knowledge on oem Subaru wheel fitment.

Currently my 94 is setup with 2005 LGT 5-Spokes with Michelin primacy mxm4 tires sized 225/45/17. They fit on the inside due to my front struts and springs being off an GD WRX. Same with my rears. (They do have oem 94 legacy top hats/spring perches). Ive noticed the lower spring perch is designed differently and higher up on the strut in a way that allows for significantly more room for bigger tires. All fenders have been rolled (not massively but enough, no visible exterior bulge or anything).

I have run a cheap set of nexan tires in size 225/45/17 on 07 WRX rims and stock struts/springs. The rears rubbed on the lower spring perches and the fronts occasionally on the fender liner at full compression.

I'm going to try and see if I can get a set of 235/45/17 Pilot Super Sports on my Legacy Gt wheels. I think it will clear the struts just fine.

Btw I do have full front and rear WRX suspension so the angle at which my struts sit compared to the hub is higher due to the wider track. This also allows for a bit more width

My concern is how much more room I have before I hit the fender.

Why are people rubbing with 205/55R16's but some people can fit 215/60R16's?

My best guess is difference in suspension.

I'm running 225s with only a little rubbing on the frt. That's with coil overs though.

205/40/17 on a 9.5" wheel



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