legacycentral bbs

Im curious what max tire sizes will fit on the BC/bf without rubbing against
the spring seat in the rear.

I know that on the 16x6.5 inch WRX rims the re-92 in 205 55 16 will rub
slightly while 205 50 16 are perfect. Im most likely going to try some OBS
15 inch with 205 60 15, these should be slightly smaller than the stock WRX
wheels so perhaps they wont rub either?

I realize that if you were to use a lesser offset like some of the
aftermarket wheels this wouldn't happen but there are so many quality Subaru
wheels for cheap. Where else could you get a set of brand new alloy wheels
with new tires for 300-400 dollars?!

I have WRX wheels and tires on my 1994 Turbo, and I have no rubbing
issues at all, and I believe I've been at or near full compression at
least a few times. I plan on going to 215/50-16's in order to get
back closer to my original rolling diameter of 195/60-15 when these
tires wear out. I do worry about that size rubbing, but more with
regard to the strut than the spring seat, upon visual inspection of
clearances under there.

Jim

The rubbing I spoke of is under very hard cornering. The re-92 with somewhat
weak sidewalls would flex under load enough to make contact with the spring
seats. I realize that an offset of even 51 would remedy this. Dont
misunderstand this, but perhaps you dont push yours hard enough to rub?

My question about rubbing was that with 15 inch wheels there is even more
sidewall to flex (60 series) so the rubbing could be even more evident.

"Dont
misunderstand this, but perhaps you dont push yours hard enough to
rub?" = quite possible. 10,000th post!

Jim

gotta remember......with a 15" wheel.....you will have less width......therefore tire will not balloon as much and prob not have rubbing issues at all.

I dont follow what you are saying. The width will be equal but the sidewall will be taller, in my mind that would mean a softer sidewall right?

The tires I would be running are 205 60 15 compared to 205 55 16, the overall diameter is very close to that of stock sizing but you have a larger width.

I'm not talking about tire width. I'm talking about rim width. Let's say you have two identical sized tires 205/50 r 16 If you put that tire on a 6.5" wide rim it will look and be a tad narrower then if you put that same tire on a 7" wide rim. The rim itself will suck in the sidewalls if it is not as wide.

For your case.....the 15" wheel is not as wide as the 16" wheel.....thus will suck the sidewall in a little.

Josh

I have MY00 WRX rims on my 1992 RS Liberty with 205/55 -16 tyres and they do not rub. The std setup was 205/60 15. I agree that there is less space between the tyre wall and the strut but no rubbing marks on the strut. There is no way the tyre will get close to the spring seat....
cheers, Rod

Rod
I just picked up some MY00 WRX rims with 205/50's on them which are worn
out and only 87 load rating so I need to replace them. What brand of
205/55/16's did you get and are they 91V or higher?
Nick

nick,
when I was looking for tyres, about 1 1/2 years ago, there wasn't much around in a 205/55 16 with a 91V rating.
I ended up purchasing Bridgestone Turanza ER-50. Not cheap though. Since then I have noticed, on tyre company websites, that there are now a few more available. Probably because 16" rims are becoming more the 'norm' these days. Just check out tyre company websites to find them...
cheers, Rod

Yes but does’nt the rim width start from the offset. A 16in wheel should have the same offset as a 15in wheel.

Just get Toyo Proxes T1 or Falken 451 - they're all Z rated - should be keen prices too

doesn't necessarily but I think the genuine Subaru 15" and 16" wheels have 55mm offset. The 17s are 45 or 50 if I recall correctly. Depending on what model Legacy you got (RS, or NA) the struts have different lengths and, therefore, on some cars the platforms are closer to the wheel. I had 16s on a NA Legacy which had only a few mm clearance but on my GTs 16s and 17s are fine... so 205/50/16 or 215/40/17 and even 215/45/17 are ok on the Subaru alloys.