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Bear with me here. This is my first post and my first time going with nonstock wheels/tires on a car. As the title suggests, I'm in the market for new wheels and tires. Right now I'm looking at Bridgestone Potenza RE960AS tires since I make frequent trips up to Tahoe in the winter. Those tires aren't made in the stock 185/70/14 size, so I'm looking into acquiring new wheels as well (also for looks and performance).

After doing a lot of research, I'm still unsure about how big I can go without having to deal with any rubbing or modifications (like fender rolling). I'm assuming 195/60/15s will fit with no trouble since that works out to almost the same diameter as stock, and those are what came stock on the turbo models. Tire calculators have been useful for matching diameters, but I'm still in the dark about how wide I can go. From the larger tire/wheel fitment thread, it seemed like most people going with 16s had small rubbing issues, but I think a lot of that data is from sedans.

Right now I'm leaning toward 15" wheels because the tires are cheaper and I'm more sure about sizing, but I think it'll be much easier to find a used set of 16s and 15s (from what I can tell, there haven't been many Subaru models that came with 15s over the years). Even new, there are a lot more options available for 16s. This is the only cheap 15" wheel for the legacy that I was able to find on tirerack, for instance.

What do you guys think? 195/60/15, 205/50/16, wider? I'm looking for improved handling/cornering while still maintaining decent snow performance. Suspension is currently stock, but that's the next area I'll be looking into for upgrades after wheels/tires.

Welcome to the BBS.

The biggest thing that will either help or hurt wheel fitment on these cars is wheel offset. The stock offset is around +53mm. Most aftermarket wheels (not meant for subarus) are in the +35-40mm range.

Honestly, your best bet is to pick up a set of subaru wheels off other models. 02-03 16" WRX wheels can be had for cheap.

I'm running 205/50 r16's and am happy with the size. Obviously a skinner tire typically does better in the snow, but it depends on what you're looking for. If it were me, I'd just get a set of snow tires to run in the winter.

Hell, I've got a set of 14" steelie wheels with snow tires that have been sitting my garage since I moved down to Houston from up north. I'd be happy to give them away, but shipping is usually what gets people.

Legacy777 wrote:Welcome to the BBS.

The biggest thing that will either help or hurt wheel fitment on these cars is wheel offset. The stock offset is around +53mm. Most aftermarket wheels (not meant for subarus) are in the +35-40mm range.

Honestly, your best bet is to pick up a set of subaru wheels off other models. 02-03 16" WRX wheels can be had for cheap.

I'm running 205/50 r16's and am happy with the size. Obviously a skinner tire typically does better in the snow, but it depends on what you're looking for. If it were me, I'd just get a set of snow tires to run in the winter.

Hell, I've got a set of 14" steelie wheels with snow tires that have been sitting my garage since I moved down to Houston from up north. I'd be happy to give them away, but shipping is usually what gets people.

I am defently interested in your steelies if he is not

Thanks for the snow tire offer, but I don't think snow tires are practical in my situation. The car is my DD in the bay area which hardly ever gets bellow freezing in the winter. I drive up to the mountains 5 to 10 times each winter, but even then there's only ever snow the last 60 to 80 miles. My current tires (goodyear weatherhandler ls) have been fine in the snow on the highway. My thought is a slightly wider (195 or 205) RE960AS will at least match the performance of the 185 weatherhandlers in snow.

How much do '02-03 WRX wheels generally go for and where's a good place to look for them if I'm unable to find any suitable wheels at picknpull? NASIOC?

I also just realized the re960as isn't made in 205/50/16, so I'd have to go with 205/55/16 if I want to stick with those tires on 16s. Any idea how the fit would be? From the large tire/wheel thread it seems like it would be tight, especially if I upgraded the suspension at some point.

Thanks for the help!

http://bbs.legacycentral.org/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=44980

He's in Irvine, & has 2 sets of factory 16s for sale CHEAP. Best bang for the buck out there, they're strong, light (16.5 lbs) and look great on our cars.




I'm currently running 205/55-16s on Legacy GT snowflakes, they're a bit close to the strut, ( I have the air suspension) but no rubbing anywhere.

Good looking out! I'm going to jump on that. Thanks for the fitment info as well. I don't have the air suspension, but that's good to know.

The stock WRX tire size that Jerry mentioned does get kind of close to the perch on the rear strut, but it's not that big of a deal. To get back to a similar rolling diameter as stock, I'd suggest a 205/50 r16. That's what I'm running. However if you prefer a taller sidewall, you may want to keep the 55's.

I'm running a set of 205/55R16 tires on my '93 wagon right now, so far without rubbing issues. The only thing you may notice is that on factory Subaru 16 inch wheels a 205 can be very close to the rear strut at it's section width (middle of the sidewall). I've got maybe 3-4 millimeters between my rear tires and the strut tubes. I've actually considered going to a 195/55R16, but there aren't many decent performers out there in that size.

Still haven't acquired a set of 16s but how much of an effect will the increased rolling diameter of 205/55/16s have? From what I gather, larger diameter means slower acceleration and braking, but how noticeable will it be with just a 0.68" increase over stock?

Nothing you'll be able to notice.

^^^Agreed. I noticed no difference vs stock with daily-driver use.

I see that this thread is as good as dead, but I was hoping to know what casezilla decided to go with.

I have a bone stock 1994 Legacy Wagon NA 2.2 motor.

I bought a set of 1997 Outback wheels and tires and they rubbed on my front strut, right where the shock flares out to support the spring.

I would like to get a set of used wheels and tires, but I dont know what numbers I should be looking for.

I'll keep reading. Thanks.

If those outback wheels are 15's, then the proper size tires for your non-outback would be 195-60-r15. If you wanted to run with 16"s, your proper size would be 205/55/r16. Some people go a little wider, but that's the stock +1 and +2 size.