17's or 18's?

[845legacy]

I just need some honest opinions. Im 17 and I just got my first car 03 legacy L I have big plans for my legacy but im starting out with wheels and coilovers. Im planning to get ksport kontrol pro coilovers i will have a link below and wheels no one has probably heard of.. HD CLUTCH bronze finish wheels also will have a link. Ive seen pictures of other 3rd gens with 18's and they just seem to be too big idk i just need opinions. My goal is to have almost no wheel gap not really going for stance because i would have to buy rear control arms for the camber.

Coilovers
http://www.carid.com/2003-subaru-legacy-suspension-systems/ksport-kontrol-pro-coilover-kit-14873498.html

Wheels
http://www.wheelfire.com/scontent/WheelDetails.cfm?IDNumber=Clutch%20Bronze&SKU=11655

[KNaph]

Welcome to the forum!

I don't have a 3rd gen but there's a few cars that I can think of that seem to fit what you're going for.
RobMinhas runs 18s.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/showthread.php?19295-RobMinhas-s-99-Subaru-Legacy-B4-RSK&highlight=rsk

and jdmfemme I'm pretty sure runs 18s too.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/showthread.php?17739-jdmfemme-s-1999-Legacy-B4-RSK/page2&highlight=rsk


Rob makes a good point about his 18s making his brakes look tiny, my 2nd gen brakes look tiny behind 17s though. Regardless of what size you get they'll still look pretty small. I personally think the 3rd gens look a lot bigger than 2nd gens, when in reality they probably aren't much larger, but I think 18s suite the 3rd gen nicely.

I'd say if you're looking to eliminate wheel gap and don't want to run a bigger tire then go for 18s. If a taller tire is okay to you then go with 17s, the ride quality will be a little bit better too. If you want a smaller side wall AND 17s, you're probably gonna have to go a little bit lower to bring the tire closer to the fender.

jdmfemme's car actually looks really good on the B4 wheels she has.

[Yamazaki]

I have 18's on my car and still have a little wheel gap, so you should definitely be fine with 18's and a slight drop.
You can click here to see what I'm talking about: https://sl-i.net/FORUM/showthread.php?9942.

[845legacy]

Welcome to the forum!

I don't have a 3rd gen but there's a few cars that I can think of that seem to fit what you're going for.
RobMinhas runs 18s.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/showthread.php?19295-RobMinhas-s-99-Subaru-Legacy-B4-RSK&highlight=rsk

and jdmfemme I'm pretty sure runs 18s too.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/showthread.php?17739-jdmfemme-s-1999-Legacy-B4-RSK/page2&highlight=rsk


Rob makes a good point about his 18s making his brakes look tiny, my 2nd gen brakes look tiny behind 17s though. Regardless of what size you get they'll still look pretty small. I personally think the 3rd gens look a lot bigger than 2nd gens, when in reality they probably aren't much larger, but I think 18s suite the 3rd gen nicely.

I'd say if you're looking to eliminate wheel gap and don't want to run a bigger tire then go for 18s. If a taller tire is okay to you then go with 17s, the ride quality will be a little bit better too. If you want a smaller side wall AND 17s, you're probably gonna have to go a little bit lower to bring the tire closer to the fender.

jdmfemme's car actually looks really good on the B4 wheels she has.



Thank you I appreciate the help

[845legacy]

I have 18's on my car and still have a little wheel gap, so you should definitely be fine with 18's and a slight drop.
You can click here to see what I'm talking about: https://sl-i.net/FORUM/showthread.php?9942.

Thank you and how wide are your 18's because idk how wide is too wide for my car. The 18's I want in the link are 9 wide and the same wheels in 17's are 7.5 wide. The wheels have positive offset.

[Yamazaki]

They are 205 from the factory, but I run 215 with no issues at all.

[Wiscon_Mark]

I'll go ahead and be the old man of the thread - 18s are generally heavier and cause you to have to pay a lot more for tires. Thinner tires combined with coilovers could also result in a horrible ride, especially over bumps.

I'd go with 17s, because rotational mass is important when you're not running a lot of horsepower and it can also affect braking performance without brake upgrades. I also think 17s are more than big enough for the 3rd gens - their GT models only came with 16s from factory after all. As stated, larger wheels make your brakes look silly, although 3rd gen Legacys have sizable brakes compared to the earlier gens.

[jdmfemme]

Welcome to the forum!

I don't have a 3rd gen but there's a few cars that I can think of that seem to fit what you're going for.
RobMinhas runs 18s.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/showthread.php?19295-RobMinhas-s-99-Subaru-Legacy-B4-RSK&highlight=rsk

and jdmfemme I'm pretty sure runs 18s too.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/showthread.php?17739-jdmfemme-s-1999-Legacy-B4-RSK/page2&highlight=rsk


Rob makes a good point about his 18s making his brakes look tiny, my 2nd gen brakes look tiny behind 17s though. Regardless of what size you get they'll still look pretty small. I personally think the 3rd gens look a lot bigger than 2nd gens, when in reality they probably aren't much larger, but I think 18s suite the 3rd gen nicely.

I'd say if you're looking to eliminate wheel gap and don't want to run a bigger tire then go for 18s. If a taller tire is okay to you then go with 17s, the ride quality will be a little bit better too. If you want a smaller side wall AND 17s, you're probably gonna have to go a little bit lower to bring the tire closer to the fender.

jdmfemme's car actually looks really good on the B4 wheels she has.

Shoot, you're too kind.

If it's any help, here's my specs:
18x8 +48
225/40/18 (I would consider a slightly smaller tire next time)
all fenders rolled and pulled
3mm spacers on front only
** I do rub a little bit

I thought my brakes looked kind of gross behind the Works, so I went to the parts store and bought some cherry blossom red paint and they look 100x better.

I'm happy with the 18's I chose. I think 17's would have been too small/taller tires than I'd have wanted. (personally for my build)

[pivery]

Hi,
I have a 1992 Legacy wagon and am trying to figure out what fits without having to modify anything or roll the fenders. I have a chance to buy some 17" x 8" 245 WRX rims that I love. I also need to buy some 5x114 wheel adapters as the older Subaru models had the 5x100 pattern. It has the stock 185/70R14s right now and I don't plan on lowering it or anything like that, just trying to update my wheels. Any thought and thanks in advance for any advice to a newbie here.

[Go Mifune]

Hi,
I have a 1992 Legacy wagon and am trying to figure out what fits without having to modify anything or roll the fenders. I have a chance to buy some 17" x 8" 245 WRX rims that I love. I also need to buy some 5x114 wheel adapters as the older Subaru models had the 5x100 pattern. It has the stock 185/70R14s right now and I don't plan on lowering it or anything like that, just trying to update my wheels. Any thought and thanks in advance for any advice to a newbie here.

Welcome to the forum! Mine's a 2nd gen. Legacy so others will have to tell you how wide you can go on a '92. I was rubbing with stock suspension on 205/50 /17 tires on 7" wide rims. Those tires were unusually wide for a 205. More like a 215 so basically rubbing on 215s. A 245 is probably going to rub. Only way to tell is to put some on and drive the car aggressively for quite a while and then look for cuts in the tires. Here is a very good thread-
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/showthread.php?10845-Widest-tires-you-can-run-without-rubbing

[pivery]

Thanks Go Mifune for the response. I guess it will be a crap shoot whatever I do so I'm going to look in a different direction and get some 17x7 Impreza rims and go with some 205's or less tires. That shouldn't be too troublesome - at least I hope!

[Matty2Hotty]

My current has 18" but no pics of her yet.
Mine old Cars


18"
2044

17"
2045
2046

[goblake]

18's will look better but 17's will provide a more comfortable ride. You will also have more tire size options with 17" wheels. I have 17" Centerline wheels (http://4wheelonline.com/centerline-alloy-wheels.273450) and I'm very happy with them. My car is a bit lowered.