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JKirk
08-19-2006, 12:51 AM
I'm looking to buy some rims for my Subaru. I'd like some advice on what I should get and some overall opinions of what everyone thinks would look good on a white 2003 Subaru Legacy sedan. I'm looking to purchase either 17 or 18 inch black Sacchi S25's. Yeah, I like the black rims on white car look, most people don't but I do. :P Anyway, I don't know a lot about tires nor what it will be like if I put 18's on my Subaru so I was looking for some advice. I know I will lose some of the smoothness of the ride and I will have to drive more careful and dodge the potholes. :lol:

Here are some interesting links from eBay. I've seen these rims in person so I'm pretty set on them but feel free to give opinions!

17 inch wheel and tire package:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/NEW-17-B ... enameZWD1V (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/NEW-17-BLACK-SACCHI-S25-WHEELS-AND-WYNSTAR-TIRES_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ66483QQihZ009QQitemZ190004708113QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWD1V)

This would be a great package since I'd have more money to spend on tint and other stuff but not so sure about the tires. I need more all weather tires and really not looking for performance tires so this would be ideal.

18 inch rims:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/NEW-18-B ... enameZWD1V (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/NEW-18-BLACK-SACCHI-S25-WHEELS-RIMS-WHEEL-RIM-IMPORT_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ43958QQihZ019QQitemZ8040627100QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWD1V)

My car (for reference):

http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/5492/dscn0439je6.th.jpg (http://img201.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dscn0439je6.jpg)

I know it's kind of bad to buy off eBay but I'm in a sticky situation. I've got two tire and wheel places here. One doesn't supply this rim and the one that does, is trying to rip me off. He's trying to sell me the rims for like $800 plus tires and he says the tires HAVE to be performance and they are like $150 Toyo rubbers. :\ Again, thanks for any and all feedback and opinions!

sybir
08-19-2006, 02:54 AM
I'm really not comfortable with those rims, as a universal-fitment wheel is usually going to be aorund a 35-40 offset, which will be murder on your wheels bearings and has the possibility of causing you major rubbing problems with a tire that would fit on a proper wheel. Whithout knowing the offest, I can't make a recommendation, but I'd stay away specifically becuase it's not listed.

Additionally, a 205/40/17 is not only way too short (throws off your speedo and your final drive, meaning you're going to be spinning more revs everywhere at the same actual speed), thay're also usually a very low weight rating. I've seen specs as low as 800-900 pounds per corner on 205/40/17's, especially ones that seem to be one step down from even the third-tier Korean/Chinese tire companies like Wan Li. That means your tires could we rated to carry as little as 3200 pounds between them, and only 1600 pounds, when your 3400-pound dry car is already putting 60% or almost 1700 pounds on the front end, and that's before little things like, gas, oil, coolant, driver, passenger, cargo, etc.

Cosmetically it's going to look horrible on a BE with a 40-series tire ona 17x7 rim. I'ts going to look like a tiny pizza cutter, with tons fo wheel gap.

But that's just my 2 cents. Do what feels right :) One benefit of going with a local shop is that you can mount up the wheel and make sure it fits before you drop the cash, in most situations. If they won't let you, or they're trying to rape you on tires, it's worth a trip to find another place.

sybir
08-19-2006, 03:02 AM
Did some more searching, that tire has a load rating of 80W, which corresponds with a 992lb capacity. That means each corner can only support 990 pounds.......what happens when you put on the brakes, or go around a corner, etc, and the weight shifts?

A 3300-3400 pound car like a BE is going to be close to 4000 pounds with 2 passengers and a full load of fluids, and that's static, not dynamic. Please don't cheap out on tires, they're the single most important part ont eh car, yet it's the place most people try to skimp, an dI hate reading about people having blowouts at worst and poor handling at best, becuase they went with a budget tire. Any suspension mods, any brake mods, any inclement conditions, they all require good tires that are suited for the needs of the car. You should be looking at a 225/45/17 on a BE, as you need the extra load capacity (they're usually 92W, which corresponds to 1390 pounds per tire; that makes for 5600 pounds of capacity, which is much safer.)

I should clarify that I'm not saying you have to run Advans or super-sticky bridgestones, but there's tons of tires from manufacturers like Hankook, Kumho, etc, that will fit the bill and not break the bank. The Kumho ASX's are a good all seasion that should be under $100 in a 17" fitment for your car.

Wala, $81 apiece. 360 is a steal for decent tires.
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp ... es&place=5 (http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Kumho&tireModel=ECSTA+ASX&partnum=245WR7EASX&vehicleSearch=false&fromCompare1=yes&place=5)

jey
08-19-2006, 09:36 AM
I agree, don't buy those wheels, they aren't going to fit properly. Go to Tirerack.com, put your car in, and start there with what might fit properly.

Wiscon_Mark
08-19-2006, 09:52 AM
Buy Subaru specific rims, simply because of the offset. Subaru has some pretty steep offset.

And stay to stock size. In the sticky in this section, I believe there is a wheel and tire size calculator, where you can punch in your stock, and it'll give you the corresponding tire sizes for each size wheel.

JKirk
08-19-2006, 10:47 AM
Thanks for all the insight, guys. Thanks for all the research on the technical stuff and $81 per tire is definitely in my range if it's a decent tire. I've been on Tirerack a few times and they don't even have my car on the selection thing, it shows up as a station wagon despite clicking sedan, so I really can't view what the actual wheel would look like. :( I've seen these in person and the guy said they would fit but you never know with certain mechanics.. So the advice is to stay away? :(

Wiscon_Mark
08-19-2006, 10:49 AM
The wagon size should be the same as the sedan unless it's outback. You can also skip that step and look at your tires, they'll tell you the size. It should be in this format:

xxx-xx-xx

Example: 195-60-15

195 being the width, 60 being the sidewall height, and 15 being the wheel size.

JKirk
08-19-2006, 11:03 AM
The wagon size should be the same as the sedan unless it's outback. You can also skip that step and look at your tires, they'll tell you the size. It should be in this format:

xxx-xx-xx

Example: 195-60-15

195 being the width, 60 being the sidewall height, and 15 being the wheel size.

Okay, the optimal tire size according to Tirerack is 205/45-17 and the Sacchi wheels that I was looking at has the offset of 40-42 mm. According to a couple sites they would fit my Legacy.

Wiscon_Mark
08-19-2006, 11:36 AM
That offset isn't enough. Subaru offset is more like 50-55 mm.

Right guys?

sybir
08-19-2006, 11:51 AM
The wagon size should be the same as the sedan unless it's outback. You can also skip that step and look at your tires, they'll tell you the size. It should be in this format:

xxx-xx-xx

Example: 195-60-15

195 being the width, 60 being the sidewall height, and 15 being the wheel size.

Okay, the optimal tire size according to Tirerack is 205/45-17 and the Sacchi wheels that I was looking at has the offset of 40-42 mm. According to a couple sites they would fit my Legacy.

I'm not sure where Tire Rack is getting that number, but that tire is 2.5% too short. TireRack doesn't usually recommend a wider tire so they don't get dinged for clearance issues, but in this case, you've got tons of fender space on a BE for 225's. The 205/45 also an uncommon size, which usually means a more expensive tire as some of the cheaper tires are only in common sizes. A 225/45/17 is .4% larger than stock, which is negligible, is super common, has a better weight rating, is 20mm wider for a bigger footprint and better grip.

I promise you we're not steering you wrong with with a 225.

Regarding the wheel; it still scares me that it's listed as 40-42. It has to be a single number. A 7" wide ET40 will probably fit with a 225 with no issues (worst case, you just pull the black fender strip in the rear), but it's still loading the suspension suboptimally. To help you viualize, the lower the offset number, the farther out the wheel sits on the wheelwell. Stock is around 53 to 55 depending on the rim. A 17x7.5, optimally, is going to be anywhere from a 53 (like prodrive P1's, which are factory-fitted Subaru wheels originally) to a 48, like a Rota. 40 is your average Honda aftermarket rim. 30-35 is what a lot of 5x100 wheels that aren't designed for Scoobies run, becuase VW's need less offset to clear brake calipers. A 10mm down to a 0 offset is that sweet set of triple-gold daytons on a Chevy Cavalier you've probably seen ;)

There are a ton of wheels out there besides Rotas that are decently priced and at least come in a 48ET. I only recommend people run low offsets if the customer is comfortable with regular wheel bearing replacement ,and if they're doing it as part of a larger wheel setup (and I'm talking like 17x8.5 or 17x9) to get suspension clearance.

Sorry if it seems like I'm harping, but I've been dealing with Scoobies both personally (wheel whore, blah blah blah :p) and through performance and repair shops for years, and I'm not crying wolf on the wheel bearing and fender clearance issues, just trying to keep a fellow enthusist form making a decision he might regret later. I'll look around and see what kind of black mesh wheels I can find that are relatively inexpensive and will be a safer fit on the car.

Wiscon_Mark
08-19-2006, 11:59 AM
Sybir, I'm so glad you joined. :cool:

sybir
08-19-2006, 12:01 PM
Also, and this is just a general rule, most wheel sites that deal with a large number of custom wheels but don't have specific info on them (like Tire Rack or Discount tire) are all using the same generic car list, and it's based solely on bolt pattern. In other words, they see 5x100, and say "that'll fit an 83-92 Camry, all celicas after 1985, any VR6 or turbo Golf or Jetta, most older pontiacs and oldsmobiles (yay fiero!!) and all Subarus.

Trust me, I learned this when looking for wheels that would actually fit my old Camry years ago. I would rub if I ran a wide 205 (narrow 205s were ok) on a 15x6.5" rim. According to all of the junk websites, I could run up an 18" rim on my car. Here's my old car with 15's.......think the site was telling the truth?

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2006/08/DCP_0342JPG-1.jpg

Just saying, don't take it as gospel. It's the same list most places that aren't big chains use for wheel fitment as well, my friend went through 3 different sets of wheels on his TL, and a shop that CUT and GROUND his rear fenders for clearance becuase they were trying to put on a +35 wheel on a car that needed a +50.

I'm still looking for rims, but we're all here to help, and just don't want you to make a choice that could hamper your enjoyment of your Leg :D

JKirk
08-19-2006, 12:05 PM
Thank you for all the technical information, Sybir. Haha, I'm so glad you joined too. :grin: Anyway, so I found out they are pretty much 40 mm offset for sure. One site listed them as 42 and the other one 40 so that's why I put the "40-42" in my above post. I will definitely go with those tires if you think they will be the best. I was really set on these wheels and I really haven't found any I have liked as much and I've been looking for 2-3 weeks. If I go with the tire you recommended and these rims, it will mess up or affect my suspension drastically, correct? I don't plan on doing any racing or anything performance wise so I don't need top of the line suspension but I know I still have to be careful. Sorry if I sound like I keep asking the same questions, I'm a serious n00b. :smile:

sybir
08-19-2006, 12:38 PM
Don't be sorry, the n00b move would be to never ask ;)

I will say that I haven't personally run the ASX's, but I have run their predecessors 711's, on two different cars inclusing my scoob, as well as 712's, and thought they were fine tires, especially for the money. Kumho makes good stuff, and their rating on Tire Rack, while subjective (always read the reviews and see what kinds of cars and drivers have given that feedback), reflects that.

It's not that running a 40 offset wheel is going to just cause your suspension to destroy itself, and with the grip levels of a normal all-season, and on a relatively narrow wheel, the problem won't be massive, but what you're effectively doing is changing the leverage point of the hub. Instead of shock loads being directed more or less upwards, vertically into the hub and wheel bearing, you're essentially side-loading it (as you would when cornering) and an impact is almost trying to rotate the hub in the bearing. A good way to visualize this is to hold one hand flat. Make a fist, push up in the palm of your open hand. Your whole arm moves up, and your fingers stay level, right? That's a proper offset. Now, a lower offset: do the same thing, but put your fist under your fingers and push up. What happens? Your fingers try to angle back up, and your palm (which is the hub) isn't moving up and down with the suspension.

Now that's an extreme demonstration, and we're only talking 8mm or so here. But with every bump you hit, etc, you're loading the suspension in a way it wasn't specifically designed for. Your wheel bearings will wear out faster (and on Subarus, the wheel bearings are under-greased from the factory and more prone to failure than most cars anyways). If you don't catch it oon enough, you can add a $100 hub to the wheel bearing replament and removal costs, and you're looking at about 200-300 per corner. Now, eventually everything fails, but if you speed that process up until it happens while you still own the car......
(says the guy with a beat car with 220k+ hard miles)

So, my recommendation in this case is to get the wheels you like, in 17" or 18". and get some decent tires for them, as it'll make the car safer as well as more fun, and just expect that you might be shortening the life of your wheel bearings by 10-20k over a couple years. If that's acceptable, and you budget for it, then do whatcha like, cars are an emotional thing, and I'm the last person who can talk shit about falling in love with a set of wheels, that's why I've had like 16 sets. You might get them, decide they're not your thing, and switch 'em up in a year anyways.

But, also consider that if you're talking a grand in repair costs that you might not incur otherwise, spendinga bit more to get different wheels might not be a bad thing, IF you find something else you like. I don't think the Formels are available in black with a polished lip anymore, or that's what I'd suggest as a strong, light, budget wheel.

One thing I want to clarify is that I'm not trying to beat up on ya bout this, I'm kind of trying to document my thoughts so other people reading can see the same thing if they have questions, too. Sorry for monologuing in your thread :D

JKirk
08-19-2006, 12:51 PM
Wow, thank you so much for all the information and tips on this, I can't thank you enough. I actually did the fist demonstration. :lol: None of the mechanics mentioned anything like this to me, in fact, they only said that 18's would increase the chance that you will get a flat so I suppose they really were hoping that I wouldn't know what kind of damage I would be doing to my car or else they were just plain dumb. That really worries me though that I'll be doing that to my car if I get these rims because with the hills and curvy roads of West Virginia, I'm sure it will do as much damage as anywhere else to my suspension. I'm going to take another look at some ROTA's and maybe some Konig's that I looked at earlier and see if I can't find anything. I'm not just going to get some rims just have to have rims. Again, I appreciate all the help and information you have provided and will provide and hopefully someone else can benefit as much as I did.

Wiscon_Mark
08-19-2006, 01:10 PM
holyrunonsentence :lol:

West Virginia? You're probably close to Perdue.

JKirk
08-19-2006, 01:12 PM
West Virginia? You're probably close to Perdue.

45 minutes away. :P

I'm really liking these ROTA's:

http://www.subydude.com/osc/product_inf ... cts_id/382 (http://www.subydude.com/osc/product_info.php/cPath/231/products_id/382)

That gold is beautiful but not sure how it would look on my car.

Wiscon_Mark
08-19-2006, 01:23 PM
Gold looks great on White, Black, Blue, or pretty much any Subaru :smile:

sybir
08-19-2006, 02:23 PM
G-forces are hot.

Run those with a 225 and you'll be golden, and it's going to look really nice.

My buddy Nick on G-forces (bronze, and I know it's the wrong generation):

http://www.hooptywagon.com/img/DSCF3024.JPG

And my car in the same light so you can see the Rota gold:

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2006/08/DSCF3020JPG-1.jpg

Rotas are the perfect budget wheel. They're clean, they're strong, they're cheap, and they're the right fitment for the car. The 17x8 will make the most of your 225 as well. The most you may have to do is remove the black rubstrip int he rear, but you'll be able to tell right away if you'll need to or now (you should be just fine)

I've run a number of blingy rims (18" P1's, 18" Superleggeras, Gram Lights, etc) and I keep coming back to Rotas for daily driver wheels.

sybir
08-19-2006, 02:29 PM
Wow, thank you so much for all the information and tips on this, I can't thank you enough. I actually did the fist demonstration. :lol: None of the mechanics mentioned anything like this to me, in fact, they only said that 18's would increase the chance that you will get a flat so I suppose they really were hoping that I wouldn't know what kind of damage I would be doing to my car or else they were just plain dumb. That really worries me though that I'll be doing that to my car if I get these rims because with the hills and curvy roads of West Virginia, I'm sure it will do as much damage as anywhere else to my suspension. I'm going to take another look at some ROTA's and maybe some Konig's that I looked at earlier and see if I can't find anything. I'm not just going to get some rims just have to have rims. Again, I appreciate all the help and information you have provided and will provide and hopefully someone else can benefit as much as I did.

Subarus are completely different animals. I've had mechanic friends pop my hood and stare in shock at how different everyting is, you should see how confused they get with STi's. The more sublte elements, like wheel spacing, the dynamics of the AWD system ,etc, are not really something most non-Subaru techs are aware of. Not that I'm defending tire shops that are selling the wrong stuff, but if you bring in a car they've never seen before, they're going to assume it's relatively standard and go with what they know. The WRX didn't help, as you can physically run a massive wheel with a lower offset and still keep it in the fenders, so most guys have never touched a Legacy, let alone followed up after the sale to see how the wheels affected the car.

Bottom line, that's why sites like this exist; so we can get together and educate owners so they can protect themselves. :D

JKirk
08-19-2006, 03:36 PM
Wow, those GForce's look awesome on your wagon, dude. I think you made one of my friends who has a wagon want those, haha. I love the golden rims but I'm not sure how it would look on my car. I don't have anything else on my car that matches the gold. :(

Wiscon_Mark
08-19-2006, 03:57 PM
It's not about matching. It's about good contrast. Gold rims are an awesome contrast to your white car. Trust me, Gold on White is awesome! :smt023

Wiscon_Mark
08-19-2006, 04:01 PM
http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthr ... light=Gold (http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=844622&highlight=Gold)
http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthr ... light=Gold (http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=849471&highlight=Gold)

Those are some examples.

BD, but you get the idea.

JKirk
08-19-2006, 04:47 PM
Very true. I like the way that looks but he painted it. I can't find any white Leg's with gold rims on CarDomain but the white WRX's with the gold rims look really nice. I asked a few friends and they disapprove but they are all about the giant chrome rims. I'm leaning towards gold or black for sure.

sybir
08-19-2006, 05:13 PM
Mitch on here has a pimp white BE with 18" gold P45's, lemme find it.

Here we go, scroll down.

http://www.sl-i.net/FORUM/viewtopic.php?p=37108#37108

Looks hot.

BTW, my car is on Boosts, not G-forces, I just wanted you to see the color. It's not a totally blingin' gold, it's a little more muted and only really pops out when light hits it. I love the color and highly recommend it :)

JKirk
08-19-2006, 05:29 PM
Mitch on here has a pimp white BE with 18" gold P45's, lemme find it.

Here we go, scroll down.

http://www.sl-i.net/FORUM/viewtopic.php?p=37108#37108

Looks hot.

BTW, my car is on Boosts, not G-forces, I just wanted you to see the color. It's not a totally blingin' gold, it's a little more muted and only really pops out when light hits it. I love the color and highly recommend it :)

Hahah, I just saw that right now actually and that looks awesome. I'm going to wait until he posts pictures of the gold ones so I can see exactly what it looks ilke since our cars are almost identical. :lol:

sybir
08-19-2006, 06:40 PM
Mitch on here has a pimp white BE with 18" gold P45's, lemme find it.

Here we go, scroll down.

http://www.sl-i.net/FORUM/viewtopic.php?p=37108#37108

Looks hot.

BTW, my car is on Boosts, not G-forces, I just wanted you to see the color. It's not a totally blingin' gold, it's a little more muted and only really pops out when light hits it. I love the color and highly recommend it :)

Hahah, I just saw that right now actually and that looks awesome. I'm going to wait until he posts pictures of the gold ones so I can see exactly what it looks ilke since our cars are almost identical. :lol:


Nice :)

I wouldn't think you'd have nay problems, especially with somehting like an ASX. It's only the wide motorsports-oriented 225's like Azenis 615's that would concern me.

JKirk
08-20-2006, 12:20 PM
Great, thanks for all the help, sybir. Man, I can't decide on black GForce's or gold ones. :-( All my local friends tell me that gold wouldn't look good but they don't know anything about racing rims. I'm really liking the gold ones, just not sure how they look on a Leg. I've just seen them on a WRX and they look very sleek.

Wiscon_Mark
08-20-2006, 01:34 PM
Give me some good pics of the rims on a WRX and give me a similar angled shots of your car, and I'll photoshop it for you, so you can get a rough preview.

JKirk
08-21-2006, 07:14 PM
Give me some good pics of the rims on a WRX and give me a similar angled shots of your car, and I'll photoshop it for you, so you can get a rough preview.

Thanks, I'll take them as soon as I get my hands on a digital camera. I've basically decided on doing a black rim with a chrome lip or the gold GForce's but I can't decide. :cry:

pdawg
08-21-2006, 10:22 PM
What about these, sure to fit.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/USED-17-JDM-SUBARU-LEGACY-B4-5-LUG-5-x-100-RIMS-WRX_W0QQitemZ180020369832QQihZ008QQcategoryZ66483QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

JKirk
08-21-2006, 10:42 PM
What about these, sure to fit.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/USED-17-JDM-SUBARU-LEGACY-B4-5-LUG-5-x-100-RIMS-WRX_W0QQitemZ180020369832QQihZ008QQcategoryZ66483QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Thanks for the suggestion and even though it's JDM, I'm not too keen on the look of those. Any other links are welcome from anyone. :grin:

Huffer
08-21-2006, 11:57 PM
Thought about some MB Motorsports Weapons?
http://www.discounttiredirect.com/direc ... vid=008271 (http://www.discounttiredirect.com/direct/findWheelDetail.do?mk=&yr=2003&wd=17&pc=53625&rw=7&bp=5-100&vid=008271)
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2006/05/mbmweabrang-1.jpg

JPaul99GT
08-22-2006, 01:17 AM
What about these, sure to fit.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/USED-17-JDM-SUBARU-LEGACY-B4-5-LUG-5-x-100-RIMS-WRX_W0QQitemZ180020369832QQihZ008QQcategoryZ66483QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

those are sooo sexy, anyone wanna donate to my cause? :roll:

pdawg
08-22-2006, 08:47 AM
What about these, sure to fit.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/USED-17-JDM-SUBARU-LEGACY-B4-5-LUG-5-x-100-RIMS-WRX_W0QQitemZ180020369832QQihZ008QQcategoryZ66483QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

those are sooo sexy, anyone wanna donate to my cause? :roll:

I agree. If they stay at that price I may have to buy them just because.
Hell the rubber is worth that much.

JKirk
08-22-2006, 03:20 PM
What about these, sure to fit.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/USED-17-JDM-SUBARU-LEGACY-B4-5-LUG-5-x-100-RIMS-WRX_W0QQitemZ180020369832QQihZ008QQcategoryZ66483QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

those are sooo sexy, anyone wanna donate to my cause? :roll:

I agree. If they stay at that price I may have to buy them just because.
Hell the rubber is worth that much.

Yeah, but I doubt they will stay that way. I'm going to keep an eye on it just because I'm curious how crazy some people will go to get them. :razz: Good luck though if you decide to get them.

GT Wagon
08-22-2006, 05:12 PM
Guys - Notice how he wants $150 shipping ? Edgeracing will ship wheels & tires for $65 pretty much anywhere in the US. This guys shipping price sounds rather expensive. I've had 4 17" wheels + tires + heavy 28mm rear sway bar + strut bar shipped from Texas to Canada for $120.

pdawg
08-23-2006, 08:57 AM
Guys - Notice how he wants $150 shipping ? Edgeracing will ship wheels & tires for $65 pretty much anywhere in the US. This guys shipping price sounds rather expensive. I've had 4 17" wheels + tires + heavy 28mm rear sway bar + strut bar shipped from Texas to Canada for $120.

Yeah but they don't carry Leggie B4 rims. :grin:

JKirk
08-25-2006, 07:41 PM
I posted this on Nasioc but I wanted to get opinions from the pros over here!

I'm liking these ever since I saw them on SpoolinGT's Legacy. They were exactly what I was looking for with the bolts and the black with the chrome lip so now I ask, will these fit, almighty Subaru pros? What size tires are needed? Links from Tirerack or whereever are appreciated! TIA!

18 x 7.5 width:

http://www.victoriatire.com/wheels.html?&cart=11565486511908661&brand=VOLANTE&PICNUM=3061&&name=ACE%20BLACK&make=%5Bmake%5D&model=%5Bmodel%5D&size=17

Huffer
08-26-2006, 09:45 AM
You mean this one:
http://www.victoriatire.com/wheels.html ... 215/40x18& (http://www.victoriatire.com/wheels.html?cart=11565486511908661&checked_size=18&brand=VOLANTE&name=ACE%20BLACK&make=SUBARU&model=LEGACY%20GT%2097-06&checkAvailable=F&sugg_tire=215/40x18&)

Do you know the offset of these wheels? They say they fit, but they're a universal bolt pattern...

To maintain your current rolling circumference of 78.2", you'd need to fit a 225/40/18 tire onto the 18x7.5" rim. The new rolling circumference would be 78.8".

You could use 215/40/18 tires, but it seems a shame to stretch the rubber onto the rim when you have 7.5" to use.

http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html

JKirk
09-01-2006, 05:24 PM
What would wheels with a 40 offset do to my car? Would it cause me to do repairs in a few months? I really can't find any black rims that don't have a higher off set than 40 that I like. :(

EDIT: If it's a lot of damage, I think I'm going to go with this:

http://img174.imageshack.us/img174/3593/goldiesge9.jpg

(Rough photoshop)

GT Wagon
09-01-2006, 06:30 PM
What would wheels with a 40 offset do to my car?

Kiss your bearings goodbye, that's what. That's a huge difference when you should be somewhere between 48-50. That's unfortunate but you'd be wise to stick to Subaru friendly offsets.

sybir
09-01-2006, 08:44 PM
What would wheels with a 40 offset do to my car? Would it cause me to do repairs in a few months? I really can't find any black rims that don't have a higher off set than 40 that I like. :(

EDIT: If it's a lot of damage, I think I'm going to go with this:

http://img174.imageshack.us/img174/3593/goldiesge9.jpg

(Rough photoshop)

The bearing damage would probably be greatly accelerated, but I'd worry even more about fender clearance. The Formels would be the way to go, in my opinion. You can run a 225 with no issues, they're the correct fitment, and the look hot :)

JKirk
09-01-2006, 10:07 PM
What would wheels with a 40 offset do to my car? Would it cause me to do repairs in a few months? I really can't find any black rims that don't have a higher off set than 40 that I like. :(

EDIT: If it's a lot of damage, I think I'm going to go with this:

http://img174.imageshack.us/img174/3593/goldiesge9.jpg

(Rough photoshop)

The bearing damage would probably be greatly accelerated, but I'd worry even more about fender clearance. The Formels would be the way to go, in my opinion. You can run a 225 with no issues, they're the correct fitment, and the look hot :)

It seems like as soon as I think I've made a final decesion on what to get, I find another rim I like. :lol: It's kind of painful actually because I want both.

http://arospeed.com/p-78679-kino.aspx

The stats for the one I want:

WARKN8754500BK
SKU: WARKN8754500BK
Kino 18x7.5 5x100/114.3 ET45 Black

Would I have to roll my fender with these? Will my tires be like a rubber band? I'm sick of asking questions but I have so many so thanks to everyone who answers these. :)

sybir
09-02-2006, 04:04 AM
That should probably be OK. Worst case, you pull off the black rub strip in your fender for a touch of extra clearance, Stick with a 225/40/18 to keep some sidewall for rim protection, and you should be OK; most of the all-season 225's run relatively narrow, anyways. Tha Falken Ziex-512's are a super-quiet, long-lastign all seasion that perform decnetly, too; not an ultra-performance tire, but it's a really solid choice. They run nice and narrow as well, so no rubbing issues.

I like those wheels. If you can get a decent deal with tires, go for it.

Huffer
09-02-2006, 09:20 PM
+1 for the Falken ZIEX - it's a good all-season for not a lot of money. Very stable in water too. I've even run them in deep snow on a FWD Mazda 6, no worries.

JKirk
09-02-2006, 11:10 PM
+1 for the Falken ZIEX - it's a good all-season for not a lot of money. Very stable in water too. I've even run them in deep snow on a FWD Mazda 6, no worries.

Good tire, huh? Well, I might take those since I do live in West Virginia and this year is supposed to be the worst winter.

Huffer
09-02-2006, 11:27 PM
How much snow do you get, and is it regular?

If you are regularly romping through a snow area, I would go with dedicated snows - the Falken's are a great all-season, but on ice they will go like every other tire - ice skates.

JKirk
09-02-2006, 11:29 PM
How much snow do you get, and is it regular?

If you are regularly romping through a snow area, I would go with dedicated snows - the Falken's are a great all-season, but on ice they will go like every other tire - ice skates.

We usually get 1-3 big snows a year so I guess you could consider it regular. I might be able to get away with all seasons on this car because when it got real bad I'd just drive my parent's SUV.