Legacy Outback wagon lower profile tires?

[1-3-2-4]

So looking on tirerack here and it says a 1999 has 205/70-15 tires.. how can I get a lower profile tire while not effecting the speedo?

would 205/50/16 work?

[Huffer]

How many times must we post this link?

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

[1-3-2-4]

tell me this will 17's rub on an 99 Outback?

[decke48]

hmm depending on offset, rim width, and tire width

[1-3-2-4]

in which I don't think anyone has tried it yet at least that I know of.

[Huffer]

in which I don't think anyone has tried it yet at least that I know of.

Are you kidding? There are plenty of people who have run a 17" wheel on a 99 Outback.

[1-3-2-4]

me and the member Legacy here would sure love to know what width you can run without rubbing.

[decke48]

well you can usally go up 10mm in width w/o and rubing so a 17 would be 215/55-17
which is only off .1+in circumference and the same revs/mile as the stock

[sybir]

Trying to find that specific tire size might be tough, but a 215/50/17 might be easier (though a bit shorter).

Ther'e sno reason a 17" will make you rub, it's the tire choice on the 17" that's usually the problem. If you're keeping the car at stock height, you've got enough body roll that a wide tire is probably going to rub in corners; when I was stock height on my 97 (which is functionally identical) I ran 225/50/16 tires with no problems; they were a bit shorter than stock, though. Your speedo will read faster than you're actually going. I won't recommend a 225/50/17 on a stock OB unless you can put them on and drive around first; I think it'll probably be too big and might rub in corners.

Are you planning on doing suspension at any point? If so, you need to reduce your tire size to the stock OD for a Legacy GT, which is a 205/55/16 or a 215/45/17. Otherwise, you'll rub on spring perches for anything that's not OB-specific like WRX struts, or WRX aftermarket replacements.

[1-3-2-4]

I was going to put GR2's on the car along with some springs (have not decided which) so I'm sure it's going to drop :( I guess 17's wont work well after all..



I would be using stock tires for winter

[sybir]

If you do non-OB GR2's, your stock wheels and tires won't fit anymore, either.

17's are fine, just watch your tire size, and match it to the suspension you're going to be running. I've run 15" all the way to 18" on my OB.

[decke48]

what about outback gr2's with gt lowering springs? so you wouldnt change the hub to perch length or will the springs not work with the stroke length. or am i just thinking crazy thoughts would it sag like crazy

[sybir]

I don't know if anyone's tried that setup. No idea what the ride height would be like, but yeah, it would preserve the hub-perch measurement.

[1-3-2-4]

yeah don't want to go too low due to snow and tire rack does not list springs for the OB

[sybir]

Noone makes lowering springs for an OB. The only way to go with a proven solution would be springs + struts from another car; either Legacy GT, or something else like a WRX (and search, there have been mixed results with WRX suspension). It'll also require at least new tires.

[1-3-2-4]

The wheel I wanted to run was the Enkei Rpm2 17x7 5x100

[sybir]

IIRC, that one has a correct Subie offset; it should fit absolutely fine, you just have to decide which way you want to go - stock height and run big tires, or lower the car and replace your winter set of wheels/tires as well. You can usually pick up a set of WRX takeoffs for $2-300 with decent tires; shop around for a set with all-seasons and you're sorted for winter and have a solution if you lower the car.

[1-3-2-4]

I thought the WRX wheels where 16's? Which year did they switch to 17's?

Still plan on lowering the car but I don't want the rear end to be saggy.

[jey]

I thought the WRX wheels where 16's? Which year did they switch to 17's?

2006

[sybir]

Yep; I was actually referring to 16's for a cheap set of winter wheels, but the 17's will work as well.

[1-3-2-4]

ok should not be hard to find