First off Steedsta, I'm sure you understand what offset is and how it relates to fitment, but for those who don't - you should read the sticky at the top on wheel info. You'll find that offsets around 50mm +/- about 4mm are your best bets on the WRX sedan. You'll want to get 225 width tires and 7.5 - 8" wide wheels.

 

I'm looking into getting 42 offset wheels, but am reluctant because of everything i have heard. How easy is it to get spacers made and put on? What price?

Thanks
luke

 

That's because they are most concerned with proper tire circumference. 215/45/R17 is closest to 205/55R16 as far as speedo and odometer accuracy is concerned. WRXs can run 225s or in some cases 235s with no trouble. Sedans that is, wagons are limited to 225s or 215s in the case of "wide" tires like S03s.

 

The 215 vs 225 depends on how wide your rim is. The 215 would fit on a rim that is 7.5" wide, and the 225 would fit on a rim that's 8" wide.

As far as offsets go, I have 18x7.5 rims with 42mm offset on my 04 WRX sedan and i couldn't be happier with the appearance. It looks almost flush with the side of the car. Most people are worried about the tire stickin out too far, causing rubbing on the outer edge of the wheel well. However, I haven't had any rubbing whatsoever even though my car is lowered with Tein s-techs. So Luke, i'd go for it.

 

Yes and no. Most tires have a range of widths they will work on of about 1.5-2", with one "optimal" width. A 225/40 tire will work just fine on a 7" or 7.5" wheel. In the case of the WRX, tread width, section width, and offset go a lot farther towards determining max tire size than actual wheel width does.

 

I went from 225/40/18 to 235/40/18 and its a perfect fit. I have 18X7.5 42 offset.

 

I stand corrected. I also got my numbers wrong. I meant 215 for 7" and 225 for 7.5", however it doesn't matter because i was wrong about what the numbers are for in the first place.

 

I don't think so. Most 205/55/16in tires are about 25in in Overall Diameter. & 225/45/17 matches that almost exactly. IMHO the reason that Subaru suggests 215/45/17 is because the TS has 195/60/15, and more importantly, all non USDM GCs on 16in wheels got 205/50s, and the best Plus 1 or 2 for those whoud be 215/45/17. Did that make sense?

 

You're forgetting that the Subaru 17" upgrade wheels are 17x7. 225s are a bit wide for that. Also, spt.subaru.com is intended for the US market. 215/45 is also the oem size for all Imprezas with 17" wheels except special edition Imprezas and USDM STi. The TS (also a US-only car) comes with smaller tires, but has the exact same fender clearances as any other Impreza Wagon, and those usually can't clear 225s (though some tires will fit in 225/40). It's very muddled and almost on a case-by-case basis, and since SPT wanted to give one size recommendation, they went with 215/45.

 

Well i got the 18x7.5 +42 with 225 rubber. And they rub. Not too bad (only on bumps or sharp turns), but i'm thinkin about rolling the fenders. Does anybody know, if i can do this myself?
If not, how much should i expect to pay?

luke

 

On rolling fenders - call a body shop and get a quote before you do anything. You can easily crease a fender if you're not experienced in lip rolling. Should be 100-$200 to get it done.