i'd like to see Volk TE37s in 17x8.5 on a WRX if someone out there is running them. i think they make an offset that fits, but i'm curious about rubbing and tire sizes. can anyone enlighten me?

 

VolkGDB, identify yourself, please.

Do you work at Mackin?

 

now for the important question: are the guys running 17x8.5 doing so for looks or for a tangible performance gain? any issues with steering response due to the wider rim and tires?

 

right, i'm not trying to flame you, but this is really a Subaru forum. sure the EVO is in the same class as a WRX/STi, but whether or not a part fits on it makes little to no differance to me, seeing as how i drive an '03 WRX. telling me that a wheel clears the steering and suspension members on an EVO doesn't tell me anything about how it fits on a WRX.
i realize that a lightweight wheel will have an affect on how the vehicle behaves, most notably in braking and acceleration. what i'm paritcularly curious about has little to do with the weight of the wheel, and more to do with it's width (and the width of the tire on the wheel). at 8.5" wide, the TE37s are a full inch wider than most 17" rims fitted to a WRX, and i'm curious if the extra width and distribution of weight adversely affects the handling of the car.

 

When trying to figure out a max rim/tire size for any particular car, there are a lot of things that need to be considered besides the rim diam/width/offset and tire size.

First of all, all tires are different. a 225/45/17 Pirelli P-Zero is very different from, for example a Bridgesone Potenza S-03.

Then, all coilovers and shocks/springs are different. And, I am not talking just the ride height.

On the coilovers, the bottom spring perch COULD interfer with a tire or rim. For example, some coilovers have helper springs and some don't. Of course, having a helper spring on coilovers would make the bottom perch sit lower and having no helper springs, will make the bottom perch sit higher. And, of couse, the regular OEM like shock has a gigantic perch which would get in a way of almost anything wider than 7.5" w/ 225mm wide tire with a friendly offset.

Then, the actual design of the wheel is also important. Not all rims of the same diameter/width and offset are creared equal. Lip and spoke design could make things difficul.

Also, the shocks have different hub clearances. What that is, is the distance from the hub to the shock body. It is different sometimes. For exampe, on my WRX, I have Zero Sports Winning coiolvers. On my pal's WRX, he has CUSCO Zero2R's. He got a set of Volk Racing CE28N's 17x8.5 +52. Naked rim fits onto his car and there is plenty of clearance between the rim's lip and the shock body. It don't even fit on mine. The rim hits the rim.

Being able to swap and try out diff tires at my shop helped me a lot to come up with perfect combo.

I am running 17x8.5 +45 Advan RCII's w/ 245/40/17 Pirrelli P-Zero Rosso's. No rubbing, no spacers, no problems (so far).

This was just my .02 Rubbles on this issue.

Feel free to ask me questions...

 

Imprezer,
thanks, that's a hell of a lot more than .02 Rubbles. your explanation of the fitment issues was second to none, and quite helpful. my first question coming out of this is, was going to a 17x8.5 with a 245/40 worth the time and effort involved? obvioulsy you'd have a larger contact patch, resulting in better traction. did you notice a definite improvement in the way the car behaved? i don't have any good friends that work in tire stores, so swapping tires on and off to see if something would fit without rubbing would require a great deal of work for me. of course, that's sort of a secondary consideration to the cost of tryin out wheels to see if they clear everything. given the differances in suspension setups and which wheels will clear any given setup, it looks like i'll have to get my suspension finished before i go wheel shopping.