tires and wheels

[soCalTA]

Hey Guys,

I don't know squat about the numbers behind tires and wheels. My questions are

1.Will a wheel 18x9.5 lower the stance on my TA? It has Eibach springs that dropped it 1.25'

2. How wide a tire could be mounted on a 18x9.5 wheel?

3. Will a 18x9.5 wheel with a 35mm offset fit on the car without any fender rolling?

Thanks for your help,

Jorge

[Injuneer]

1.Will a wheel 18x9.5 lower the stance on my TA? It has Eibach springs that dropped it 1.25'

***Wheel diameter does not determine ride height. Ride height is determined by tire diameter. Put a 275/35-18 tire on the 18x9.5" wheel, and it will match the stock tires (assuming your car came with the 245/50-16 Z-rated option) within less than 1/10th inch.

2. How wide a tire could be mounted on a 18x9.5 wheel?

***What wheel width a tire will fit on is determined by the tire manufacturer. Each manufacturer may have a slightly different recommendation for a given tire size, so once you pick a tire, you go to a site like Tire Rack, and check the "specs" for that tire. It will show the range of acceptable wheel widths. In general, an 18x9.5" wheel will handle a 285/35-18. That tire would not necessarily fit well in the front, with possible rubbing, depending on the "offset" of your wheel. It would be OK in the back, and would only throw the speedo off less than 1%.

3. Will a 18x9.5 wheel with a 35mm offset fit on the car without any fender rolling?

The front will "look" like its outside the fender. Its going to be very close. I suspect you will have heavy rubbing on the plastic fender liner when the wheels are turned to full lock. For a reference point, it will stick out a little over 1/2" further than the wheels in my picture below. When the front of my car ws down 1.8" with those wheels, the tires would rub the plastic fender liners at full lock, or on a hard bump. Back will not be a problem, but again, its going to be toward the outside of the fender and may require the fender opening "lip" to be bent upwards slightly so it doesn't hit the side of the tire.

The wheels in this picture are 17x9.5, 49mm offset with 275/40 tires.

[soCalTA]

Thank you Fred. You always give great answers.

[soCalTA]

Oh .. the reason for the question initially is I am thinking about getting rims at some point and would like 18's in the rear that are wide enough to make it to the edge of the rear fender and 17's or 18's in the front that go to the edge of the fender as well. Kind of like yours in front but wider if possibe in the rear. I have the stock 16's and even with the lowered springs on it the tire well still looks vast. I would like to close it up a bit and get a wider stance all around.

In an event thats sort of my plan and thanks for your help.

[Injuneer]

Those are my old wheels, with 275/40-17's all the way around. With the current ZR1 replicas, 17x11 315/35's in the back, its closer to the edge of the fender.

I also like the TT II's with the 45mm offset. Sort of fill up the fenders better. I think I've posted this pic of Kelly Drown's black WS6 before: