Need Wheel and Tire Recommendation, Looking to Move from 19" to 17"

***Nachos Libres*** · 04-25-2008, 10:22 AM

Alright guys, I've been rolling on 19" Enkei RPF1s ever since I bought my 2005 STI brand new and have had to repair all 4 wheels two separate times (yes, this means I've had 8 wheels repaired) due to bending of the wheels from potholes. Well, now one of my wheels is damaged (cracked on the inside from who knows what) and instead of dealing with this problem anymore (especially since the wheels can no longer be repaired since they've been repaired twice already) it is now time for me to move on to new wheels and tires.

I'm really looking for 17" wheels although I would entertain 18" wheels depending on tire size options. Here are my requirements:

1. I'd like a quality forged wheel, and no I don't want Rotas
2. I only want wheels that are colored gunmetal, and if I can't find one I like I will probably just pick up a used set of stock gold BBS's.
3. I want at least an 8" wide wheel, but would really prefer an 8.5" or maybe even 9" if possible.
4. I want to run at least a 245 wide tire (which is why I really want a wheel wider than 8") but I know there are several wheel and tire gurus who can tell me exactly what size tire I need once I figure out a wheel choice.
5. I definitely want to run at least a 40 or bigger sidewall. Most of my wheel issues have been because I was running a 35 sidewall which just doesn't protect the wheel like I want and my thinking is that if I got a 17" wheel I could maybe run a 45 sidewall.

I'm pretty sure I will get Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3's for my tires as I've ran those the last 3 years and love them for their dry and wet performance. I'm still open to suggestions though.

My suspension is stock except for Enkei springs and this setup is purely for street use, no track or AutoX. I'd like to get coilovers in the future and I'm pretty sure that would have an effect on what wheel/tire setup I should get.

Thanks in advance for any help you guys can give me.

Walt · 04-25-2008, 01:21 PM

This is what I use on my 2004: 17x9,+44,255/40-17,stock springs/struts. The rear horizontal fender lips had to be folded up. The tires have the same diameter as the stock ones,so ride height and gearing are unchanged. See another thread here where someone is doing 265/35-18 on 9" with no mods;265/40-17 should work on that car.

***Nachos Libres*** · 04-25-2008, 01:27 PM

^^ Where did you buy your wheels?

Walt · 04-25-2008, 01:41 PM

Fikse USA,800-682-1214,3-piece and not cheap.

***Nachos Libres*** · 04-25-2008, 02:37 PM

Well, I'm now thinking of going as cheap as I can and Tire Rack has the SSR GT7-H in light grey for $249 a wheel in 19x8. If I did this I could still run my almost new 19" Goodyear Eagle F1s which I would probably lose a lot of money on if I go with 17s or 18s. The 4 tires cost about $1,000 so I'm thinking this is what I'm going to do. I'm guessing since the GT7-H's are forged they won't be as likely to bend as my RPF1s did.

04-25-2008, 10:22 AM	#1
*Nachos Libres* Beneath the clothes, we find a man... and beneath the man, we find his... nucleus. Car: 2005 Subaru WRX STi Fav Mod: Underglows Location: Tyler, Texas Posts: 8,589 Join Date: Jul 2005 Trader Rating: (0)	Need Wheel and Tire Recommendation, Looking to Move from 19" to 17" Alright guys, I've been rolling on 19" Enkei RPF1s ever since I bought my 2005 STI brand new and have had to repair all 4 wheels two separate times (yes, this means I've had 8 wheels repaired) due to bending of the wheels from potholes. Well, now one of my wheels is damaged (cracked on the inside from who knows what) and instead of dealing with this problem anymore (especially since the wheels can no longer be repaired since they've been repaired twice already) it is now time for me to move on to new wheels and tires. I'm really looking for 17" wheels although I would entertain 18" wheels depending on tire size options. Here are my requirements: 1. I'd like a quality forged wheel, and no I don't want Rotas 2. I only want wheels that are colored gunmetal, and if I can't find one I like I will probably just pick up a used set of stock gold BBS's. 3. I want at least an 8" wide wheel, but would really prefer an 8.5" or maybe even 9" if possible. 4. I want to run at least a 245 wide tire (which is why I really want a wheel wider than 8") but I know there are several wheel and tire gurus who can tell me exactly what size tire I need once I figure out a wheel choice. 5. I definitely want to run at least a 40 or bigger sidewall. Most of my wheel issues have been because I was running a 35 sidewall which just doesn't protect the wheel like I want and my thinking is that if I got a 17" wheel I could maybe run a 45 sidewall. I'm pretty sure I will get Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3's for my tires as I've ran those the last 3 years and love them for their dry and wet performance. I'm still open to suggestions though. My suspension is stock except for Enkei springs and this setup is purely for street use, no track or AutoX. I'd like to get coilovers in the future and I'm pretty sure that would have an effect on what wheel/tire setup I should get. Thanks in advance for any help you guys can give me. This ad is not endorsed by this member. Please register or login to hide this ad.

04-25-2008, 01:21 PM	#2
Walt Junior STI Driver Car: black 04 WRX STi Fav Mod: Coming Soon Location: Palo Alto,CA Posts: 109 Join Date: Dec 2007 Trader Rating: (0)	Re: Need Wheel and Tire Recommendation, Looking to Move from 19" to 17" This is what I use on my 2004: 17x9,+44,255/40-17,stock springs/struts. The rear horizontal fender lips had to be folded up. The tires have the same diameter as the stock ones,so ride height and gearing are unchanged. See another thread here where someone is doing 265/35-18 on 9" with no mods;265/40-17 should work on that car.

04-25-2008, 01:27 PM	#3
*Nachos Libres* Beneath the clothes, we find a man... and beneath the man, we find his... nucleus. Car: 2005 Subaru WRX STi Fav Mod: Underglows Location: Tyler, Texas Posts: 8,589 Join Date: Jul 2005 Trader Rating: (0)	Re: Need Wheel and Tire Recommendation, Looking to Move from 19" to 17" ^^ Where did you buy your wheels?

04-25-2008, 01:41 PM	#4
Walt Junior STI Driver Car: black 04 WRX STi Fav Mod: Coming Soon Location: Palo Alto,CA Posts: 109 Join Date: Dec 2007 Trader Rating: (0)	Re: Need Wheel and Tire Recommendation, Looking to Move from 19" to 17" Fikse USA,800-682-1214,3-piece and not cheap.

04-25-2008, 02:37 PM	#5
*Nachos Libres* Beneath the clothes, we find a man... and beneath the man, we find his... nucleus. Car: 2005 Subaru WRX STi Fav Mod: Underglows Location: Tyler, Texas Posts: 8,589 Join Date: Jul 2005 Trader Rating: (0)	Re: Need Wheel and Tire Recommendation, Looking to Move from 19" to 17" Well, I'm now thinking of going as cheap as I can and Tire Rack has the SSR GT7-H in light grey for $249 a wheel in 19x8. If I did this I could still run my almost new 19" Goodyear Eagle F1s which I would probably lose a lot of money on if I go with 17s or 18s. The 4 tires cost about $1,000 so I'm thinking this is what I'm going to do. I'm guessing since the GT7-H's are forged they won't be as likely to bend as my RPF1s did. This ad is not endorsed by this member. Please register or login to hide this ad.