Does size 16x8 25 offset work in front and back without rolling the fenders, or what would be the acceptable wheel width for front and/or back? Thanks Joe
Last edited:
Wheel Question
- Thread starter autowerks
- Start date
Based on the limited research that I have done you will clear the back without issue and rub the struts up front.
My gut guess is that with an 8" front wheel you are likely to have rubbing issues and run a greater risk of catching a fender lip. If you go down this route, I would put neg camber plates and roll the fenders. I don't see you getting away with a tire bigger than 205/55-16, without doing some significant suspension mods, so that makes me wonder what is gained by an 8" front. You also should look up what the recommended wheel width is for the 205/55-16 tire that you buy
A little bit more detail on my guesstimate. People successfully run 17x8 ET20. Some have indicated that a 3mm spacer is required. I would think that at a minimum, you need an 8mm spacer since you have an extra 5mm of offset. Without the spacer you wouldn't need to roll the fender or use camber plates IIRC. However, you are now over 8mm or .3" closer to the fender than those running the 17's with no spacer. Also, the strut is closer to the wheel at a 16" diameter since the struts start closer to the wheel and work their way towards the inner fender as you go up. Given all this, you may need a 10mm spacer.
I'm not sure what that means for the front fender clearance. Find members running 17x8 BBS RC090 wheels, or 8" style 32's and see if they could fit another 10mm of wheel on the outside edge. Vince and CCMGuy come to mind. BarryG likely has 8" plus on his fronts. Perhaps they can measure. Not a lot of folks running 8" up front, because you need to get it just right.
ET24 is the standard offset for 8" rears and you have plenty of room to work with, so the back should be a non issue. You can play with wider tires in the back.
True. A lot of folks have put on BBS RC090 wheels w/17x8 and +20mm offset and I think they had to run either a 3mm or 5mm spacer. And potentially had to roll their fenders. Especially running anything larger than 205mm wide tires.
They look good to me.
They look good to me.
Thanks guys, so it is safe to go with 16x7.5 front and 16x8 rear, and the tire size?
sreams
Well-Known Member
17x8 might work where 16x8 might not. The reason is the angle of the strut. There is more clearance between the strut and tire/wheel with a larger diameter wheel.
I just test-fit a 17x8 with 235/45 tire and 20mm offset and the tire sidewall just clears the strut.
I normally run 16x7.5 front and rear with no issues, although I did need to roll the fenders.
I just test-fit a 17x8 with 235/45 tire and 20mm offset and the tire sidewall just clears the strut.
I normally run 16x7.5 front and rear with no issues, although I did need to roll the fenders.
Do a quick search on wheel size and wheel offset and you will find a number of very recent threads discussing this topic that will have answer these questions. I have recently been going through this same journey
But in in brief, the limit for the front is 8" wide for 17" with ET20. As wheel size decreases the gap between the rim and strut will decrease so at 16x8 you would likely want E15 BUT then that will start to push the weel out to rub on the wheel arch. Therefore the size for the front at 16 or 15" will be 7.5" wide with an ET15. On the rear there is more space to play with and you can go up to 9" with an ET20 without issue. I will add more to my thread on the topic as I get more wheel to experiment with. At the conclusion I may put a single thread out there to summarize the recommendations for all wheel sizes.
guys thanks for the help, will wait to see my options before I get something!
Bill 74 3.0 CS
Well-Known Member
I am currently running 225/45/17 on 17x8 rims on all 4 corners and have the car lowered. The front tires did rub prior to the rolling of the lip. The car is undergoing its final stages of rust removal and will be going to paint next month. I am rolling the lips back out and cutting a small part off, but going down to a 215/45/17 size tire on the same rims just in case. The national transport safety here in Spain, known as MOT in the UK or smog check in the US allows us a 3% plus or minus from the original stock tire/ wheel combination size. There are many calculators online for tires and rims that you could use in order to help you reach your targeted setup.
Don't be discouraged if you have to try a couple of different combinations, although some members use 17's the conventional thought is to not go larger than 16", which still gives you lots of choices. I have 16", running 225/45/16 all around with neg. camber plates up front and rolled fender lips. No strut/rubbing issues- but it's close. IMO the 17's will give too harsh a ride. I have driven a few e9's with 14" wheels and 205's with CN springs, they look great and the ride is superior to mine, more comfortable and handles fine, more like the car was meant to feel. Again, just my opinion. You could also go with 15's.
Thank you Peter, I agree with the comfort and handling!