Aftermarket Wheels/Tires

[axis008]

I like to plan ahead for fun, so I just want to know, what is the offset for the Legacy GT? What about the lug pattern? Also, if I were to get, say, 18" wheels, with a width of 7.5" to 8", what type of tire rating would I have to get so that the rim is slightly flushed with the tire. 235? 245? I don't really know. :( If you guys could help me out on this, that would be great!

[SUBE555]

Check out the Tech Info Article (http://www.legacysti.com/viewtopic.php?t=465). I suggest a WR, YR, or ZR speed rated tire in the 215/45R-18 (on 18x7" wheels) or 225/40R-18" tires (on 18x7.5" wheels). Wheel offset should be within the +48 to +55 wheel offset with a 5x100 bolt pattern.

Be absolutely sure to be positive on the size the tires you desire, what wheel they fit best on. Tire Rack helps you see what wheel they fit best on. Drop me a PM if you want more details.

I hope to move that info into the tech sections soon. :)

[axis008]

Thanks! Forgot about checking there. :P

[Sub-attraction]

Can anyone tell me the make on this wheel?

[axis008]

Volk Racing LE28N (http://www.rdmwheels.com/volk/LE28N.gif)

[Sub-attraction]

Has anyone had experience with Volk wheels as far as quality, strength and durability? Any other recommendations would also be appreciated. Between the wheels above and below, which do you think would suit or look best on a Leg wagon?

[Dr. Zevil]

Volk rims in general are bullet-proof! That's one reason why you pay the premium price for them.. but they also scream boy-racer.

[SUBE555]

I agree with Zevil on this one.

I think additionally, the polished rim further promotes that boy-racer image. The single-colored styles say that to a definite lesser extent.

Personally, I like Prodrive a bit more, they look a bit more grown up IMO. The forged versions cost is in the same ballpark for the most part but aren't as showy in my book. But it comes down to personal taste. Subtlety plays a big part for me.

[Sub-attraction]

You're both probably right...but I like the polished rim...blame it on a mid-life crisis I guess... :roll: :(

[ha-evolution]

How about the CE28NF?

http://www.upgrademotoring.com/wheels/ce28nF.jpg

Looks like the wheels on the Impreza above the the Limited Edition CE28N.

http://www.mackinindustries.com/rays_ce28.html

Prodrives are usually too heavy for the price. Volks are in a much higher league IMO.

[apexjapan2]

Erm, Prodrive wheels are made by Rays (except for some OZ ones).

And the Rays wheels are often not as light as some other very good ones. SSR springs to mind immediately.

In the end though, I bet in general it is the look and the wallet that decides on the purchase - there are few who would take weight as #1 on their list of things they look for when buying a set of rims.

[ha-evolution]

Oh yeah I knew that. :oops:

Just making sure you guys are on your toes.

Shaved yet?

[SUBE555]

Lightweight and street driving might not be the brightest idea, I know of a number of instances of SSR's and Superleggera's being trashed because of that very low weight= less material.

Just my .02 though.

[ha-evolution]

Driving around the 4 foot deep potholes would probably be sufficient to prevent this from happening.

[SUBE555]

Following someone at 50mph down a road and keeping the heads up on a swivel approaching a number of intersections and stopping, the car ahead of me was just far enough over, didn't give me much time to react, so I took one that I know for sure would have dismantled some ultra lightweights.

[Tide]

I've been debating whether or not to move my 17" Superleggeras over to the new Legacy or not. Depends if what other rims tickly my fancy by then.... the SLs are a pain to keep clean esp with high perf pads on.

Lightweight and street driving might not be the brightest idea, I know of a number of instances of SSR's and Superleggera's being trashed because of that very low weight= less material.

Just my .02 though.

[apexjapan2]

I have some Weds Sports lightweights, 17x7.5. About 2 kg, maybe a bit more, lighter than the OEM wheels which are 17x7. I bought them because they were light, and highly recommended for their toughness :D

I've had them for 4 years, run them all over Japan, hit some incredible stuff (including a brick sized piece of concrete on an expressway@1?0km/h :o ), but no humongous pot holes. In Japan they have this habit of cutting the road surface back, then leaving the manholes etc sitting about 3, sometimes 4 inches proud. I have hit a couple at 40mph+ when they weren't properly "faired" in. Shocking, but so far, no damage. Oh, and I have tracked the car over a dozen times, and I do not aim to miss the candy strips all the time :wink:

Also, the SSRs are known to be quite strong here, I wonder how hard someone had to whack those to bend them? With enough bad luck you can bend anything of course.

SuperLs, no offence to those who have them, but, erm, well, nuff said :wink: They are known to be light due to being relieved of material.

Cheers :)

[SUBE555]

Here's another nice looking one.

Work Emotion CR (available in 17x7 and 17x8, only question is about that +47 which is generally known below current +48 limits):
http://www.gruppe-s.com/Work/emotioncr.jpg

[Sub-attraction]

Does anyone know the weight of the stock GT rims?

[akm3]

Do we yet know if the Legacy GT with its big brakes have the same fitment issues as the STi? Do Prodrive P1's fit?

Where is a source for the Japanese Spec B wheels (the 10 (I think) spoke design)

-Allen

[SUBE555]

The Legacy GT wheels should be in the 17-17.5lbs/wheel weight.

The problem with the Brembos and their requirement for larger wheels deals mostly with the calipers IIRC, the Brembo calipers are fairly decent sized units. The new Legacy GT should not have any problems fitting anything 17" or larger in 7 to about 8" width with the proper offset.

[Drift Monkey]

http://www.gialla.co.jp/gialla/catalog/wheel/vulcano/valcano2.jpg

I'll take set of these (in gold) please! :D

[SUBE555]

I hate the polished lip. Make it one color.

[axis008]

I hate the polished lip. Make it one color.
I am with SUBE on this one. Unfortunate thing is that polished lips seem to be the more popular choice... But I find it so unattractive! :(

[SUBE555]

It does limit some nice designs. It's just too bling-bling for me.

[goneskiian]

I'm with you SUBE. I too like the look of a dark bronze wheel on the silver wagon.

I think I'll focus on enjoying the ride for a while before upgrading the wheels.

-Ian

[axis008]

I know what I want to get. 18x7.5 Volk Racing SE37A rims in bronze for my Satin White Pearl 2.5GT sedan! No one copy my idea :D.

[Drift Monkey]

I hate the polished lip. Make it one color.
I am with SUBE on this one. Unfortunate thing is that polished lips seem to be the more popular choice... But I find it so unattractive! :(
I like the polished lip. :P

...and contrary to "popular opinion" here, I don't think polished lips bring about any "boy racer" image, it has almost an opposite effect on me. I find polished lips to have a more upscale, classier look to them.

[SUBE555]

Well at least we can agree to disagree. :mrgreen:

[tallguylehigh]

I don't agree to that :D

http://www.rob-clarkson.com/duff-brewery/skinner/02.jpg

[SUBE555]

Alright Seymour, I mean Spanky. :lol:

[Drift Monkey]

Well at least we can agree to disagree. :mrgreen:
Yeah. :D

I think the wheels are an integral part of the car's overall look. The overall look matters the most to me, which is why I like the GIALLA Legacy, which just so happens to have those wheels. 8)

[speedmonkee]

FWIW, I am transferring my 17 inch SSR Comp's (anthracite/silver lips)from my WRX to the GT when I get it. I love the SSR's! 12/13lbs a piece - makes acceleration so sweet. The polished lip does accentuate the width of the tires - I like the look - sexy to me. But to each his own!

One other thing that's important to me - so easy to clean with nice wide spokes. I don't like dirty, brake dusted wheels.

j

[SUBE555]

They're a nice wheel, I'd just be afraid to bend one up here in the crack/dip/pothole belt.

Great for track/AutoX though. :)

[speedmonkee]

Not many potholes here in SOCAL. Yeah, if I lived in a bad pothole state (I used to live in the Northeast), then I would look for a different wheel.

Lip is nice - haven't had any dings/dents for the 2 + years I've had them on. Forged wheels are stronger than cast - but they will bend if pushed to the limits - that I do know from first hand experience - not a pretty site.

j

[brady_bunch]

Any experience or thoughts on these Prodrive PFF 7s or the SSR GT7s below?

[SUBE555]

I like the Prodrive better, count me out on the look of the polished lip. The SSR may be a little stronger.

Here is what the Rota SDR (cheaper version of the Prodrive) looks like on a last gen Leg with I think no other changes. Looked real nice in person IMO.
http://www.subydude.com/gallery/ul/index.php/600/600/gallery/406_3.jpg

[brady_bunch]

Oh, wow... thanks. It didn't quite register what a difference from the stock GT rims these would be. Are those 17s in the picture? If so, I might go with 18s to fill out the well. Any fit issues with 215/45/18s do you think? Or maybe 225s?

[SUBE555]

Those are 17 IIRC. The 215/45R-18 is what the Spec B uses, but go look tire prices before you pick those over a 225/40R-18 tire. ;)

[brady_bunch]

Hmmm...

RE950 215/45WR17 $157
RE750 215/45WR17 $136

RE950 225/40WR18 $180 :o
RE750 225/40WR18 $145

Here's the deal. I've been putting about 6000 miles per year on my Miata. I expect to do more since I can take the whole family places (church, dinner, short trips) in the Legacy but still probably not more than 10K per year. The RE950s come with a 40K mile warranty (45K on the 18s) and a 400 treadwear rating.

In the 10 years I have owned my Miata I have replaced the tires once after the stock tires wore out. Even if the 950s only last 5 years, that's $144 per year for tires for the 18s vs $125 per year for the 17s.

Am I looking at that from the right perspective? I think either the 750s or the 950 are going to be MUCH better tires than the Firehawks I have on the Miata. They are rated 300 AB and the REs are rated higher.

[gtguy]

Oh, wow... thanks. It didn't quite register what a difference from the stock GT rims these would be. Are those 17s in the picture? If so, I might go with 18s to fill out the well. Any fit issues with 215/45/18s do you think? Or maybe 225s?

If you go plus one from a 215-45-17, you're looking at a 225-35-18, which won't fill out the well unless the car is lowered. Everything is still the same size, circumference-wise, don't forget.

215-45-18 would throw off your speedometer. That's an inch larger than stock, so I dunno...

What's wrong with 215-45-17, the stock size?

Kevin

[SUBE555]

If you're buying tires based on the warranty, you're buying them for all the wrong reasons. And Kevin is right. BTW, Kevin, that's the size they run on the Spec B.

When you did that comparo though, you weren't comparing the sizes you talked about. Maybe you saw the utter lack of availability of that size and the majority of prices. :O

[brady_bunch]

What's wrong with 215-45-17, the stock size?
The rims I am considering (the Prodrive above) don't come in 17" size... only 18".

If you're buying tires based on the warranty, you're buying them for all the wrong reasons.
Nah... that was just a bonus feature. :)

When you did that comparo though, you weren't comparing the sizes you talked about. Maybe you saw the utter lack of availability of that size and the majority of prices. :O
??? Was that directed at me or Kevin?

I wasn't comparing the sizes Kevin talked about. Tirerack gave me an alternate 18" size for the 2005 of 225/40/18 so I searched for the Bridgestone tires in that size and came up with this:

LINK (http://www.tirerack.com/tires/Compare1.jsp?startIndex=0&vehicleSearch=true&width =225%2F&ratio=40&diameter=18&sortCode=53650&minSpe edRating=H&ratio=40&width=225%2F&diameter=18&searc h=true&pagelen=20&pagenum=1&pagemark=1&performance =UHP&performance=HP&performance=UHPAS&performance= HPAS&manufacturer=Bridgestone&speed_rating=HR&spee d_rating=VR&speed_rating=WR&speed_rating=YR&speed_ rating=ZR&x=23&y=10)

There are some ZR tires that I'm not looking for that are much more expensive but the RE750 and RE950 looked reasonable for what what you get.

After all that... what do you guys think of the Prodrive P7 instead of the PFF 7? I could go with the stock tire size, lower it a bit (just a little) to fill out the wheel well a bit more. Hmmm.... :D

[Sub-attraction]

The p7's are heavier, I think around 21 lbs

[gtguy]

The p7's are heavier, I think around 21 lbs

Indeed, the P7 in 18" size would be a boat anchor.

Kevin

[SUBE555]

You could just get an extra set of 17x7" stock wheels with another set of more sporty summer tires (and race in stock class for AutoX ;)) as the price for those tires isn't too bad and the ride should be rather decent. The stock wheels I think are supposed to be right around 17-18lbs max. Light overall and likely fairly strong.

If you go 18x7, it basically has to be 215/45R-18, 18x7.5" can accomodate 225/40R-18 much better. The Spec B wheels are the previous size.

You only buy Bridgestones? I notice that's all you mention. If you get a good deal, great, if not, there are a good bit of others out there that perform as good or better than most Bridgestones.

[brady_bunch]

The stock wheels look nice but I'm looking for a bit more "pop". I like the looks of the Gialla Corso with the gold rims and since I'm going with a black Legacy, I thought that might be something to emulate. I don't know of any place to get the Vulcano rims from the Gialla site here in the U.S. so I was looking at other options and the Prodrives were mentioned a bit around the site so I looked into those.

I was considering Bridgestones RE950s in the stock size because of all the positive comments from you guys here... I don't have any absolute preferences (yet). :) They definitely have great ratings on the TireRack site.

I've been disappointed by the Firehawks I currently have on my Miata. They have soft sidewalls and there a little bit of roll to them when you go into a corner before they grab that can be a bit disconcerting if you aren't used to it.

Any other recommendations on gold 5 or 7 spoke rims in the stock size (or +1) and/or summer performance tires would be appreciated. I don't need winter tires as it has only snowed in San Antonio twice in the past century. :)

Oh... and thanks to whoever fixed that link on my previous post!

[SUBE555]

Your welcome for the link fix. When there is long linx like that, I try to use a [ url= type link here ] name it [close link] type of format (without all the spaces and correct format of course. If you reply to a post by hitting the Post Reply button, it can do that for you.

So back to tires and wheels. As for tires, I've generally stuck with Tire Rack as they have good prices, great service, and a good database to help you make somewhat educated selections. If you're going for a performance summer tire, from what I've seen and heard you might want to look at the following (from TR, there are others, I just know less about them.)
-Potenza 050's (I know a couple of people that really like them including Paul and Anton as well as HA-Evolution on his S2000)
-BFG G-Force KDW & KDW 2 (near always gets good marks from reviews)
-Potenza S-03's (great performing, just generally wear a bit faster)
-PZero Nero M&S
-Potenza RE750
-Kumho ECSTA MX

Another place I look, I haven't dealt with them at all, is at 1010Tires.com (http://www.1010tires.com/). Their selection includes a few others that may interest you that I have heard are also decent if you are mainly looking at a street performance tire. Those may include:
-(Bridgestone) Fuzion ZRi (TireRack also carries this brand, but is limited on sizes thus far, looks like a good tread pattern and review looks good, especially for the price!)
-Falken Azenis ST-115
-Toyo Proxies T1-S
-Toyo Proxies 4 (Technically an A/S tire, but looks to be an aggressive tread and marks look good, also has a higher load rating which means it may handle well)

Wheels, that's all in preference and dependant on your price range. For me, I like the Rota Tarmac II's in Bronze in either 17 or 18", but keep getting steered away from them due to some issues I know of concerning previous quality and customer service standards. Great color, great price, right size and look, but if they can't stand by their product, not selling to me. Really sucks because they have what I can't find elsewhere. *pouts*

I like what Prodrive has to offer for the most part, but I wish they had a little more offerings in size and color. The PFF-7 is a great price for what you get, but too bad it's only available in 18", no 17" optional. The P1 is a nice wheel, I think it looks better on a REX though. The other options are all forged wheels which equals $$$. I really wich Prodrive offered a nice Bronze and a Prodrive Flow Forming technology based version of the GC-010E to make the price a bit more competitive, and make it in 17". Bronze, that wheel in 17x7.5 for $350 per, I'd be rather happy. :)

Spec B wheels, too bad they're 18x7, an extra half inch would make a lot of other tire selections fit much more economically. Otherwise it would be about a grand less install every time you'd have to replace them. Thus I'm stand-offish on them right now.

Rays/Volk makes some great wheels as does Work with their Emotion line, SSR, BBS, and others. Guess I like to stick with the main players. I'm not much for some of the lesser known brands. Wheels are so much to the taste of the owner. Hard to help you pick those, those are just my suggestions though.

[Th3Franz]

It's Toyo Proxes, not Proxies. :D

[SC GT]

I've heard nothing but good things about Rota's customer service and responsiveness to complaints or problems. Also, I haven't heard of any complaints with the Tarmac IIs.

[7stars]

not into bridgestone/firestone due to the exploding tire situation. i can't believe the 2.5i even comes with RE92's! i've had the worst experiences with these, as mine slid on ice. in another car, brand new, it felt like it was sliding all over the place in the rain. i replaced them after 1k miles. i'm so glad word has gotten around. these tires should not be sold anymore...at least the S and H rated ones. they're quite dangerous.

my old BFG KDWS were the grippiest tires ever. but i'm a michelin man these days...actually, michelin owns BFG. i'm going with the rainforce.

[SUBE555]

7stars, yes it has been an issue within the enthusiast community for several years now, with no avail to getting the RE92 situation remedied. I'm hoping some of us can have a chat with our Subaru rep when we get a factory tour of SIA hopefully at the end of the summer/early fall.

SC GT, guess we're on opposite sides of the ball. I know of several with problems with customer service and it taking them forever to get the product out, multiple times of losing orders, etc. The quality issues I know of stemmed from some of their earlier and lighter models, but none-the-less, they weren't exactly isolated incidents. I haven't heard of any issues with Tarmac II's and it seems to be a rather strong design, but I'll let others put more miles on them before I'd give them a shot.

[outahere]

not into bridgestone/firestone due to the exploding tire situation. but i'm a michelin man these days...actually, michelin owns BFG. i'm going with the rainforce.

If you want to stay away from Bridgestone because of the "exploding tire situation", then you should also stay away from Michelin, for the same reasons. See this link:
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/tires/michelin.html

Bottom line, every tire manufaturer has at one time or another manufactured lemon tires.

[brady_bunch]

I thought the "exploding tire" issue was just with the SUV kinds of tires. Have there been any significant reports of problems with the sportier tires (e.g. RE750, 950, etc)?

[7stars]

Yeah, continental and kumho have also had blowout problems. but none of their top people publically blamed the drivers like bridgestone.

these days i don't drive hard enough to need a RE950, plus the rainforce has a 85k warranty. the other top notch rain tire is the goodyear

[Drift Monkey]

A set of S0-3 Pole Positions would be nice.

[brady_bunch]

Hey, DM, you have pretty much the same weather as I do. What kinds of tires are you looking at for your GT?

[Drift Monkey]

Hey, DM, you have pretty much the same weather as I do. What kinds of tires are you looking at for your GT?
Any of those summer oriented performance tires SUBE metioned would suit me nicely and I really like SO-3 Pole Positions, but they are $$$.


-Potenza 050's (I know a couple of people that really like them including Paul and Anton as well as HA-Evolution on his S2000)
-BFG G-Force KDW & KDW 2 (near always gets good marks from reviews)
-Potenza S-03's (great performing, just generally wear a bit faster)
-PZero Nero M&S
-Potenza RE750
-Kumho ECSTA MX

[brady_bunch]

I think I'm going to go with the PZero Nero M&S (yes... I changed my mind again).

TireRack has it as one of (if not THE) top rated tire in stock size PLUS it's cheaper than all the others I'm looking at @ $116 each. Treadwear is also higher than most others for the performance. Recommendations from folks on this site don't hurt, either. :D

[Drift Monkey]

I'd go Nero non-m&s. No need for the all seasons here. Price does play a factor though.