I'd like to go to a 16" wheel and a 205/45-16 tire on my '87 fx16 (ae82). I currently run a 195/50-15, and the tire in the rear is about a finger's width from rubbing the strut where the spring rests. I'm trying to figure the offset on my current 15" x 6" wheel, thinking that a greater positive offset might allow the 16" tire to clear the strut, but I can't quite grasp the procedure for figuring out the offset. Can somebody aim me in the direction of help?

sounds to me like you'd need the wheel to sit farther out if its about to rub the strut, i think negative offset is what you might be after, that is assuming your offset is zero currently.

do you have aftermarket wheels? i have enkei 92's on my ae86 that have all the info listed on the back cast into the wheel itself. mine are 15" tall, 7" wide wheels with 114.3mm lug spacing, 4 lugs and -0 offset, casting in the back of the wheel looks something like this: 15x7 114.3x4 -0

offset would be the amount, i believe in mm, that the mounting surface for the wheel is from the center line of the wheel. for example since mine are -0 off set the wheel face is in the direct center of the wheel. negative offset, for example -25, would be 25 mm closer the the inside lip of the wheel from the center of the wheel. meaning, the outside lip of the wheel would be farther away from the mounting surface.

positive offset, for example +25, would mean the mounting surface would be 25mm closer to the the outside lip of the wheel as measured from the center of the wheel.. kinda hard to explain without pictures but a quick search on google should explain all.

hope that helps!

Lesse if I remember right. Measure overall width of wheel, divide by two (get half of the measurement). Measure distance from inside edge of wheel to the mounting face. Subtract this measurement from the first number gives you the offset. I'm not sure if this will give you the correct sign though (positive or negative) but it will give you the correct distance. Was it neg moves the whole wheel further out so the mounting face is further IN? Ack, I know a web search will bring up this info.

Look for a offset calculator: http://www.1010tires.com/Tools/Wheel-Offset-Calculator#

15" wheels make a lot of sense. Tires are cheaper, there are many good tire options, the overall setup is lighter, and the car sits lower. Depending on where you live you can find a cheap set of wheels with tires on craigslist. I think the 15x6.5 +40 Rota Flight's on my FX16 were less than $350 with tires.

Found a website: Wheel-Size.com which plugs in various wheel size/offset and tire sizes and compares them to stock clearances. Great fun.

Thanks for the responses.

Does anybody have any real-world experience with 16" wheels on the fx? Tire Rack will accept a return on a tire/wheel combo, but since they don't advise using them on the fx, I'd have to a) not have driven on them, b) pay a restocking fee, and c) pay return freight.