Wheel Size Help

[Engmus]

Greetings,

I am a complete noob when it comes to wheel sizes, how offsets work, etc.

Lets take an example of "15x7 +3"

15=Wheel Diameter, or size of the rim\wheel.

I am not clear on what x7 indicates or how the offset works +\-

I did read the wheel FAQ and im trying to determine the following.

On Tokico Blue's, with TRD springs what is the maximum size wheel\tire I can run in the front\back of the vehicle without Flares and then with flares. I have a late 1986 model so the mouldings I understand shave some room.

Any guides, previous threads, or websites that can help me regarding this would be greatly appreciated.

PS: I will need 15in wheels for a big-brake kit im running.

Thanks for any information.

[sooty]

I ran a 15x9 with a 0 offset on STOCK suspension and fenders with a 205-50-15 and it rubbed.

Tire width plays a big role, a 195-50-15 tire mounted on the same 15x9 wheel might actually clear the stock fenders as opposed to a 205, because the tread width of the tire is more narrow making it stretch the sidewall, therefore clearing the fenders.

A 15x7 +3 should clear your fenders just fine. Once you start getting into 8,9, and 10 inch diatmeters and lower offsets then you have to worry more about offest in relation to tire width. A zero offset is at the center of the wheel, + is farther near the outside of the wheel, and a negative is farther in ("dish" looking wheels)
If you have a negative offset, your chances of rubbing are greater, because the wheel itself comes farther out from the mounting point on the studs.
What are you trying to accomplish? Streching your tires to run wider wheels and low offsets looks cool, but does nothing for performance and aggressive cornering.
If you are trying to get the best performance out of your tire, then get a tire that is as flush as possible to the wheel itself so that the sidewalls can do their job correctly.

hope this helps

[SidekickChuck]

http://cocomponents.com/dealer/wp-conte ... nation.jpg

[Engmus]

Thanks for the update both Sidekick and Sooty.

Sooty, the car is going to be a street\track car, and i'm not concerned with stance\hellaflush\deepdish, i'm concerned with cornering performance and putting power down to the ground\handling.

I apologize for the "noobness" of the question but in wheel size what is the "x9" indicate?

It sounds like I want to be at either a plus offset or zero.

[SidekickChuck]

9 inches wide from bead to bead.
http://www.more-japan.com/blogs/2011/08 ... eel-width/

[rumsawatti]

15x7+3=15 inch wheel, 7 inches wide, and positive 3 offset.
On the corolla 0 offset is almost perfectly in line with the fender. Positive offset(+) makes it sit further in and negative offset(-) makes it stick further out past the fender. So if you are running flares you will need something with a negative offset or some wide spacers.

I dont think 15x7+3 will cut it for flares unless you add spacers. Your cars ride height also determines what you can run cause you dont want it to rub, you may need to roll your fenders if you go negative offset or wide wheels and you are pretty low, but you said your not into that anyhow lol.

[Engmus]

With this in mind, I dont think I want to run fender flares, but I could roll my rear fenders, with the rear fenders rolled could I run without rubbing 15x7 0 offset with 205's on the rear and 15x6 195's in the front?

[SidekickChuck]

If you are selecting sizes with performance/grip/track/street in mine, why are you thinking of using 7 inch rears and 6 inch fronts and hope that a BBK will clear? I would at least look into 8 inch fronts and 9 inch rears with a wider track and good tires. A lot of factors are needed to make your decision. What BBK are you using? How much wheel clearance is needed to fit them? If you roll your fenders now, you can better determine how much room you have to get the most out of tires and will help you select what size works with your setup.

[Engmus]

The Techno Toy Tuning BBK, Front and rear kits, specify the need for a 15in wheel.

I can roll the fenders now, prior to the paint shop.

I'm trying to stay away from flares, or tearing up either the tires or wheel wells from rub.

Again, I apologize if this is all over the place, i've never had to pick out a wheel\tire setup before.

Im looking at a good set of Watanabe wheels.

[Jeonsah]

15 = diameter(inches), 7 = width (inches), +3 = offset (mm) from center point of the wheel (in your case 3.5inches from the face of the wheel + 3mm). + offsets move the face of the wheel closer to you and - offsets move the face of the wheel in further (bigger lip). Depending on what the power output of your car is, I wouldnt consider anything over 8 inches wide... The wider the wheel means the harder it is to break the wheels lose ( also depends on width of tires and tire type too). So cars with relatively low power shouldnt run super wide wheels unless they're not trying to slide. As far as flush fitment goes, Ive seen 15 x 8 xxr wheels and they sit flush with the fenders.

This is just a guess but if you wanted to have the same flush stance as a 15 x 8 wheel with 0 offset with a 15 x 7 wheel you would need to have 15 x 7 with -12.4 offset. (since 25.4mm = 1 inch). As far as rolling the fenders, it really depends on how much you roll them. Basically after they're rolled, you need to measure the distance from the hub to the new rolled fender. Get that distance in inches and then do a calculation like I did above. From that you could find out what wheels would fit the best. You should also consider the inside of the wheel possibly rubbing against the inside of the car. So you should also keep the tire size in mind. A lot of people squeeze tires with small sidewalls/widths on to prevent rubbing. Hope this helps

[SidekickChuck]

I truly believe your best bet is to first roll your fenders. Since you are getting painted, do it prior to paint. You will get better clearance. Once that is done, you are able to measure and determine what you have to work with, and give you a better feel for what you need to get as far as wheel size, offset, and tire sizes. Anything else is just a guess.