< Disclaimer: I don't claim to be a wheel expert. Anything not correct in this post will surely be corrected in subsequent posts by other users, and where appropriate, I will correct this main post. If you have a correction to make, please try to be sure your correction is ... correct. "The Honda tuner down the road told me once that..." is not trustworthy information all the time >

Please add qualified good information to this thread! Some of this information may seem very fundamental and common sense, but there's a lot in here I learned for the first time this past year. Perhaps someone else will.

* General Information *

* A thread (http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=215952) about rotational inertia.

* The TireRack Wheel Tech pages (http://www.tirerack.com/wheels/tech/wheeltech.htm) (VERY informative -- read it all!)

* The TireRack Tire Tech pages (http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/general/sidewall.htm) (also VERY informative -- read it all!)

* Ravensblade Impreza (http://www.ravensblade-impreza.com/) is RIFE with information. Spend a good hour there, especially in the FAQ section.

* Wheel and Tyre Bible (http://www.fernblatt.com/longhurst/tyre_bible.html) by Chris Longhurst. Tons of great information.

* Wayne Chin's Impreza Wheel Chart (http://wac.addr.com/auto/obs/wheels.html)

* Wheels / Rims *

GENERAL: On Weight
Simply put, relative to stock and with regard to performance, heavier wheels are worse than stock and lighter wheels are better. This is a no-brainer. Some people cannot notice a difference in their car's power when fitted with wheels 5lbs (each) heavier than stock. That some cannot notice, or do not care, does not negate physics. If you don't care, then so be it. It's your car. Read the thread about rotational inertia if you care to know some more (linked above in the 'General Information' section).

See the note in the Tires section below as well.

GENERAL: "Ideal" Offsets According to Rim Width for Imprezas
6.5" --> +55ish
7.0" --> +53ish
7.5" --> +50ish

Notes:

* Long-term wheel bearing issues (and possibly other issues) may occur when the vehicle is fitted with wheels having an improper offset.

IMPREZA (all years?) Lug Info
Lug Pattern: 5 x 100
Lug Thread: 12 x 1.25
Lug Torque: 67-70 ft/lbs

Notes:

* Using an improper lug nut thread pitch can result in destroyed lugs and/or lug nuts.
* Exceeding the owner manual's torque specs can strip a lug, the nut, or break the lug completely off. Use a proper tool (one with a configureable maximum setting, like a torque wrench).
* Tighten the lugs with the wheel on the ground and in a 5-point star pattern as if you were drawning it with a pencil.
* Check the lugs' tightness after the first 20-50 miles or so.

MY02 US IMPREZA: Rims
Weight: 16.5 pounds
Width: 6.5"
Offset: +55 or +53 (both have been reported, oddly enough...)

MY00/MY01 US IMPREZA: Rims
Weight: 16.5 pounds?
Width: 7"
Offset: +53
Color: Silver

MY99 US IMPREZA: Rims
Weight: 17 pounds
Width: 7"
Offset: +53
Color: Silver

MY98 US IMPREZA: Rims
Weight: 17 pounds
Width: 7"
Offset: +53
Color: Gold

... more info to come.

* Tires *

GENERAL: Plus/Aftermarket Sizing
Tire Size Calculator (http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html)

GENERAL: Tire Rubbing
Due to the rear flared fenders in the MY02 WRX sedan when compared to the MY02 WRX Wagon, wagons may have aftermarket wheel fitment issues that the sedans do not (specifics to come...).

GENERAL: On Weight
As you increase rim size (while ideally maintaining OEM overall wheel diameter), realize that you are increasing the tire's distance from the center of your rim. Due to your rims being rotational mass, you will want to keep your tires as lightweight as possible if you are concerned with performance. Spinning a 1lb weight 8 inches from the center of a rim requires less work than spinning that same weight 9 inches from the center of a rim.

MY02 US WRX: Tires
Make: Bridgestone
Model: Potenza RE92
Size: 205/55/16

... more info to come.

Guys, help me out...

I'd like pre-02 Impreza rim and tire specs if you have them. I looked around for that huge wheel specs list/link and cannot find it.

Please state the following, and I will update the post above with the info:

Piece: (Rim or tire)
Year:
Piece model: (Ex: Potenza RE92. Does not apply to some pieces obviously)
Weight:
Width:
Color:

EDIT: Also, if you know about older Impreza lug pattern/sizing, please comment as well (see top post).

No point reinventing the wheel. (pardon the pun)

Here's a large list with most of the subaru wheel weights and lots of aftermarket ones as well...

http://wac.addr.com/auto/obs/wheels.html

Yeah but the provided link is rather out of date (no Rotas listed, etc). Perhaps combining forces could yield an even more comprehensive library of information...


-- ConeMasher

Thanks for the link AllWheelDrift. I don't think I'm reinventing the wheel per se. Wayne's wheel information also is not listed in the 'FAQs and Threads of Interest' sticky in this forum. This thread is, and is here amongst the other posts. I've updated the information above with both a) information from Wayne's page and b) a link to Wayne's page. Sweet.

ConeMasher, sorry, I didn't intend at all to post any information about aftermarket rims/tires. I think that would make an excellent separate thread though. I wanted this to just be a gathering for stock specs and general basic wheel/tire information (tips).

Stock USDM 16 by 6.5 rims are FIFTY THREE, 53mm

Check them out at
http://www.ronalusa.com
or e-mail gary@ronalusa.com
They have a great selection of actual photos of various wheels on all manner of cars. Look at the index of cars page under Subaru...

Originally posted by ciper
Stock USDM 16 by 6.5 rims are FIFTY THREE, 53mm

Ya' mean THESE wheels? '02, or do you mean the earlier ones...These are '02's

Ouch ;)

Sweet.

Thanks for doing this Jeff.

Paul G. <--you must be bored at work.
I'll keep my eyes open for a set of RS rims for ya.

Mine(Aug/01 mfg. date) were, stamped '53mm" and a tape measure 'SEEMED' to indicate a 7" rim width.....

I think they changed deseign spec's along the way....

I have the 02 wheels and they read 53mm. Do I really have to take a picture to prove it?

edit: Damn, never had my post repeated so many times! Extra replies deleted.

Holy crap quintuple post!:eek:

TMK

Prove it.
Prove it.
Prove it.
Prove it.

:lol:

I'm just kidding.

For now, I've updated it to say "Offset: +55 or +53 (both have been reported, oddly enough...)"

I'll check my rims tonight since they're off my car.

Mine is +55 offset too...build date February 2001

Okay, mine read 55. That's pretty freaky that they changed spec in the middle of production or something. ciper, do you know when your manufacture date was?

read 55 offset. I bought them in may of 2001, right after the rexes came out.

My January 02 built WRX has 55 offset wheels too. Maybe if enough people reply we can figure out when SoA changed it.

Just hypothesizing now...Could it be that all the '02 and beyond ('01 and beyond for our JDM and other DM brethren) Impreza based platforms needed the +55 offset to match with the new chassis' geometry? Has anyone checked an '02 OBS alloy wheel or possibly even the new '03 Forester to see if those models have moved to the +55. Just a thought.

Br, Dale

Originally posted by Subietonic
Just hypothesizing now...Could it be that all the '02 and beyond ('01 and beyond for our JDM and other DM brethren) Impreza based platforms needed the +55 offset to match with the new chassis' geometry? Has anyone checked an '02 OBS alloy wheel or possibly even the new '03 Forester to see if those models have moved to the +55. Just a thought.

Good hypothesis and very intriguing...mine is built Feb '01 and is stamped 55mm but Uncle Scotty's Aug '01 is 53mm. That seemed "backwards" to your hypothesis :p. Unless Subaru flip, flop and then flip back to 55mm?

Could the "55" looked like "53" due to brake dust or grime accumulation under insufficient lighting?
(just kidding! :))

Originally posted by Subietonic
Mine(Aug/01 mfg. date) were, stamped '53mm" and a tape measure 'SEEMED' to indicate a 7" rim width.....I think they changed deseign spec's along the way....

They did it just to freak me out! Now I have to go to the garage and look! AAAAARRRRGGG! :)

I'm back. They're 55mm, at least one of them is...
I got mine in early 01. It's old enough to have the early clutch problems, but not the ECU problem (I think?).

Ordered 7/01, received 9/06/01: 55 offset, 16x6.5.

To add to the list:
B4 wheels (B4 Legacy, Japan, but available from a number of US dealers), 17x7, 55 offset.

A friend has them on his wagon - with the 4-pots and DBA rotors; very nice looking wheel on the car; Web pictures I've seen don't do it justice at all. (If I'd seen them before I bought the P1s the decision would have been a lot harder :) )

Has any one figured the WRX wheel offset out? When it changed etc.?

subysouth

From the Service Manual:

02' Impreza:

http://www.scoobymods.com/forums/attachment.php?s=&postid=10146

02" Legecy/OB:

http://www.scoobymods.com/forums/attachment.php?s=&postid=10147

03" Forester:

http://www.scoobymods.com/forums/attachment.php?s=&postid=10148

For the Forester, you appear to have uploaded the Legacy/Outback specs again. Unless there's a Forester Outback model we all don't know about. ;)

Oops thanks :) fixed it...:o

my guess is the ones that 53 are really 55 but the stamp is too far to the right and it looks like a 3. i'd like to see a good pic of one that sez 53.

I don't have the wheels anymore and it is of no real consequence, but the wheels that were on my car most definitely were stamped '53' and not '55'...it was two different numbers and not the same number twice...no way.

all i'm saying is that on one of mine its really hard to tell if its a 5 or 3. the rest clearly say 5. it don't matter, just a thought...

Sticky this!

um why isn't this in the wheel/tire forum?

Originally posted by Rally1
um why isn't this in the wheel/tire forum?

Because when it was created the wheel/tire and suspension/brakes forum was a single forum and it hasn't been moved.

Also the lug pattern on 05 STis is 5x114.

Any info on the 16" Forester XT wheels? Offset? Width?

Stock USDM 16 by 6.5 rims are FIFTY THREE, 53mm

http://www.scoobymods.com/forums/attachment.php?s=&postid=10146

:lol:

Any idea what the weight of the 17" WRX wheel for '06 is? Like the one on the car below?
http://media.automotive.com/evox/stilllib/subaru/impreza/2006/4sa-4/47.jpg

Bump, I would also like to know

i thought the OEM offset was 48? on all the cars?

Any info on the 16" Forester XT wheels? Offset? Width?


It's in my link above but if you are too lazy the Forester and Outback share the same offset of 48, my 99 RS wheels that are 16 X 7 are 53, I got them back from the person I sold them to and it's a 53 for sure.

How about the 06/07 2.5i rims?? and the OBS rims for the same years? anyone?

i'm about to pick up some bbs rk's from a friend for pretty cheap, but i wanted another opinion to make sure they will fit properly on my 2006 impreza 2.5i. can anyone help me out?

thanks :alien:

I'm looking for information on the stock wheels on the '07 WRX. In '06 they increased to 7" wide. The info in the '07 dealer broshure shows that the wheels have decreased to 6.5" wide. Can anyone confirm this is correct?

GENERAL: On Weight
As you increase rim size (while ideally maintaining OEM overall wheel diameter), realize that you are increasing the tire's distance from the center of your rim. Due to your rims being rotational mass, you will want to keep your tires as lightweight as possible if you are concerned with performance. Spinning a 1lb weight 8 inches from the center of a rim requires less work than spinning that same weight 9 inches from the center of a rim.


That is not quite accurate. You would have to integrate to get a meaningful answer. The weight isn't where the rim ends but distributed through the sidewall and the tread. If the tread mass is 75% of the tire weight (and I have no idea if it is) and the distance to the tire surface was the same (b/c of shorter sidewalls on tires for 18" rims vs. 16" rims) then the difference would be much less than implied above. In otherwords with the above example 75% of tire mass would be at the same distance regardless of the wheel diameter.

Guys I've searched this forum for info on which 15" wheels fit over standard wrx brakes. I know there are only a rare few that do. Where can I find that info please?

Mike

Guys I've searched this forum for info on which 15" wheels fit over standard wrx brakes. I know there are only a rare few that do. Where can I find that info please?

Mike

Moving this to Tire&Wheel (not sure why it's in here)

I thought this would be a quick answer for you all. Just trying to help another member out. I heard there is/was a relatively inexpensive aftermarket wheel that would work. What is/was it and has it been discontinued?

is there a thread or site with pictures and more info of ALL subaru oem rims? i'm searching and googling, but its usually just 1 or 2 bits of wheel info. Thanks.



EDIT:
nm. just found http://www.wheelcollision.com/subaru3.htm.

nice! been looking for a similar database