im thinking bout gettin 18's but i hear that the ride gets worse with them, so should i just get 17's instead. also if i get bigger rims than stock, am i goin to have to also upgrade the springs and shocks, and get a front and rear camber kit.
18's look good but tires cost more when it comes time to replace-em, and you will running a lower profile tire so the ride quality will suffer a little and there will be a little better chance of damaging the wheel if you hit a nice size pot hole. If you dont mind the extra cost of 18's then the gain is well worth the loss. Im running 17's and no complaints. As for needing anything else in order to run the bigger wheels, you dont need anything.
In my opinion, bigger is better. I'm rolling 18's, and I love the extra inch, just looks better. Actually, I regret not getting 19's....they weigh more, and have a lower profile tire so the ride is a little worse than 17's, but nothing to complain about. its worth it, get 18's.
Its a matter of preference. If you do it right the different size wheel makes no difference in how well it fills the wheel well, it should have about the same overall diameter. Otherwise your speedometer will be really screwed. Mine is just about perfect and my speedo is still off by 3 mph.
I think 17s are the best overall for performance, but show type cars go for 18s or 19s more. Which direction are you wanting to go??
I think that the thinner the tire is the better it looks, but more risk of damaging the rim. 205/40/17 looks a lot better than the 215/45/17 I have. I would get 18's with thinner tires if I werene't afraid of bending them with all the potholes in west la. Here's some 17's with 205/40 and it looks like the rim is on the ground since the tires are so thin...
And here's some 215/45/17:
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2004 WRX - WR Blue Pearl 1997 Eclipse GS - Royal Sapphire Pearl
Ok...Speaking from experience i like the 18's. With any bigger wheel the ride will get worse, or better. It all depends on how u look at it. The smaller the sidewall of a tire the more your gonna feel the road. Plus with the bigger wheel it will change your driving habits. Instead of flying over bumps you will slow down for them, which is good for the cars suspension. Maybe its just me but the 18's are the smallest wheel i would put on our cars because they fill up the fender gap nicely. 17's look to small to me unless your slamed on the ground. But just remember that 18's are for show and 17's and smaller are for go.
im getting 19's they just look so damn good on our cars with a little drop..i should have them after christmas i will get some pics when i get them on my car..i have a silver 10th anniversary im gonna get 19 inch racing hart c-2's cant wait..
will i still be able to drop it much with the 18's, cuz im goin to want to upgrade my suspension after i get them so will i be able to get the sportlines without droppin it too much
I guess you have already checked out the sport line springs. Yes they will give the biggest drop and the car will look sweet, BUT dont forget to check the camber after the drop and fix it if u need it. The back will mostlikly need it. Yes you will be able to use them with the 18's, it just depends on what size tire you use with them. 225-40's should work fine but always check for any rubing, all cars are different and accecpt mods differently even if they are the same exact model car and year.
05 STi