Morning all,


As I am sure you are all aware, the standard spacing on the Impreza WRX is very narrow and the wheels sit a good distance inside the arch.

I just wondered if anyone has experience of/knows of spacers being fitted to a standard set up and whether it works and is an advantage to the ride or handling.

I mentioned it once at an Impreza meet to a few guys and one person said it could cause rubbing? I didn't agree if I am sticking with the stock 17s.

Appreciate your time!

R

 

Measure the existing clearance between arch and tyre and then if you use the full site on phone or pc, you can use the Tyre Rim calculator,(under Tools) changing the offset value to vary the clearance.

 

Hi Don, thanks for the info!

I'm after some actual experience or knowledge once they have been fitted. Is there anyone out there??

 

I'd say it wouldn't be noticable, it's more for looks than anything.
Be a different story if you'd wider wheels you'd feel it.

 

This seems the general feedback after asking on a Facebook group too. I think 15-20mm spacers seems the right option.

 

If your going to listen to anything on Facebook your going to come unstuck. 15-20mm spacers and you'll have problems.

 

Care to explain why?

 

No not really would of thought it was obvious

 

How very helpful of you. Your throwaway comments are much appreciated Joe.

 

I'll explain mate, we all start somewhere. A few things with those spacers you will probably need to cut the original wheel studs because they will stick out slightly. A standard wheel can rub depending on how far you put the wheel out. Just remember the shape of the arch wheel and if your car is lowered etc.

I think I have this the right way round if your ET is say 50 and you put 10mm spacers your ET is now 40. You can use that to work out if it will fit.

Have a look at this thread, not for a newage but will give you an idea.

https://www.scoobynet.com/scoobynet-...-for-sale.html

 

 

Thank you mate.

The car is on original suspension so there is quite a lot of clearance from the arch. I know a suspension/geometry specialist through a friend who I will give a shout and see what he says about it all and refer him to some of the info you passed on.

 

Still easy enough to check yourself.................................. Post # 2 option

 

You mean it doesn't look like a track-based race car? Which has stiffer springs and damping.
If your softer wrx springs haven't sagged over time and your wrx struts still have enough compression damping left, and you don't brake too hard, when you corner at speed, or encounter a pot hole and if you don't carry people or things in the boot, you should be fine.

Spend your money on some very good quality brake pads.

 

Haha! I have a track car already. I'm just after a wider stance on the wheels for aesthetic reasons.

Springs and dampers feel fine, no sagging at all from what I can tell.

Already upgraded pads all round, brake lines, fresh discs and then stuck some Typ200 brake fluid in so the brakes do enough.

 

I think what everyone is trying to say is, theres alot of factors involved. But then that's why you're here so here's my views.

On my Hatchback STI 330s I had coilovers fitted. Less travel in the suspension so. . . . .when I fitted 20mm spacers rear, 15mm in front whenever I went over a dip in the road there was no rubbing. If you have standard suspension your wheel has a nice big gap before the arch , but it's also softer so it'll travel further.
Secondly, on my aftermarket wheels the tyres were a slightly square'r (made up word) so the tyres scrubbed in the rear. So a simple arch roll solved that (the lip of the arch gets bent back out of the way)
Thirdly, my standard wheels were a flat surface on the back. If you look at the back of after market wheels there's wee indents on the back to allow wheel studs to fit behind where the nuts holding on the spacer sits. So for me to fit my standard wheels along with the spacers (when I took the notion) I had to shave a few mm of the wheel studs to allow the wheel sit flush to the hub. You can get shorter ones but for the sake of a couple of mm I took my chances.

Hope that helps.

 

You could change the bump stops or use these (if you have non-inverted struts?):
But, the benefit of awd is traction, so you require a more compliant suspension and by using the clips you will reduce bump travel.

 

The rears sit in 10mm more then the fronts so what you could do is go for hubcentric spacers with 10mm at front and 20mm for the rears. Had some on my wrx before changing my wheels.

 

I fukcing despair