Guys ive got a MY99 de-catted and PPP'd. V happy with acceleration but considering upgrading to 17 inch alloys. EVO have always gone on about what a better handling car the RB5 is so it would seem there is a real gain there (assuming pro-drive didn't upgrade/change the suspension settings-did they?). however i dont want to lose any of my hard earned grunt. will the increased rolling radius make a difference you can feel?
cheers
matt

Ive got a MY00 with PPP and 17's, its alot better than the standard 16's, but basically depending on what the wheel size is is depending on what tyres you put on it, ie it could be 205/45/17 or 215/40/17.
I think this keeps everything in check but im not an expert :(

Tony

Try this...

http://www.davmac.co.uk/tyresize.htm

Matt, going up in tyre size shouldn't affect the rolling radius as you then fit lower-profile tyres to compensate, eg 215/40x17. It's the lower profile that improves performance, ie lower sidewalls equals less flex equals faster steering response and better feedback. Also a slightly harder ride and more chance of denting a wheel if you hit a pothole of something.

Richard.

cheers for that guys. the puppies ive got lined up are straight from the MY01 i.e. 215/45 zr17 Bridgestone RE011's. Any views on those re handling/ride quality? What are the RE011's like?
Thanks

Matt, the bad news is that tyres are sh1te, they're too big (should be 40% aspect ratio, not 45) and may rub the rear arches, and they will raise your gearing slightly making your speedo under-read, ie you'll be going faster than it says.

Apart from that, they're perfect ;)

I think there may be a good reason why someone is trying to get rid of these tyres (see point one). The tyres you want are Bridgestone S02-pp 215/40x17 but these are very hard to get now and the S03 is not as good. Other favourites are Goodyear F1s and Toyo Proxis are both highly rated and good value. I'll be getting these next.

Run a quick search in this section and you'll find plenty of advice. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news :( Good luck.

Richard.

Cheers for the added info hoppy. i just knew they'd be sh*te- as if subaru would standard fit a good tyre!!
When you say they might rub the rear arch- would that after a big compression or is that normal driving?
Im only really going down this 16 to 17 route so as to make my impending brake upgrade that little bit more spectacular. now with 4 tyres and a poss Hi-spec kit it looks like the relies are gonna be getting home-made pressies. Priorities, priorities..

Matt, thinkng about it, you'll probably be okay as far as rubbing rear arches is concerned. The problem here is tyre width rather than height, usually caused by running wheels with too low off-set. 52-3mm is optimum on old-shape cars, 50mm is okay but 48mm pushes the tyre out too wide.

The problem is only on compression, not normal running, but if you've got lowered suspension and a few fat mates...? It's possible to remove the plastic trim around the wheel arch and gain another couple of mm clearance, but it's obviously better to start off with the right wheel off-set in the first place. Also, lower off-sets can upset the handling by increasing effective unsprung weight a bit (only noticeable if your standard suspension's a bit tired and the wheels are particularly heavy) but mainly tramlining.

Richard.