marcusg

Can anybody tell me what the recommended offset is for 7x17. Do Impreza offsets work or does it have to be specific to the Forester?
What is the best tyre size. I have heard about two, 215/50 17 (Pirelli P6000) and 225/45 17 (?).
Thank you for your help.
Marcus

p.s. Forgot to mention that they have to fit over Subaru 4-pots.

[This message has been edited by marcusg (edited 18 May 2001).]

Butty

iTrader: (2)

Hi Marcus,
i am switching over to 4 pots for my stb.
The std wheels have a really thick spoke arrangement so the 4 pots wont fit.
The Forester has an offset of 48mm on 6.5 inch rims.
If you go to normal Scooby wheels (53mm offset, 7 inch rims), you only increase the track on each side by 1 mm, so bearings won't suffer - but you will clear the 4 pots (as long as you get MY98- rims).
I popped into my local dealers for price of 17 inch deals. For the std Forester offset, he quoted a package of £1700!!!!
They have a new Prodrive Forester on sale for £21000 with the 17 inch grey wheels, body kit and 200 bhp, but strangley did not chuck in the 4 pots. It looked like it was running 215/50 tyres.

If you really are after 17 inch rims then make sure they are 7 inch wide with 53mm offset and there is unlikely to be any problems.

I am now running 225/55 x 16 on the std rims and they make a hell of a difference (Toyo proxes).
The good thing is that they will also go on the 7 x 16 wheels when they finally arrive.

Nick

MikeWood

Marcus

We use a 7x 17 Supertourismo wheel in ET48 as the OE offset. These will clear the Subaru 4pot brakes (just!) but not our 330mm kit. The tyre size we would recommend is 215/50 PZero to keep as close as possible to the OE tyre diameter.

Mike

Stuart Knight

iTrader: (2)

A colleague at work has the 17" wheels off the P1 on his Forester (complete with 4 pots).

marcusg

Hi Nick,
Long time no hear. Thanks for your reply.
I had the feeling that the 4-pots wouldn't fit the std wheels. Although I was told, by my garage, to the contrary.
The more I think of it, the more I feel that 17" aren't really appropriate for the Forester. They would have to be fairly chunky, like the std ones, to look right. I've seen Foresters with the Prodrive 17s and it makes the car look like its on stilts.
Like yourself, we spoke about it a couple of months ago, I switched to 225/55x16 tyres (Falken). It has certainly improved the handling, especially in the wet.
Which 16s will you be getting, if you don't mind me asking.

Butty

iTrader: (2)

Thanks for onfo Mike.

Can you shed any light on why the Forester has to have an ET48 offset when so much of the running gear is identical to the Imprezza?
Talking to wheel dealers, they could only come up with saying that ET48 is a common aftermarket offset and that the manufacturers of the 16" wheels have it only in those dimensions.
I have been told that the additional track is very slight and will have no lasting affects. Anything contrary to this?

Why have Prodrive also adopted the ET48 offset when they do a perfectly good ET55 17" anthracite design that my local dealer could do at a cheaper price than the ET48 package?

Lots of questions, hope you have the time to answer.
Regards
Nick

MikeWood

Nick

Most of the Forester running gear is similar to Impreza but the dimensions are generally different. The lower arms are longer, the struts are longer, the relationship between top mount and inner pickup point is different. All this means that the offset of the wheel is slightly different.

Prodrive do not do an ET55 wheel in anthracite, although there may be another anthracite wheel available from your dealer, this will probably be ET52.

We have only supplied the Supertoursimo in silver or gold in the ET55 offset and the Anthracite is ET48. This saves the obvious pitfalls of having the same wheel in different offsets where you could end up with them fitted to the wrong cars.

You may find that using an ET55 wheel on a Forester gives you tyre clearance problems on either the struts or inner wheel arches.

Mike

marcusg

Mike,
Thanks for clarifying this issue.
What would be an acceptable offset, if the wheels I want are not available in 48? Is it somewhere between 48 and 53?
Regards...Marcus

Butty

iTrader: (2)

Thanks Mike.

I have done a dummy run with a ET53 Subaru wheel and the 4 pots and cannot see any fouling.
It may be a different story with the strut compressed. It looks like if anything is going to touch then it is the outer arch liner. Plenty of room between the rims or the 225/55 tyres and the strut itself.

Marcus, getting the right offset with Subaru holes is one story. It is still hit and miss about then making sure there is spoke clearance as well.
All I can suggest is to see if the wheel dealer will allow a trial fitting once you have found an ET48.

Nick

MikeWood

Nick

We tried ET48 wheels and 225/55x17 Pirelli Scorpion tyres and they are very close to the rear struts. I would guess at ET53 they will catch.
You may also find that they catch the plastic wheel arch liners on the front at full lock as well.


Mike

Butty

iTrader: (2)

Hmm, very curious Mike.
I have got the 225/55 but on the original 6.5" rims with plenty of clearance.
Going to the ET53 7" rims is going to push the wheel (& tread) 1.5 mm outwards, but as I will still using the 225/55 sections so I presume it is the liners that are at risk.

Did you do the trial work on a UK Forester or a Jap sourced one?
Would there be any major differences under the arches?
The only thing I can think of is perhaps the self levelling struts are bulkier and may reduce calliper - strut distance.

Oh well, I am going to go ahead with fitment and will let you know how they work out.

Nick

Butty

iTrader: (2)

B011ocks.
After sitting down and drawing out the dimensions, the 7" wheels with ET53 will move the centre line and the 225 tyres 7/8mm towards the struts.
OK at the front but I have only got about 10mm clearance on the rear struts as it is, so there is going to be some rubbing (being optimistic).
What turned out to be a problem getting wheels to fit the callipers is rapidly turning into a major task.

Back to the drawing board
Grrrrrrr....