RSV1000

I am after suggestions on fitting 16" rims with winter tyres to a 2005 WRX with standard 4 pot brakes - standard wheels are 17" x 7"

I bought some late impreza 16"x6.5" alloys off ebay but they wont fit over the brake calipers - they appear to have less offset.

Will a set of steel wheels fit over the calipers or can I get spacers to move the 16" alloy wheels further away from the calipers?

I have been told that the 205/55x16 winter tyres are better than 205/45x17 by my local tyre dealer which is why I am after 16" rims.

Any advice would be welcome as my dealer knows didly squat.

stockcar

are you sure they are the last style of 16" wheels....................all of the '00 impreza's were fitted with the 4pot also so shouldn't be a problem??

alyn

RSV1000

advert said late impreza but did not state the age.
I thought these may have come off a sport as they were 16" do they have 4pot brakes?
Did the '00 WRX run on 16" rims?

I guess the way forward is to work out the offset I need & then get some spacers & longer studs or machine some new nuts to suit the std. studs.
Is it easy to replace the studs? What do I need to remove?

stockcar

yep the last of the classics had 16" wheels and 4pots....................

would be wary of spacers, how big are they going to need??

alyn

Jerry B

If I remember group N studs cost £10 each. That's £100 on the front!! Plus fitting...

stockcar

unless you know someone who does them cheaper?!?.......................you simply need to know the right peeps to ask.............

alyn

scoobfan

The classic STI wheels will fit without any problems.

Rob

RSV1000

Daft Q but I am new to sub's - what years do you class as classic and how do you tell if the wheels come off a classic?

What thread are the wheel studs? maybe I can get some shouldered nuts machined to suit & use the existing studs.

I have not worked out the spacer size yet but I guess it would be about 10mm thick.

stockcar

M12x1.25mm.....................

wouldn't be using 10mm spacers personally

RSV1000

Thanks for the stud size

RSV1000

I have measured the existing wheels & the 16" wheels I bought.
It works out that both wheels have 55mm offset but the original 17" wheels have 30mm between mounting point & back of spokes & the 16" wheels only have 10mm.

Is there a 16"x6.5" rim that has a 55mm offset with 30mm between mounting point & back of spokes ?
Is this the configuration of the "classic" sub wheels as mentioned before?
This could be a steel wheel or aftermarket or a std. subaru wheel I really don't mind which.

CMM

I don't think this can be done with 16 x 6.5 rims - you will need 16 x 7 for caliper clearance. Classic Impreza wheels in this size include the notched 5 spoke and thin 6 spoke wheel. I believe the notched 5 spoke is the same one still listed by Subaru as aftermarket fitment part no 28111FE030K. I had the same problem with my Forester - which has 6.5 width but 48 offset - when fitting 4 pot brake upgrade. The 16 x 7 wheel from late Classic Impreza (1999) did fit with clearance but ultimately I went for 17 x 7 wheel. I believe this is a common problem for persons wanting to run a narrow winter tyre with 4 pot brakes. If you go the spacer route you will need extended studs and open ended wheel nuts to allow refitting of your original 17 inch wheels.

Chris M - London.

RSV1000

Thanks for that Chris
Now I know the offset is the same I don't think I will do the spacer route I will look into the 16x7 wheels

CMM

Slightly off the subject - there are a number of sites that contain information about wheel fitments. One that I found useful in that it provides a picture link of wheel types is www.wheelcollision.com. It does not provide details of offset etc (which are available elsewhere) but it does give the rim size and a good idea of what the wheel looks like. The site is US orientated but many of the wheels are the same as UK.

Chris M - London

RSV1000

I will have a look at the website.

I have found out that I can get aftermarket steel wheels with part no. 28111AC221 from Subaru for lots of money - I now need to find out whether these were fitted to any sub as standard and hence cheaper option rather than dealer.

One interesting thing from the importer was that he mentioned they would only fit 05WRX as there was a PCD change - it was only later when I thought about this that I relized he must mean the STI, I hope he gave me the right part number.

CMM

Good luck with this. Standard OEM steel wheels only ever went to 6.5 width. 16 x 7 alloys would still be your best bet as many owners have upgraded to 17 inch wheels so that 16 x 7 are freely available secondhand - also from imports of early model Japanese cars. You might find some information on steel wheels on North American and Canadian websites as many owners over there do swap for the winter months. However as the 4 pot brakes arrived late most of these fitments are to cover the smaller brake setup. Finally there was a PCD change for 2005 - but STi as you say.

Chris M - London

RSV1000

Chris

Sorry to be a pain in butt but after getting it wrong once already !!

Is the 16x7 wheel off the classic STi ?
Will both the 5 spoke & 6 spoke fit, I am looking for a clearance of min. 26mm from back of spokes to wheel mounting surface.

CMM

Yes the 16 x 7 was fitted to Classic STi and often as a gold wheel. The Japanese domestic market had 4 pots before UK and there are several imports around with these wheels - but for UK supplied you will be looking at 98/99/00 late Classic. I only tried the 5 spoke wheel myself but I am told that the 6 spoke also fits. The important thing is that the rim width must be 7 inches and if it came from a vehicle with 4 pots already you should be OK. As you have found there are many wheels with 6.5 width - but this is not enough for the caliper clearance needed. I used a secondhand wheel to check the clearance but I am pretty sure that this is the same wheel still listed by Subaru as 28111FE030K - Subaru UK website shows this as aftermarket fitment for 2000-2005 impreza described 16 x 5 spoke silver wheel. You will see that this 5 spoke wheel has a distinctive notch where it joins the rim so that it should be easy to spot on the secondhand market - I was able to borrow a rim for measurement because this type is very common on JDM imports. UK OEM 16 x 7 wheels do turn up on ebay from time to time - otherwise a Subaru dismantler may be your best bet. Incidentally did you check Scoobynet Classified For Sale - I think there is at least one November posting with suitable 16 inch wheels.

Chris M - London

CMM

Supplemental :

Check www.iwoc.co.uk/impspec2.html - this gives standard specs for 1993 to 2000 impreza including OEM wheel fitment.

Chris M - London

RSV1000

Thank's Chris it looks promising