i have recently purchased a 355mm 6pot AP Cosworth (as fitted to CS400) kit and need some wheel advice

i have been advised i need an 18" rim with big offset, the cs400 comes with et43 but the wheels i have (2 sets) are et45 and et55

to be exact they are 18x9 et45 Advan Racing RGD 5x114.3

and 18x8.5 et55 sti saloon enkei 2011 model 5x114.3

im no expert on this but a wild guess would suggest enkei wont fit but Advans will??

just had enkei powder coated

finally are the pads provided with this kit any good shoud i try them or spend a little more (i dont do track days)


advice please

 

not sure if Cosworth include their own pads or the regular pads as in any AP "formula" kit are included??

if they are Cosworth's own then not the best IMO

as for clearance the ET has nothing to do with wheel clearance, this simply tells you how the wheel centre orientates to the hub / the deciding factor is spoke design (and wheel width to a point)

the AP 7040 caliper is not as bulky as the Brembo STi for example and generally if the wheels clear std Subaru 4pots then your brake kit will be fine also

 

As above , the ET is the distance in millimeters from the centre hub face to the centre line of the wheel , so you need to fit the right ET (offset) wheels to suit your car , then it makes a big difference in the style and shape of the spokes to whether they will clear the brakes.

The issue with the Gold STi Brembo's not clearing a lot of wheels is the disc doesn't have a lot of offset on them , which means the calipers is out towards the wheel compared to a lot of other kits , on kits like the AP's , and the kits we make , we make them with a much deeper bell which takes the disc , and the caliper in towards the inner wing , so takes the caliper away from the inside of the spokes so a lot more wheels will fit.

The best thing you can do is put a wheel on the floor upside down (on a towel or similar so you don't damage it ) slide a caliper onto a disc , and put it in the wheel and turn the caliper on the disc gently and see if it hits anything

Hope this helps
Cheers Ian

 

Hi there

I would suspect both will fit,just due Enkei will clear Brembo and Brembo are more chunkier callipers than AP/Cosworth

Lowering down offset will help and I would try to use 5 or 10mm,which will lower offset ,I would go probably with hubcentric spacers if its possible and longer nuts,I think Alyn@AS Performance can supply longer nuts and too spacers

About the pads,get PF Z-Rated pads at least,they're not so expensive and will be better than supplied pads for sure,speak with above Alyn

Thanks,Jura

 

The brembo calipers are not chunkier , read my post above as to why the STi calipers are more of a problem fitting under wheels than AP's

 

thanks for the replies

i really hopy enkei will fit as refurb has come back a smashing colour


pads........talk to me

 

Hi Ian

This issue knows everyone with STI Brembo doesn't fit all wheels,just have look on the ET38 9.5JX18" Rota Grid

Under those wheels you need to run spacer(5mm),with AP you don't need to run

Thanks,Jura

Enkei should clear AP/Cosworth if not spacer should help to lower offset,you will see how you get on

Pads I can only recommend PF Z-Rated pads,price wise I think they cost around £120-£140 which is still awesome price for pads,speak with Alyn

Thanks,Jura

 

Read my reply above , it has nothing to do with the caliper being ' chunkier ' it is down to the disc design that causing the clearance issues using STi calipers

 

the Advans would not fit over standard subaru 4 pots slightly catches no never fitted them

 

hey lucko
i have some 3sdms for sale and they are et 42 but because of the straight spoke design they catch on the bottom of the spoke.had to use 15mm hubcentric spacers to clear
i also have a set of uber rare raceline rl7 in 18x9 et 42 and they fit over the brembos with loads to spare.for me to take the spacers off the 3sdms i would have to buy ap calipers with bigger offset bells, carriers to bring the caliper in.very difficult to achieve with brembos as the caliper is sandwiched between the carrier i believe

 

right AP are fitted and Advans dont fit

im not prepared to run spacer ill just sell them

what wheels will straight fit now??


Turnins? ET35 are good option but what else

 

The XXR's just about clear the Brembo's on the bottom edge so I wouldn't imagine they are an option

 

ive already sold a set of xxr's previously as found them to be 2 common but i still love the xxr's

cant go back to these after fitting premium wheels like Advans

 

I can't help with brakes unfortunately, but I can with wheels.

Most JDM wheels will fit I suspect. Try Rays, Works, WedsSport, SSR, Volk, Enkei and I'm sure there are many more. I'm very surprised your Advans don't fit, but don't rule them out completely as some may fit.

When you find a wheel you like if you e-mail a stockist, they should be able to send you a diagram with brake clearance measurements. You might even find on on-line if you're lucky

Contrary to what has been said above, the ET of a wheel does make a difference to brake clearance, although I agree that spoke design is the most important factor. Rota Grids for example, the 18x9.5 et38 will not clear brembos without a spacer, the same wheel with an et20 will clear. Not that many Impreza's use an et20, just using that to prove my point