Wheels - What is legal?

[JDMSushi]

Handy info;

AFAIK, the standard wheel fitment on 86's seems to be 17x7.5 +48 for the GTS model.

Fitting Bigger Wheels & Tyres

Joshua Gliddon, drive.com.au, May 1, 2008


Larger wheels and tyres may look sexy, but make sure they adhere to the law and keep your insurance company happy.







A bigger wheel and tyre combination can really enhance the look of your car and often provide benefits to grip and handling.
It can also go the other way, adversely affecting the way a car behaves on the road.
But what’s legal and what’s not? Here’s a guideline to what’s legal in the major states of Australia.

NSW
In NSW you are allowed to fit wheels that are up to 26mm wider than the manufacturer’s specified wheels without needing to notify the Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA).
Increases in wheel track (the distance between the left- and right-hand wheel) can’t be greater than 25mm beyond manufacturer’s specification.
The diameter of the new wheel and tyre combination can’t be more than 15mm beyond the largest diameter combination specified by the manufacturer for that car. Remember, too, that changing the rolling radius of a tyre can affect the accuracy of the speedo, so it pays to ensure it’s checked by an expert.
Wheel and tyre combinations that exceed these rules can be used as long as an engineering certificate has been issued by an appropriate inspection authority.
However there are maximum limits that an inspection authority can certify. For example, for cars manufactured after 1973 and weighing more than 1201kg, the maximum increase is 51mm.
For more tyre and wheel information check this RTA PDF

Victoria
In Victoria the maximum width of any replacement rim can’t be more than 25mm, or one inch greater than the widest wheel specified by the manufacturer for that vehicle or model.
The overall diameter of the rim can’t be more than 15mm more than manufacturer specifications, while the rim and tyre are also not allowed to foul the bodywork or suspension.
For more tyre and wheel information check this Vicroads PDF

Queensland
The maximum increase in combined wheel and tyre diameter allowed in Queensland is plus 15mm or minus 26mm. Within those limits, any rim diameter is allowed. And like other states, the wheels can’t protrude from the bodywork of the car when they’re in the straight ahead position.
You’re also not allowed to fit wheel spacers – unless they are factory fitted – while steering limit stops can’t be adjusted to allow the fitting of larger rims or tyres.
The maximum tyre width allowed is 1.3 times the width of the largest optional tyre offered by the manufacturer.
For more tyre and wheel information check this transport.qld. PDF

South Australia
Under South Australian laws, wheel spacers are not permitted between the hub and wheel unless originally fitted by the manufacturer. As with some other jurisdictions, you can’t increase or decrease the diameter of the wheel by more than 50mm.
The overall diameter of the wheel and tyre combination can’t be more or less than 15mm larger or smaller than specified on the manufacturer’s tyre placard.
Cars manufactured on or after the first of July 1988 must also have a speedo that is accurate to plus or minus 10 percent for all speeds above 40km/h.
For more tyre and wheel information check this PDF

Western Australia
In Western Australia rims can’t exceed the manufacturer’s specifications by more than 25mm, or one inch. Overall wheel rim width can’t exceed 177.8mm (seven inches) unless specified by the manufacturer, and cars that are equipped with 177.8mm rims can’t have higher width rims fitted at all.
As with most other jurisdictions, the wheel must be contained within the bodywork of the car, including wheel arch flares.
Rim diameters can’t exceed those specified by the manufacturer, although “plus one” and “plus two” wheels and tyres are allowed so long as the overall diameter of the large rims and fitted low profile tyres don’t exceed the manufacturer’s diameter specification.
The maximum allowed increase in track over the manufacturers’ specifications is one inch, or 25mm

[Billy2224]

Sydney defects...

[davey90]

Originally Posted by Billy2224

Sydney defects...

Yup... the nanny state...

[JDMSushi]

18x8.5 should be alright with the right tyres.

I guess if you have an acco *touch wood* you just swap out the wheels for the stockies.

[Xauterus]

How do you swap the wheels at the scene of an accident. Especially if you have smashed a wheel? I like the 9.5s but I know the risk if I was to run them.

I see the risk with this car is that it's a sports car and in a serious accident who are the police looking at? The Camry driver or the 86 driver ?

[Type[R]+]

NT we got to follow National Code of Practice.

Basically goes off the tyre size, we can't go more than 1.3x wider, or have more than a 20 drop in profile.

We can go up to a 275/25R19 tyre on a 19" x 11" rim lol!

[Type[R]+]

Originally Posted by Xauterus

How do you swap the wheels at the scene of an accident. Especially if you have smashed a wheel? I like the 9.5s but I know the risk if I was to run them.

I see the risk with this car is that it's a sports car and in a serious accident who are the police looking at? The Camry driver or the 86 driver ?

Why the hell would you want something that wide in the first place?

[coyote]

Originally Posted by Type[R]+

Why the hell would you want something that wide in the first place?

Subtle enough?

[Type[R]+]

Lol, still way overboard!!!! That's if you can get it to fit it the first place....

[coyote]

Coincidentally, I started to begin a thread last night about the lack of wider wheels that are actually legal.

I'm sick of seeing yanks doing silly things like stretching narrow 215 tyres onto 9" rims with +30 offsets, running lots of negative camber, having their wheels still stick out then saying "Oh, needs moar .. That's okay, I like aggressive". Since when did non-functional mean the same thing as aggressive?

Don't get me wrong, that's fine if hellawhatever is your thing, but if you simply want to use a wide tyre on a wide rim and have it fit inside the guard (you know, functional legal stuff), none of these "special fitment" offers will do.

Something like this:



http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10257

Now that's how you set up a car!

The exception is the Volk stuff. There are a few offerings in 9" and 9.5" with a +45 offset (which is just enough for a 245 or 255 tyre), which I guess you'd expect from such a quality brand. Everyone else is catering for the ghetto market.

Problem is, I want a quality result at ghetto prices!

[Xauterus]

I say several people that participated in a group buy will be fitting 18 x 9.5 wheels. I am actually looking at an 8 inch rim and using the stock tyre size.

I like the way the car progressively lets go on the factory tyres.

[Type[R]+]

Originally Posted by coyote

Coincidentally, I started to begin a thread last night about the lack of wider wheels that are actually legal.

I'm sick of seeing yanks doing silly things like stretching narrow 215 tyres onto 9" rims with +30 offsets, running lots of negative camber, having their wheels still stick out then saying "Oh, needs moar .. That's okay, I like aggressive". Since when did non-functional mean the same thing as aggressive?

Don't get me wrong, that's fine if hellawhatever is your thing, but if you simply want to use a wide tyre on a wide rim and have it fit inside the guard (you know, functional legal stuff), none of these "special fitment" offers will do.

Something like this:



http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10257

Now that's how you set up a car!

The exception is the Volk stuff. There are a few offerings in 9" and 9.5" with a +45 offset (which is just enough for a 245 or 255 tyre), which I guess you'd expect from such a quality brand. Everyone else is catering for the ghetto market.

Problem is, I want a quality result at ghetto prices!

Amen brother!!!

I got 9" rear rim on the IS-F, and that comes with a 255 tyre stock. Guys are putting a 275 tyre on them, which is more than enough for the IS-F.

Running a 9 - 9.5" rim on the 86 might look cool, but talk about a HUGE performance loss!!! You'd be looking at massive weight gain per corner! May as well run 22" chromies lol!

IMO Nice offset in an 8" rim with a decent set of tyres will be more than enough! still might be over tyred... Function > Form for me, but yes, you can have both!

[coyote]

Originally Posted by Type[R]+

Running a 9 - 9.5" rim on the 86 might look cool, but talk about a HUGE performance loss!!! You'd be looking at massive weight gain per corner! May as well run 22" chromies lol!

Those 245/40R17s in the picture should really go onto an 8.5" or 9" rim. You can have both though ... a 17x9 CE28N weighs 6.7kg. It would look great and be 100% functional, but costs a bomb.

A Weds 17x9 only weighs about 400g more, but Weds USA did their special BRZ fitment as a +40. That'll poke out slightly on the rear and a mile at the front, so fail ... and that's one of the better ones!

I don't blame the retailers, they are just catering for what the market is asking for. I just can't believe there isn't a market for some nice, light, affordable 17x9 +45ish (that is, LEGAL) wheels.

[Nafe]

I was originally wanting 9’s, but I am also thinking 8.5’s might be a good option.. 8.5 +25 or +30 with 215/45/17’s J

17x9’s can be lighter than standard wheel, so just straight up saying massive gain per corner is a bit ignorant, but the thing you need to consider is the unsprung weight. You can increase unsprung weight without increasing actual weight... the lower the offset, the higher the unsprung weight will be, generally speaking.. Obviously the lighter your aftermarket wheel is, the lower offset you can go without increasing unsprung weight.