Two Questions from a Relative Noob
 

Hello all. Two quick questions:

1. Last year I autocrossed on the Primacys, and it was... very slidey. This year I'll be using RE71Rs. These will be mounted on my stock STi wheels (17x7, obviously). I'm debating between 225 or 245 section width (I'd run 235 but apparently they won't be offering that size.) Does anyone have any suggestions? Either one will be a huge step up. Apparently you can run 245 on a 7" wheel (and some do) but I'm wondering if that will be so much tire that it might overwhelm the BRZ a bit. I'm all for ultimate grip, but if 225 will be noticeably more nimble, perhaps that might be the better option?

2. I'm also looking to get a second set of wheels as my DDs. I was looking at photos of people with similar wheels, and I noticed that the +35 offset that I'm looking to get (18x8, by the way) fills out the rear fender nicely, but pokes a little bit in the front, which I'm not a fan of. I'm debating getting them as +45 offset for the front to eliminate the poke and keep them inside the fender line, but I'm just wondering if that will have any weird effects on handling. Offhand, my instincts tell me that might, if anything, make the front end push a little bit more, but that's just a wild-ass guess. Thoughts on +45 front / +35 rear configuration?

Thanks for the help!

Go with the 225. 245 may have more grip but will feel 'vague'.

Use your stock wheels for DD :)

225 sounds like the solution then!

I'm trying to be smart about my purchase order. I currently have my STi wheels as my daily/track/autocross wheels, and some steelies for the winter. I'm planning on buying 18x8 TSW Nurburgring wheels for DD use, which will allow me to dedicate the STi wheels to autocross/track days (I'm in C Street, so I need to keep the stock size anyway.) The STi wheels are ~2 lb lighter than the normal Toyobaru wheels, so they're at least a slight improvement, even though they aren't RFP1s. Then in another year or so, when I finally lower the car an inch, and get bumped out of C Street, I can get some properly wide (9") wheels for track/autocross, and bump my STi wheels to my winter set, to eliminate the steelies. It's all part of my master plan!

Still looking for feedback on my second question!

In Street class you can only vary the wheel offset by +7mm. So +41 would be the widest you could go.

I would also recommend 225/45-17 as it has good feel and communicates very well to the driver. If you are a beginner, you might want to focus more on being able to place the car accurately vs overall grip. The 225s should allow you to accurately place the car easier than a more vague feeling 245 set up. YMMV

The offset question is for the tires I will be daily driving. I'll be using the stock wheels for autocross.

I ran a season of autocross this year, and got pretty good at placing the car (cone blood on both sides of the car, but no cones called!) By the end of the season, I was beating some people running proper tires, and I could tell that my tires were holding me back more than anything.

It sounds like 225 is the recommendation then. I definitely like the feedback I get through the wheel with this car, so I don't want to deaden it with a fat tire. Thanks for the feedback guys!

If you go with45 front 35 rear you won't be able to rotate the tires if you get directionals.

You could get 45 s all around and run a spacer in the back but at 10 mm you'd need extended studs.

Crap. I hadn't thought about tire rotations. That's an excellent point. This leads to another question then: How bad are spacers?

I'd always thought spacers were things the "show" crowd uses, but they weren't good for performance oriented vehicles, since they put added strain on lugs and bearings and such.

If you use extended studs spacers are fine since you are still essentially clamping the wheel to the hub.

The change in loading on the bearings would be the same if you ran a +35 wheel since a 45 with a 10mm spacer and 35 place the center of the tire in the same place.

I've got a friend in JAX selling a set of 18x8 TSW 'rings. Gunmetal. Randal Pauley in JAX 86 FB group

^that's me. I'm selling my TSWs 18x8 45 offset. They are dead nuts flush in the front and the handling balance is not affected at all. They are an outstanding wheel, but I'm not looking to daily them and I got a wider set of track/autocross wheels so I don't need them anymore.

https://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/32...907/jMls5u.jpg