why is there so much wheel gap?

[pr086]

i understan the car has nothing to complain about handling wise, but why does it have so much wheel gap? i hate how you can see almost all of the top of the tire in a lot of pics.

it seems this car has more wheel gap than most sporty cars in the price range, just wondering why that is.

[MVJ1975]

I suspect Toyota/Subaru realized that these were going to get dropped on 18/19" wheels and decided to make it easier.

[bneale]

I think its got a lot to do with making the minimum ride hight and head light requirements without sacraficing the lowest possible center of gravity.

IE, the safety standards caused the wheel gaps while the drivetrain still sits as low as possible. Bigger wheels will reduce the gap without required lowering springs if thats what you want.

I personally prefer the 17's though for weight reasons alone.

bneale

[pr086]

thats the thing, i don't see myself putting a different suspension in this car since it was designed and balanced with the one it has. and as far as the wheels go, they seem to be very light so i can't see myself beingin a rush to replace them.

which means, i'll be pretty much stuck with the stock wheel gap.

[pr086]

the safety argument makes sense, but then how do you explain other cars with low centers of gravity and low profiles like the corvette, and some porsches. they're slung just as low if not lower and have less wheel gap.

[Neziah]

I recall reading that the ideal height for the suspension as designed, was 15-18MM lower than stock. Or something close to that.

[Sigh-on-Rice]

Originally Posted by pr086

the safety argument makes sense, but then how do you explain other cars with low centers of gravity and low profiles like the corvette, and some porsches. they're slung just as low if not lower and have less wheel gap.

I believe it's due to the regulations in Japan.
So, you can't compared it to American or European car.
You know, how Japan used to not allow cars to have over 280 hp before, but there were American and European cars with over 280 hp running around in Japan.

[Hanzo]

Actually a lot of cars have wheel gaps:

[CBR600RR]

^good post

[pyro530]

Originally Posted by bneale

I think its got a lot to do with making the minimum ride hight and head light requirements without sacraficing the lowest possible center of gravity.

IE, the safety standards caused the wheel gaps while the drivetrain still sits as low as possible. Bigger wheels will reduce the gap without required lowering springs if thats what you want.

I personally prefer the 17's though for weight reasons alone.

bneale

This is the correct answer, I've watched enough videos about the development and this is one of the things they touched on.
I believe Moto-P said after talking with a Toyota engineer that the suspension is actually designed to sit 15-20mm lower.

Originally Posted by Sigh-on-Rice

I believe it's due to the regulations in Japan.
So, you can't compared it to American or European car.
You know, how Japan used to not allow cars to have over 280 hp before, but there were American and European cars with over 280 hp running around in Japan.

The 276hp rule was just a gentlemen agreement between the manufactures, there was never any regulation for this as far as I know.

[Hanzo]

Dropping it an inch would look better but it doesn't look bad as is.

[GNS]

Wheel gap is probably built in to accommodate a wider range of driving styles and road conditions. Basically, you can drive the car normally and not have to cringe and wince over every speed bump or driveway.

[kappaknight]

I personally prefer the look of even gaps. I never understood dropping the car to the point of scraping or rubbing it over every bump and hump. How do you enjoy a car if you have to slow down to 1mph to get in the driveway every day?

[reeves]

Originally Posted by pyro530

I believe Moto-P said after talking with a Toyota engineer that the suspension is actually designed to sit 15-20mm lower.

Wonder if the TRD springs will drop the car to this "ideal" height?