Should I expect and problems with wheel well clearance if I move up to 18s? Also, I assume moving from 16s to 18s will give me an extra inch of clearance on the front lip...enough to add a spoiler and bring the fascia back down to the original height, correct? (seemed simple enough).

Any idea how wide I can go on the rears and not go past the edge of the wells?

 

Huh?

 

Just get the right offsets bro...and there should be no problems. Why don't you post the wheel you want and the dimensions...we will be glad to analze the fitment for you!

18's do raise the car just a tad bit (depends on what tire)...because there is less room for the tire to "sag", compared to 16's.

So...what rims and tire are you looking at getting?

 

Adding the front lip spoiler only reduces ground clearance by about 1/2 an inch.

 

Bob: What part didn't you understand?

Unicron: I don't have a particular set picked out just yet (a wide spoke design similar to stock is a favorite of mine), but it's something I've been tossing back and forth for a while now. I like the look of a large rim with a nice wide patch on the road. Now that I think about it, getting an 18 doesn't necessarily mean I have to get a tire that's so thick, but I want to make sure clearance isn't a problem either way. I know people on here have put 18s on, but haven't heard anything about scrapes and such when hitting potholes/bumps.

Jay: If the spoiler only lowers it by 1/2", and assuming the well clearance isn't a problem, I can put 18s on with a slightly thinner tire than stock, and still keep stock clearance (MUCH needed here in Boston with their crappy roads!).

 

Mac, 16's, 17's, 18's, whatever won't have any direct effect on clearance (I think that's what Bobway was getting at). If done right, the tire sidewalls get thinner as the wheel gets bigger and all clearances stay the same (ride height stays the same). Now if you start monkeying with the widths and offsets, then we better start talking clearances.

 

And hence your speedo remains accurate.

It's fairly important to end up with the same overall diameter and circumference whatever rim size you choose.

Have a look at Tire Size Calculator to work out what size tyre on an 18 will give the same circumference as stock.

 

RT: I was hoping to raise the car about 1/2" so that I could add on a front spoiler without lowering the clearance. Hence, slightly larger outer diamater over stock. I just want to be sure this won't cause problems with clearance.

Aus2000: I've seen that link elsewhere, but never took the time to go...very useful to see it graphically. I would like some wider rubber, though, especially on the rear wheels. Any suggestions for a new width that won't go past the edge of the wells (I'm not interested in turning Michelle into a hoopty)?

 

Oh yeah, almost forgot...

If I DO get a tire that changes the tire's outer diameter (and therefore, the speedo), how hard is it to get the speedo readjusted at some shop and what's involved?

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by MacGyver
[B]RT: I was hoping to raise the car about 1/2" so that I could add on a front spoiler without lowering the clearance.