pianoprodigy

Currently, I have Enkei Aegis wheels on my FD.
Front: 18x8.5 44 offset 245 35 18 tires
Rear: 18x9.5 45 offset 275 35 18 tires

I'm thinking about switching to some lighter wheels.

SSR Comps
Front & Rear: 17x9.5 42 offset 275 40 17 tires

With my current setup of H&R springs and Koni Yellows set 75% stiff Front and 50% stiff Rear, I have no rubbing issues; however, the tires are EXTREMELY close to the fenders. I can just run my finger in between the fender and the tire.

Obviously, the SSRs are smaller by 1 inch, and the offset is slightly different.

The complete height should actually be less than what I'm running now, right? Therefore, I shouldn't have any rubbing issues on the fenders.

How about the fronts being so wide? Will I have issues there?

Thanks a lot for the info!

Alan

rynberg

You'll rub up front for sure. 275/40 is quite a bit taller than stock and those offsets are too low. That setup might work on the track with 275/40 Hoosiers (which are a bit shorter than 275/40 street tires), but you will have problems on the street, guaranteed.

pianoprodigy

So what would I have to do to correct the problem?

If the tires were Kuhmo Victo Racers that were shaved and heat-treated would it matter?

Otherwise, would I have to get coilovers?

Also, this may sound ghetto, but is there a way to raise the car slightly with a spacer?

A 275 40 17 wouldn't be taller than a 245 35 18 would it?

I guess because the tire would extend further into the wheelwell, that would be the height issue, right?

pianoprodigy

Ignore this post

SleepR1

PianoProdigy, FritzFlynn's 275/40-17 Victoracers are shorter in overall diameter than regular 275/40-17 road tires--25.3 inches instead of 25.7 inches overall diameter FWIW, I've had these same wheels with 275/40-17 Hoosiers up front with no rubbing problems. Your best bet is to mount 255/40-17s on the 9.5 x 17s (slightly narrower, and 25 inches in overall diameter).

rynberg

Yes, it would, by about 3/4". No offense, but you need to read through Tire RAck's wheel and tire tech sections to better understand how tire sizing works.

And yes, Manny's suggestion of running a 255/40 17 is a good one. I still think you'll have an issue with catching the fender lip in street driving though, but every car is different.

BTW, you do not want to run Victoracers or any other R-compound tire (except maybe for Yoko A028R or Toyo RA-1) for street driving. They don't grip until warm and they'll wear out extremely fast.

pianoprodigy

Yeah, I was actually going that route a few minutes ago in my mind. I went to 1010tires.com and used the sizing calculator. A 255/40-17 would be 25.03 and a 245/40-17 would be 24.71. My current fronts are 245/35-18 which are 24.75.

Is a 245/40-17 too small for a 9.5" wheel? It seems that that height would be almost exactly what I have now.

Also, I am planning on buying some Nitto 555Rs for the rear. They are made in 275/40-17. Their height would be about 1/10th of an inch taller than my current rear tires.

Does all this make sense? Is it even worth all the trouble? I have to imagine that saving 8 lbs per wheel would make a pretty big difference.

pianoprodigy

Bump for above questions.

pianoprodigy

No offense taken. I did do some more reading, and I understand it much better now.

SleepR1

pianoprodigy, 245/40-17 on 9.5 x 17 might be a stretch for that tire size. It's probably doable, but not advisable. A "wide" 255/40-17 tire like, Bridgestone S-03 or Yokohama ES100s will work nicely on 9.5 wide x 17 SSR Comps. For the street, it's NOT worth the trouble to get super light wheels; they may not hold up well. For open lapping, autocross, or club racing lighter is better, and is almost always faster. Really depends on what you're after.