Lowered Car Cutting My Tires

[Smoothie97]

Ok, I've rubbed pretty badly now and I'm to the point where I want to get smaller wheels. I have Tokico Illuminas, Tokico Springs, and Ingalls extreme camber kit which dropped my GST to 1.5" My rims are 18 x 7.5 with 45 mm offset. Tires are 235/40/18. I'd rather not roll or cut my fenders if possible. I'd like to fix this problem by replacing my rims/tires.

What rim and tire specs should I get if going with a 17" setup. I hear that the lower offset value, the more the wheel gets tucked inside the fender well. So If I go with a 35 mm offset, the rim should be nice and snug inside the wheel and miss that stupid fender lip?

 

[wret]

Originally posted by Smoothie97
I hear that the lower offset value, the more the wheel gets tucked inside the fender well. So If I go with a 35 mm offset, the rim should be nice and snug inside the wheel and miss that stupid fender lip?

Wrong. Zero offset would stick out completely like a dooley wheel or one of those rollerskate Hondas. The more offset the more toward the inside of the fenders.

 

[Smoothie97]

Alright, so if I get another 18" x 7.5" wide tire, I'll probably need an offset like 50 mm right?

But if I go with a 17" x 7" tire wide tire, I can probably get away with offset of 45 mm right?

 

[wret]

Unfortunately, the illustrious DSM engineers did not give us much room to play with in the area of tire size, but with careful selection of backspacing you we can make the most of the limited space we have. Vfaq.com has some information, which I found helpful.

My experience is limited to my own vehicle; perhaps someone with more extensive tire installation experience can chime in if they have some good advice.

I have 18 x 8.5 inch rims with +40mm offset and 235/40/18 Kumhos. I have not lowered yet. I believe I have about ½ of clearance between the tires and suspension members in the back. I had to cut/bend the fender flanges to prevent rubbing. I did not observe any clearance issues in the front. I intend to lower about one inch. Hopefully this will not require much camber adjustment because this will push the wheels further out.

 

[1LE]

A 235/35R18 would be a better choice too if they're available?