hi, my car (1987 V6 SE) has widebody panels and I would like to run four 16x9 20mm offset alloy rims without changing to coilovers. They should fit within the body work, but will the inside of these rims (rear or front) scrape on the suspension ? It looks like they would be Really close to touching in the rear. I'm asking since they are Euro wheels and I can't try them on before buying. Thanks!
The stock wheels were 7" wide with a 30 mm offset which means that the bead of the rim sticks 118 mm inboard from the wheel mounting flange. Have a look at your stock wheels to see how close they are to the strut's lower spring seat.
The new wheels you're looking at will stick in 134 mm meaning 26 mm (1.0") further in than your stock wheels. You'll find that there isn't enough room in the rear... and most likely not in the front either.
I have 16x8-20 wheels from a Grand Prix and there's less than 1/4" from the inner edge of the wheel to the knuckle... so I would say that 16x9-20 won't fit. You'd need to run 13-15mm hub centric spacers or adapters to push the wheels out and make them effectively 16x9 w/ ~7mm offset.
Thank you to the both of you. Looking at my 15x7 30mm wheels showed me how close the inner rim of the 16x9 20mm rims would be, and I was thinking of flattening the upper corner of the lower strut mounting plate a little along with a 1/4" spacer to make a little more clearance, but it looks like only coilovers will give enough room . Thanks!
According to Joe's diagram, there would be about a 1/2" between the innermost edge of the rim and the spring seat, assuming the location of the strut line in his drawing is correct and that the distance from the bead seat to the innermost edge of the rim is only a 1/2" as indicated by the white "wings" in his diagram. That would also mean the rim should clear but you'd need to be very careful regarding the selection of tire width to ensure the sidewalls didn't protrude any further than perhaps 3/8" beyond the rim edge.
Edit to add: ...and this only takes into consideration the rear end. There are too many variables for me to figure out the front end clearances without finding someone who's tried this particular combination.
[This message has been edited by Bloozberry (edited 09-01-2014).]
Yes, I was using Joe's illustration as a guide. Adding about 15 mm of width together with 1 inch of height to my stock 15x7 wheels, it appeared to me that in the rear the 17x9 rim would virtually touch the outer flange of the lower strut plate. Then there was the tire cross-section, and even the larger wheel's bead thickness as variables, so I thought I'd ask the experts here. The front suspension seems to have enough room unless it's at full steering lock. It's kinda confusing and I'm not sure how to proceed.. I REALLY appreciate all your help up to now, thanks.
Yes, I was using Joe's illustration as a guide. Adding about 15 mm of width together with 1 inch of height to my stock 15x7 wheels, it appeared to me that in the rear the 17x9 rim would virtually touch the outer flange of the lower strut plate. Then there was the tire cross-section, and even the larger wheel's bead thickness as variables, so I thought I'd ask the experts here. The front suspension seems to have enough room unless it's at full steering lock. It's kinda confusing and I'm not sure how to proceed.. I REALLY appreciate all your help up to now, thanks.
My car is a stock '87 Mera.
quote
Originally posted by Will:
I have 16x8-20 wheels from a Grand Prix and there's less than 1/4" from the inner edge of the wheel to the knuckle...
The red line on the diagram is the STRUT, not the knuckle. A 16 inch wheel hits the knuckle. The early knuckle fits all the way inside a 17" wheel and the '88 knuckle fits inside an 18" wheel.
IOW, 17x9-20 should fit. 16x9-20 will hit the *knuckle*, which isn't shown on the diagram.
For front end fitment, go with 80% of the rear wheel/tire width.
[This message has been edited by Will (edited 09-03-2014).]
The width of the wheel causes the inboard flange to overlap the knuckle (at the strut mount). On a larger diameter wheel, this is ok if everything else clears, but with a 16" wheel, it does not clear.
You could measure from the centerline to the top of the knuckle to see the minimum wheel diameter to be sure.
