Winter wheels for '05 STi

Hello,

I'm looking for wheels to mount winter tires on. I've found a few that will fit but none with the correct offset. Have any of you travelled down this road? Any tips or advice would be appreciated.

Thanks, Chris (USA, if it makes a difference)

Reply to
bumpfreaq
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Google for:

WRX STi "steel wheels"

I found a guy selling factory take-offs with 53mm offset for $59 each.

Reply to
Mark Olson

Thanks Mark, I found him easily. I'll definitely consider this option.

Chris

Reply to
bumpfreaq

Enkei makes a set of 17X7 with the correct offset. They are relatively cheap and look pretty good on the car. That's what I use. I also use a

205/55R17 snow tire (narrower is better in deep snow) so the 7" wheel is good enough to handle those.
Reply to
JD

In article , bumpfreaq wrote: (snip)

Out of interest, why would you get different wheels for winter? Would something with different dimensions perform better, somehow? Are you looking to protect the OEM wheels from winter weather? Do you want to be able to switch between summer and winter tires with just with a jack and a tire iron?

I'm curious, because it had never occurred to me to get different wheels for winter, and I'm wondering what the benefits are. I'm certainly planning to replace the RE070's with winter tires.

-- Mark

Reply to
Mark Carroll

Mainly I am don't want to risk compromising the integrity of the RE070s by taking them off and putting them back on. I've been advised by mechanics (family members, not peeps that want my money) that it's very common to damage tires when taking them off the rim.

Added bonuses are the convenience of changing tires and not damaging the BBS rims if I happen to slide into a curb during the winter.

Chris

Reply to
bumpfreaq

On Mon, 03 Oct 2005 03:20:54 GMT, "bumpfreaq" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@g44g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:

Not to mention the damage the apes^H^H^H^Hmechanics do to the aluminum rims doing the change every six months. This damage allows the aluminum to be exposed to salt leading to corrosion and air leaks.

Reply to
Here and There

(snip)

Thanks for the advice, guys. I really didn't want to spend the money, but now it looks like I should seriously consider it!

-- Mark

Reply to
Mark Carroll

On Mon, 03 Oct 2005 11:29:20 GMT, Mark Carroll wrote in news:Kag* snipped-for-privacy@news.chiark.greenend.org.uk:

Steel wheels are an investment and not really an expense. Around here the charge is about C$60 to C$80 every six months to swap tires on rims and rebalance. Only two years and you've paid off even the most expensive steel wheels in labour costs alone.

All the other benefits are a bonus.

Reply to
Here and There

I do it because road salt will corrode and damage the BBS wheels which are very expensive. Consequently, having a cheap set of winter wheels is better. In addition, 225 are not particularly good for a car as light as an STi. Narrower is better for winter tires. I use 205/55 for the winter; same circumference but 2 cm narrower.

Reply to
JD

In article , JD wrote: (snip)

Hmmm, thanks very much. You and the other posters have certainly convinced me that I really should get a tire/wheel package for winter.

Ah, that's interesting. With 205/55 what wheel size should I go for? I've not yet figured out how to tell. For instance, if I say with 17", should I probably stay with 53-ish offset, but get something a bit narrower than the BBS' 7.5"? I'd appreciate any advice about winter tire sizes and what wheel sizes will fit those. (For instance, would it be worth going down to 16" to save money? How much wiggle room do I have with offset?)

-- Mark

Reply to
Mark Carroll

I went with a 17 X 7 for the 205/55. You can't go 16. They won't clear the brakes.

Reply to
JD

In article , JD wrote: (snip)

Ah, good point - I should have looked more carefully. (-: Some Googling suggests that with 205cm tires I can go up to 7.5" wide but no more on the wheels. I think I did see soem reasonable 7" wheels around.

-- Mark

Reply to
Mark Carroll

If you're still looking, try

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I bought a set of Rota wheels from them. They have fitment for MY04 and MY05+ STi.

Reply to
leeden

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