Any opinions, or more importantly technical reasons why you would not want to run 16's on a newer WRX? Xluben and I were discussing it and I was curious how many people have tried it and whether it worked, or kinda worked, etc... I'd rather spent a little more money and have ZERO issues. But, if 16's work just fine then I don't mind saving money either.
Are you thinking about winter tires? As long as the wheel clears the caliper, the wheel maintains a reasonable offset, and the rolling diameter of the tire is near equivalent to stock dimensions, I don't see any issues. A lot of people go "-1" (or -2) sizing in the winter and "+1" (and even larger) in the summer.
Do they not make 17" winters anymore? I swapped winters onto my stock wheels, and then bought summer wheels and threw the SP-01s on them
May work, but if you're planning to run stock Subaru 16s they'll be set a bit further into the wells as they are 7-inches wide and the 11 WRX is 17x8. I suspect brake clearance will be your biggest potential concern.
I think tire rack only lists larger wheels than stock. Only GC 2.5 RSs are 16x7. most OEM 16s are 16x6.5. I'm not sure about the 2011s, but according to RockAuto, 2010 WRXs use the common 294mm rotors and twin piston calipers that definitely fit under the 16s. So, assuming the 2011s have the same setup, it should work just fine.
Yeah, they're for winters. 16" steelies and winter tires can be had for about $550 on TireRack. You'll pay that much for just the rubber if you go with 17's (and then you need to get them remounted every season). I called and they said they won't list it as compatible until they physically get a car into their shop to confirm it fits. Here's a thread with quite a few photos of people with 16's on their 2011 WRX's: http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2066834 On one of the later pages, I explain how to trick the TireRack shopping cart into putting the correct wheels/tires into your cart (because they are currently listed as not fitting). As you saw, I have the 16's sitting in my garage. I suppose I could just throw them on let you know if there are any issues. The main plus side (other than cost) of the 16" wheels is that the tires are also skinnier and will give you better traction on the snow.
Sorry - I should have been more explanatory in my ramblings ;-) Yes, the 16's would be for winter. I don't want to run the nice OEM wheels in winter (as well as the tires will be useless in snow/ice). Xluben and I talked hypothetical and I was hoping to get some definitive "ya.. I did that" responses ;-) I ask a lot of questions and try to make educated guesses with the answers from you all. Which, thanks for all the replies - this has to be one of the best/nicest forums I have belong to. Not sure how to behave.
^^^ the reason you did not get a bunch of "yeah I did that" is because there are not a bunch of people with 2011 wrx's.
I'm running 16's on the '10 WRX for winter tires. No problems last year for me, gonna run them again this winter.
Weather forecast today: Time for the winter tires! 16x6.5" steel wheels with 215/55R16 General Altimax Arctic's. Rear 3/4 Front 3/4 Rear view of the tread Front view of tread Rear brake clearance (plenty of room) Front brake clearance (pretty close) Front inset Rear inset The thin wheels give a pretty tucked look. Oh well. General tires have deep, aggressive treads, and a fairly soft compound. Looking forward to trying them out!
