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17x9 +38, 255/40/17....am I crazy?

Jabbit

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#1
Disclaimer - I have not ordered wheels yet but I'm about to. 17x9 +38 offset. I know I'll have to raise back to stock height and get friendly with an angle grinder but considering trying to run 255/40/17 in the front, then possibly 235/40/17 in the rear or maybe 245.

Any thoughts here before I drop almost $3k on my dream wheels? Work Emotion for anyone wondering.
 


RubenZZZ

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#2
And im over here trying to figure out if some 17x8.5 ET35 would fit with 215/40s stretched!


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M-Sport fan

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#3
Those are some sweet rolling stock! [thumb]

But that is one T-A-L-L setup with those tires, before you even get to the width.

Depending on which tire you go with, they are from 24.9" tall to 25.2" tall, and from ~8.4" wide (WHY are all of the new Conti-Hoosiers soooo narrow in tread width, across the board?!?) to 9.4" wide in tread width, at least in the 200 tread wear gummie category.

The more pedestrian 300+ tread wear stuff might be shorter and narrower, but I did not check those out at all, because I'm not sure that you want to put something that sedate on those wheels (are they going to be summer daily drivers, or open track wheels??).

Without full-on flares and major cutting, I have my doubts, even at higher than factory ride height. [:(]
 


OP
J

Jabbit

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Thread Starter #4
I'm debating doing a tube front end, has anyone done that on a Fiesta yet?
 


Woods247

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#5
You’re gonna have to cut and flare a lot for that fitment. I haven’t seen a tubed front end. Would be really cool to see you do it. There’s a lot of sticky 235 and 245 out there. Might not need any bigger than that.
 


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Jabbit

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Thread Starter #6
You’re gonna have to cut and flare a lot for that fitment. I haven’t seen a tubed front end. Would be really cool to see you do it. There’s a lot of sticky 235 and 245 out there. Might not need any bigger than that.
Honestly I'm not even worried about the body, that stuff can be bent/moved/cut pretty easy. I'm more concerned about the suspension geometry or just hitting a suspension component. I might try 245/45-16 on my 16x8 first but I'm wondering if that's too wide for the wheel.
 


Woods247

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#7
235 on 17x8 et38 is maybe a 1/4” away from the front spring. Maybe that helps.. I don’t know what the backspacing is but Compomotive can tell you. Unfortunately I’m not a wheel fitment guru. What I have now is tight though. I have no room to grow in any direction front or rear without body work. It just barely misses the spring. I’ll try getting a pic for you later this week.
 


ronmcdon

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#8
I've thought a lot about this as well and have some 17x9 +35 wheels already (+30 would have been safer I think but can run spacers).

Im not at all concerned with outer clearance at the fenders, as Ive already rolled and pulled mine. Totally okay with flares and have a set of M2s in my garage.

Height clearance and suspension clearance is what frightens me. Have a hunch Woods247's 235 wide tire on 17x8 +30 and -3,0 camber up front solution might be the best bet.

Height is a hard one. My guess is that 245/40/17 might be pushing it already and the max you can go. Also which model tire you use can determine clearance. Hankook RS4's don't run so tall and are around 24.5ish in 245/40/17 vs closer to 24.8 for most other 200tw tires in including the 660s, Z3, a052s, etc. Go 255/40 and you're hitting maybe 25 and over. However RS4's also run wider too, which is not a good thing for suspension clearance.

On my end already have Meister coilovers with the tallest Swift spring combo but could only get as high as OEM maybe give or take a quarter inch. Could be wrong but doubt I will clear 25"

Suspension clearance is the scariest. Recall in another recent thread Woods mentioned there was 1/4" clearance to suspension with 3.0ish front camber w/ 235s. 245s and 17x9s would be even tighter.
Maybe 2.0 front camber would work, but then than is really not ideal for grip and tire wear for track and autoX use. You could get more aggressive offset, but that would not be great for turn in scrub radius.

I predict to make 17x9 work, would need offset closer to 25 and go with very short tires like the RS4s. Toyo makes a 200tw tire in 245/35. Flares would be needed more likely than not.

I think 16x8 with 225/45 and close to stock right height is best if you want to keep it simple without much work. Have 16x8 +38, 225/45/16 Z3's (23.8" height iirc). When at 2.0 camber had zero rubbing. Now at 2.9 and very slight rubbing up front that occurs only occasionally at full turn in. I have a hunch I'm hitting the bolt right at the fenders or the suspension.

215/17s on 17x9, no thank you. So depressing. But if you are doing this for car shows and to look cool only makes sense and that is a proven combo fitment wise.
 


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Woods247

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#9
Glad to hear the RS4 is 24.5 tall. That’s our biggest problem although I think what I have planned will alleviate contact completely for everything up to 24.5. I’ll reach out to Compomotive and find out what the backspacing is because their TH2 in 17x8 et38 is perfect for maximizing stock fitment. With a 5mm or 10mm spacer (for spring clearance) we could probably run 245s easily with those specs (along with -3 camber). I had no luck finding more aggressive wheels in 17x8/8.5/9 in 4x108 without going custom. Not sure about the rear though guys. I don’t feel like I have any room at all to go wider in the rear without the flares and I have pretty aggressive camber back there at -2.7. I also have a set of M2s but man, I just don’t want to put forth the effort fitting them. Lazy I know.
 


ronmcdon

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#10
Honestly I'm not even worried about the body, that stuff can be bent/moved/cut pretty easy. I'm more concerned about the suspension geometry or just hitting a suspension component. I might try 245/45-16 on my 16x8 first but I'm wondering if that's too wide for the wheel.
I think the issue there is that you don't have as much a selection of tires in 245/16s unless maybe you go with 100tw tires. 200tw have had no luck. Having fingers crossed Continental or the new Kumho V730 will make them in that size.

Problem also is tire manufacturers are less likely to make wider tires in smaller diameter as time goes by. Used to be able to get 275/17s with Dunlop Z2 SS but today 255s are as wide as 17s go, sadly. So even if you can get a set of 245/16, 200tw tires today, good luck that being the case 5 years from now.

Glad to hear the RS4 is 24.5 tall. That’s our biggest problem although I think what I have planned will alleviate contact completely for everything up to 24.5. I’ll reach out to Compomotive and find out what the backspacing is because their TH2 in 17x8 et38 is perfect for maximizing stock fitment. With a 5mm or 10mm spacer (for spring clearance) we could probably run 245s easily with those specs (along with -3 camber). I had no luck finding more aggressive wheels in 17x8/8.5/9 in 4x108 without going custom. Not sure about the rear though guys. I don’t feel like I have any room at all to go wider in the rear without the flares and I have pretty aggressive camber back there at -2.7. I also have a set of M2s but man, I just don’t want to put forth the effort fitting them. Lazy I know.
Do you think there is any solution at all for getting further height clearance? the 255/40/17 RS4s are 24.8. Imagine if you can run that. The new Kumho v730 are 25 even but seem to perform well and are damn cheap at $170 for a 255/40/17. Would be so happy if I can fit something that tall.

Klutch makes a set of 17x9 +30 wheels and okay priced for a grand I think. Yes otherwise its most likely going to be custom for 3k and up. Maybe Braid Fullrace A's would be cheapest custom wheels.

Yeah sorta dreading the flare install myself, imagine cost at bodyshop to be close to 2k.
 


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Woods247

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#11
I think the issue there is that you don't have as much a selection of tires in 245/16s unless maybe you go with 100tw tires. 200tw have had no luck. Having fingers crossed Continental or the new Kumho V730 will make them in that size.

Problem also is tire manufacturers are less likely to make wider tires in smaller diameter as time goes by. Used to be able to get 275/17s with Dunlop Z2 SS but today 255s are as wide as 17s go, sadly. So even if you can get a set of 245/16, 200tw tires today, good luck that being the case 5 years from now.



Do you think there is any solution at all for getting further height clearance? the 255/40/17 RS4s are 24.8. Imagine if you can run that. The new Kumho v730 are 25 even but seem to perform well and are damn cheap at $170 for a 255/40/17. Would be so happy if I can fit something that tall.

Klutch makes a set of 17x9 +30 wheels and okay priced for a grand I think. Yes otherwise its most likely going to be custom for 3k and up. Maybe Braid Fullrace A's would be cheapest custom wheels.

Yeah sorta dreading the flare install myself, imagine cost at bodyshop to be close to 2k.
Maybe by reducing travel with longer bump stops but other than that I can’t think of another way.
 


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