kensuke

iTrader: (2)

*Discuss this thread HERE

lancer info:

lancer oz and ls have a 4x114.3 bolt pattern
lancer es has a 4x100 bolt pattern

general info:

wheel size is measured in inches. first number is diameter, second number is width.

Offset is measured in mm. It determines where the wheel mounts to the studs compared to the center of the rim (as viewed from top). 0 offset mounts in the middle. Positive offset (common on FWD cars) means the mounting location is towards the outside of the rim. Negative offset (common on deep dish rims) means the mounting location is towards the inside of the rim.
Offset is extremely important to consider when buying rims.

tire size is measured with the first number as the width (in mm), the second number is the percentage of the width that is the sidewall height (aka profile), and the third number is the rim size (in inches) that the tire sits on.

your sidewall (the second number) must be taken into consideration depending on what you'll use it for. if you want your rim safe, go with a 40+ sidewall. however, don't go too big or your rim may no longer fit in the wheel well! 35 will normally work for daily driving, but you may run it a bit close in potholes, etc. any lower than a 35 should be used for show or track only! keep those rims safe!

as far as rim sizes go, you'll want to go no bigger than 19s on the lancer, and this is only if you're ready to do some fender flaring or rolling. as a safe bet, however, go no larger than a 18x7.5 rim size. with this size, go with a 35 series sidewall. 17x7.5 is a safe bet, and 17x7 is even safer. there's close to no chance of rubbing with a 17x7 rim. also keep in mind that the bigger the rim, the more your car has to turn, meaning less power to the wheels with greater size. to figure this out, use the w(pi)r^2 rule to find the volume and compare the numbers between a 17x7 and an 18x8. big difference, eh?

what you decide to go with will depend on what you want your car to look like. if you're going for show, bigger rims may be your best bet. if you're looking for performance, smaller rims will be your friend. in my personal opinion, 17" is the smallest rim i'd go with. with a smaller rim you have room for more tire as well. you may want to increase tire size depending on how much off roading you'll be doing.

as far as lowering goes, trusted companies that have proven themselves time and time again are eibach, h&r, progress, and tein (add more if i forgot any). these springs will not only lower your car, but will also give you better handling. how far you decide to drop is based on your personal likings and the setup you have.

if i left anything big out, let me know! just add on whatever you have to... add on. hopefully this helped.

-tyrone

urbanknight

iTrader: (14)

This online calculator will help you determine what size tires to get without throwing your speedo and odometer off too far... or it will tell you how far off your tires are

urbanknight

iTrader: (14)

Here are some ideal tire widths (D=rim diameter, as that doesn't matter in tire width):

Dx6 = 195-205
Dx7 = 205-215
Dx7.5 = 215-235
Dx8 = 225-255

HOWEVER, the Lancer does not like any tires wider than 225 (as Kensuke mentioned). So it is correct that 8" rims can take 245 tires (that is the standard size tire on the 16x8 that comes on most Camaros and Firebirds), but they would not fit inside the Lancer's small wheel well.

Also, so people don't have to go to the calculator and figure it out for themselves, here's a list of ideal tire sizes (in order from most accurate to least accurate) with the most recommended sizes in bold type:

For the OZ and LS:
15" rim: 195/60/15, 215/55/15, 205/55/15 , 225/50/15
16" rim: 205/50/16 , 215/50/16 , 225/45/16
17" rim: 205/45/17 , 215/45/17, 215/40/17, 225/40/17
18" rim: 225/35/18, 205/40/18 , 215/35/18
19" rim: 225/30/19, 215/30/19, 205/30/19, 205/35/19

For the ES:
14" rim: 185/65/14, 205/60/14
15" rim: 215/50/15 , 195/55/15 , 205/50/15, 205/55/15
16" rim: 215/45/16 , 205/45/16 , 225/40/16
17" rim: 205/40/17 , 225/35/17, 215/40/17
18" rim: 225/30/18, 205/35/18, 215/30/18
19" rim: 205/30/19

The ES can use any of the recommended sizes for the OZ/LS just fine, but the odometer and speedometer will be a little less accurate (will read about 3% slower).

urbanknight

iTrader: (14)