Hi guys, I'm looking to put a new setup on my Evo and need some help with numbers. She's a stock 2008 GSR X and I've fallen for a nice set of "Works wheels - Emotion 11R" in black. Now I wanted to mount these with a new set of tires that were a bit meatier than the standards. I'm looking at a set of 275/35/R18's. I'm a noob when it comes to cars, I'm after the look rather than any performance gains or handling improvements. What I wanted to know is, will these wheels and tires work on the stock setup? I don't even know what a "spacer" is.. let alone if I need them! I need to know if this setup will clear the stock Bremob's and have no issues with the stock fenders. Any help would be awesome. thanks. James

 

For that tire size, I would run a 10.5 wide rim. Spacers are used when rims cannot clear the brake calipers. Also, some use spacers to get the flush look with the wheels and body.

 

Thanks for the info. After some research and some talks, I'm looking to order the following setup: 265/35/18 on a 9.5 with a +20 offset. I'm pretty sure this will give her the meaty look I'm looking for and "should clear the stock Brembo's, with Stock springs.. right? I don't want any rubbing on the fenders etc. I'm nervous!

 

k.. so my two options are:
18X9.5 with a +20 OR
18X10.5 with a +22


Either option would be running on 265\35\18's. Which setup would look the best and clear stock calipers, with stock springs WITHOUT any fender alterations. Thanks for any replies, I wanna get this setup done ASAP.

 

I think if you're just going for the "look" of the wheels and tires combo, then it might serve you best to check out some other members and their ride specs. That way, you'd have a good insight on what type of width and offsets you'd need to achieve the look you're going for. Also, depending on the ride level, you'd might need roll or pull in order to achieve the necessary space, but not likely with 265.

Good luck!

 

Neither setup is guaranteed to clear the fenders on stock springs. You have to get over the fear of rolling the rear fenders if you are going to change wheels and tires. It's really easy to do and shouldn't be a determining factor in your decision.

That said, the 18x9.5+20 obviously has a way better chance of clearing as it protrudes 1/2 less then the 18x10.5+22. I also wouldn't run a 265/35 on an 18x10.5 wheel, that's quite a stretch. So you'd run a 275/35 on the 18x10.5 which makes it have even less chance of clearing.

Looks wise, here is a photo of 18x10.5+22 with 275/35R18 tires on stock suspension:


Stock suspension actually makes it harder to clear the fenders due to how low of spring rate they are. A lowered car will have an easier time. And if you put a couple people in the back seat and hit a bump, you can easily scrape the tire and shred chunks of rubber off the tire. Here you can see just how much the stock suspension rolls:



I personally really like 18x10+~20 setup on the evo. I think this fits the best with the body lines. Here is 18x10+18 with 275/35 tire on stock suspension:


Lastly, don't worry about loosing the "beefy" look when switching from 275/35 to a 265/35 tire. This is also why I'd say run a 265/35 tire. I think 275/35 is a bit too much tire for the car, you lose performance from the added weight and rotational inertia. Here is a comparison shot of 275/35 toyo ra1s next to 265/35 dunlop zii. As you can see there really isn't much difference.


Here's another comparison of 275/35 vs 265/35 tire. The 275/35 are dunlop zi star specs, the 265/35 are the dunlop zii pictured above. This is the exact same suspension setup and allignment between the pics. So you can see that the 265 vs 275 tire size doesn't make as much of a difference in appearance as you'd think.



Anyway, point being I'd just stick with the 18x9.5+22 with a 265/35 and hope that you clear. But if you like the more aggressive setup/look then try to find an 18x10+~18 and run a 265/35 and just be ok with rolling the rear fenders and you'll be happy.