Wheel fitment - A few questions

[hollybambam]

Hey all, hope everyone had a decent Christmas.

So I've got a 2005 ES Lancer sedan with gross 15" steel wheels on it. I've been looking for a while at new wheels, googling everything to try and get my facts straight as to what specs I need.

Got my ruler out, measured the PCD at 114.3 (4.5"), 4 stud pattern. Thought I was good to go and search, then I come across the offset. From what the specs say in the manual, it's 46mm (presumably +).

Firstly, does this info sound correct? I'll be honest and say I'm a complete noob when it comes to this stuff. Secondly, in regards to offset, is there a threshold for variance? As in, is it going to be an issue to fit wheels with say a 38mm offset onto the car.

Are there bits that I'm missing? Thanks in advance for any help you guys can provide. It's much appreciated.

Holly.

 

[Daytime]

I'm no CH Lancer owner, but that info sounds about right.

Fitment is also dependant on wheel width.
Eg. The fitment of a 7" wide +38 offset wheel will be different(further inset) to that of the same offset on an 8" wide wheel.

Check out these guys' CH Lancers for some inspiration:
Slee96, Ghost_eyes, Jeffaz(ex owner).

Use this reference tool too:
http://www.willtheyfit.com

 

[rigby]

That info would be correct. 4x114.3 +46 is pretty standard.

The threshold for variance depends on the width and the offset and how they work together. The offset is measured in mm. So if you kept the same height and width of the rim, but went to +36 offset, you rim would now poke out a further 10mm from where it did before. Easiest way to get better fitment is to increase the width and height of the stock rim by at least 1" each, and lower the offset by at east 10 (so from +40 to +30 for example). This gives you better fitment and also negates the need to roll or flare guards or get fully sick camber arms. Of course you can go for a more aggressive fit if you want.

So easiest way to think about it, if you keep the same specs but increase only the width, the wheel will sit further towards and away from the car evenly. So going from 6" to 7" would add a half inch increase towards the car, and a half inch increase away from the car. If you went 2" wider it would be increased by 1" in each direction. Obviously you can only go so wide until the inside of the rim hits something, that is where offset comes into play. By lowering the offset of the rim, you push the wheel further away from the inside of the car (where you suspension is) and towards the outside of the guard (poking out from your guard/fender). So if a 15x7 +46 rim was hitting your suspension, you could fit a 15x7 +36 rim and have it fit nicely, because the wheel is now sitting 10mm further away from the suspension. By mixing and matching the right height, width abd offset you can get a wheel to sit exactly where you want it to, whether that be inside the guard so you can tuck it, commo-spec, or flush with the guard, or poking out of the guard.

Camber is a whole other ball game. Someone can tell you more if you want to know but camber is really only necessary for more aggressive fitment.