Hey all,

I've recently downsized my wheels and tires from 16x7, 205/50/16 to 15x5.5, 175/65/15

I'm happy with the ride and the handling, but compared to my larger setup, I really dislike how there is a large gap between the edge of the fender and the outside edge of the tire. It used to be a perfect fitment with the tires aligning with the fender flares. Now with the narrower setup, the stance of the car looks a little goofy.

I've seen a lot of passing comments advising against spacers, but I don't really understand why. Can someone tell me what size would be best to get a similar stance, where the edge of the tire is near the edge of the fender? Is it a bad idea to run spacers on the street over a certain width, and why?

I'm also open to just running a slightly wider tire (195?) but since these are brand new, I'll probably have them for awhile.

Sorry for the blurry photo...

 

Do you happen to know the offset on the old and new wheels?

 

From what I can find, my 16" Konigs have an offset of +40 while the 15" R100's have an offset of 45.

 

You didn't say what the offset of your 16" wheels were. That will make a big difference in the response you get.

A lot of people close the gap up/down by lowering their car. A wider tire and rim brings the tire further out which closes the gap from the side. The tire change that you made changes the gap from the side inward by about 15mm (205 - 175 / 2) so you would need a 15mm spacer to make up that difference. If your 16" rims were not at the stock offset (most are not), then you will have to go with even a larger spacer.

http://www.waymotorworks.com/wmw-15m...l-spacers.html

You will have to get 15mm longer wheel bolts if you do this, though; larger if you go with a larger spacer.

you can do the same with different rims. The stock MINI rims are 48mm ET. You could go with a 38mm ET wheel and close the space by quite a bit.

I have run the 38 mm ET wheels without problem. With a 5mm spacer (and longer bolts) you get you the full 15mm that you are looking for.

Personally, I would go with the 195-60 tire and less of a spacer. That size tire, being wider, will look better from the back as well as from the side.

just my 2 cents.

 

Wow...that is going to take a 20 mm spacer to cover that difference. Way Motors has a 20 mm spacer, though. Get the wheel stud kit for those.

 

OK, lets do the math.
You went from 16x7 ET40 wheels with 205/50/16 tires to 15x5.5 ET45 wheels with 175/65/15.

Wheels first:
5mm greater offset had shifted the centerline of the new wheel 5mm inboard vs. the old one. On top of that, the new wheel is 1.5" (38mm) narrower, so the outside edge of the new wheel lip is now 38/2 + 5 = 24mm further inboard vs. the old one.

Tires:
You new tires are 205 - 175 = 30mm narrower than the old. On an identical wheel, the outside edge of the tire is now 15mm further inboard than before.


Now about the spacers.
If you go with spacers, make sure they are 56.2mm hub-centric (critical, otherwise the wheel will never balance right on the car) and do not forget to buy correspondingly longer lug bolts. Spacers are frequently used to push the wheel away from the centerline of the car. Usually to make room for wider wheels and tires to clear suspension components. Ocassionally for cosmetical reasons.

5mm - 15mm spacers are common, but as you go wider, challenges arise. The longer wheel bolts will stretch more, the thicker spacers are harder to mount and align, etc, etc. At some point you will want to bolt the spacer to the hub, and in-turn, bolt the wheel to the spacer. Similar to the following: http://www.autoanything.com/wheel-tire/61A2607A0A0.aspx

If you want to return the outside edge of your new wheel to where the old one was, you will need 25mm (24mm actually, but spacers are manufactured in 5mm increments) spacers (and longer lug bolts). That's almost as wide as they come. It will take another 15mm to return the outside edge of the tire to where the old one was, requiring 40mm spacers in total.

This is getting into ridiculous red-neck mud-truck territory.

Hope this helps,
a

 

Thanks very much for the quick and thorough replies, guys! I didn't realize what a ridiculous and costly mess it would be to achieve such a minor cosmetic goal. It seems I'll just have to learn to accept my narrower stance for the time being. I'll just compromise and get a bit of a wider tire when it's time to replace these ones. Spending hundreds of dollars on spacers and bolts over something this minor seems pretty silly.

Cheers!

 

Why did you change in the first place?

 

Right now I have winter tires on my Konigs, which I mounted right after burning through the last of my summers. I wanted to go to more of a stock look, and I wanted to try 15" to see if the lighter weight made any difference in steering response, braking, etc. I picked up the stock wheel/tire set for $400 at the dealership garage sale. Since it was cheaper than a set of new summers, I figured it was worth a shot.

I like the driving feel, but if the looks really bug me I do still have the 16x7's laying around.