This car I’m about to feature is one many of us have seen floating around the internet. Be it on IWSTI, Nasioc, or his own Blog Pin It To Win It.

Tim is no different then the rest of us, he chose a modification plan, he talked to vendors, he bought his parts, he got local subie guys to help, he dropped his car off at EFI and he drives the piss out of it!

Alright, there are a few differences. First Tim chose to put the smaller 16″ Specification brakes off the JDM 16″ Specification Spec C STi. These brakes use the same caliper as the 06/07 WRX here in the US but with a different sized rotor, 5×114.3 and properly sized for the rear parking brake and R180.

Why go to the smaller brakes you ask? one word. Abilitytofit15inchrallytires. As many of you know the Brembos require a minimum of a 17″ wheel. There are very very few rally tires made in sizes larger than 15″. This leaves little choice for people wanting true rally tires. Little brakes and 15″ wheels here we come!

Tim first saw the WRC on SPEED channel back when it aired more then NASCRAP. He was 12 years old and was instantly hooked. Tim like many of us used to stay up until midnight to watch. Tim’s favorite team was of course Subaur WRT and he quickly became obsessed with the WRC Subaru Impreza WRX STi. After Tim graduated college and nailed down his first “Grown up” job he bought his STi. This is the first car he’s modded if you can believe that.

Another similarity between Tim and the rest of us is that he built this car to compete in multiple different types of racing and more than one rule book. He shot for both NASA/USRC and RallyAmerica. Building the car to be eligible for both associations allow Tim to run more events and enjoy the car more.

Ok, ok lets be honest. Tim is a little crazier then alot of us. haha. He did put a huge 4 light pod, full cage, and removed the interior in a perfectly good 2006 STi. What did he end up with? A perfect hill climbing rally monster that not only looks the part but also performs! I can’t wait to see more video/photos/info on Tim’s Rally Bagger.

This RallyBagger was built with the help of a few key vendors/people.

Most Important – EFI Logics – simply put Chris and his crew are the best. No words describe them!

EFI Logics

Sunshine Sign for all the graphics and continued stickering of the car

Sunshine Sign

Rallispec, TurnInConcepts, and HMS Motorsport for helping out with some of the build

Turn In Concepts
Ralli Spec
HMS Motorsport

Of course a link to the Teams site

Pin It To Win It Blog

Tim has a busy schedule coming up, good luck!

Upcoming events

Rallies
January 23-24th Winter Rally New York – Snow
April 16-17th Rally New York – Tarmac
July 16-17th New England Forest Rally – Gravel
September 10-11th International Rally NY – Gravel

Hill Climbs (Dates not established yet)
Mt. Ascutney I: May
Burke I: June
Okemo I: July
Okemo II: August
Burke II: August
Mt. Ascutney II: September
Philo: October

Mod List

Engine/Turbo
Stock VF39
EFI Logics Custom Race Exhaust
COBB SF intake
COBB AP2
Gimmick MAF tube
GroupN Engine mounts
Kartboy Pitch Stop

Suspension/Driveline
DMS 50mm Gravel Coilovers
GroupN top hats
Every bushing TiC offers – Seriously
GroupN tranny mount
GroupN Engine mounts
Rear lock down bolts

Interior
Cobra Suzuka GT seats
Terratrip Kill switch
DEFi gauges/control unit
Terratrip Intercom
Terratrip Rally computer
Schroth 6 point Profi Harnesses
Terratrip Map Lights
Custom Rally Spec cage built by Chris Howard

Exterior
Custom Vinyl by Voodoo Graphics (a division of Sunshine Sign)
Custom Rallybagger mud flaps
Roof Vent
Prodrive Carbon Fiber replica Light Pod
Hella 700FF Driving lights x2
KC Hilites 50 series x2

Brakes/Wheels/Tires
JDM GroupN rotors
JDM GroupN calipers
Hawk HP+ pads
SS lines
ATE Superblue fluid
SpeedLine 15×7” Corse 2020 cast magnesium
BBS 17×8” STi – Tarmac
Hankook Ventus rs202 Gravel tires
Kumho KW19 studded Snow tires
ToyoR888 Tarmac tires

Logan’s GR STI was voted the Top Scoob in Nasioc’s world famous Top Scoob poll. Shortly you’ll see why if you don’t already know. It’s rarely easy to modify a Subaru, Logan’s GR STI is no different. It took time, dedication and a very thought out modification path. Logan stuck with it and is now driving around in a Top Scoob.

I’ve got the current Top Scoob himself Logan here to chit chat about his setup a little. This car looks amazing. skip the small talk, here is Top Scoob Logan’s GR Subaru Impreza WRX STI with 18×10 Advan RZ’s.

T3h_Clap: First things first, is this your first Subaru? if not, what are some of your other/older Subarus?

Logan: Yes actually, this is my first to car heavily mod. I was just planning on going stage 2 because I wanted something reliable and turbod and exhaust, but the Subaru mod fever struck.

T3h_Clap: why the GR STi?
Logan: I wanted a new engine to work with. Something that someone hasn’t done a thousand times. So I got the new body style to create something different and I knew it would be fresh. I love the GD chassis, but i hope Subaru discontinues the hatchback sti soon. I want it to only be made two years. Kind of hoping its just a random quirky Subaru that wasn’t over populated and over viewed. haha if that makes sense.

T3h_Clap: What did you build the car for? (Street/Track/Dual/Drag/Autox etc?)
Logan: Daily Driving, but the Track is where I am headed, so that’s my next step in plans. Since I lived in Missouri, there are not any places to track, now in Florida I am trying to find some tracks besides Daytona.

T3h_Clap: What are the specs on your wheels/Tires? Any special requirements to get them to fit?
Logan: the wheels are Advan Rz 18×10 +30 tires are nexen 3000 (****ty tires, cause wheels cost too much ha) 275/35/18 and all four fenders are rolled to fit. Camber is -2.5 front -2.4 back. My ride height is just above slammed on the bc coils.

T3h_Clap: Any plans on going to a wider wheel/tire?
Logan: As soon as I finish school plan on fitting some 18×11s on there with 295s or 305s. Just to say it can be done, but obviously not for tracking.

T3h_Clap: Any plans doing competitive racing?
Logan: Not really, since I’m still in college for recording arts and music business, I’m going to pursue this for a while and the keep the cars hobbies and fun for now, would deff get out there when i have some down time at some Time Attack events or something. that would be the ****.

T3h_Clap: Where can people see the car? (meets/shows/track events?)
Logan: Every week down in Orlando, there is a Wednesday night meet at the sonic on south Semoran. And there is an AWD meet coming up. Also look for my car in Modified Mag thanks to Peter.

T3h_Clap: Quick blurb about you and your car, any notable hang ups, funny stories.
Logan: This car has been the biggest pain in the ass, but the most love owning it. Hauling it up to Chicago and watching Jorge drive away in your car after being tuned and watching it rip down the road. Makes me smile real big! But OMG! every install something weird and out of the ordinary pops up and causes problems. But that’s part of it being a Subaru I guess.

T3h_Clap: Shout out to Friends, Forums, Blogs, Sponsors, Vendors, Photogs, Family.
Logan: I would like to thank,
My family and friends!
Jorge and the whole crew at P and L Motorsports
Josh from importimage
Bryan from CVR Motorsports
Dave at SKPerformance
Perrin
TIC

Great looking car, not hard to see why he won the Top Scoob title for best GR on Nasioc.

This is one hell of a mod list:

Engine & Exhaust:

Pro tuned by jorge at P & L
Accessport Engine Management
Invidia N1 Race
Cobb Lightened Pulley
SPT Oil Cap
Samco Radiator Hoses
SPT Battery Tie Down
EBCS
Royal Purple 5W-30
Subtle Radiator Shroud
P&L FMIC
GT35R Rotated .82 A/R
P&L CAI
P&L Catless DP (ceramic coated)
P&L EWG Up Pipe (ceramic coated)
Perrin EL Headers (ceramic coated)
Pnp Intake Manifold
TGV Deletes (ceramic coated)
Walbro 255 Fuel Pump
Tial 44mm Wastegate
Tial 50mm BOV
Deatschwerks 850cc Injectors
NGK Iridium Plugs
Perrin Catch Can

Interior:

Bride Cuga Front Seats
Bride Door Pulls
Bride Shift Boot
Bride eBrake Boot
Bride Center Arm Rest
Wedge Engineering Rails
Prosport Gauges:
Boost
Oil Pressure
Oil Temp
EGT
AEM Uego Wideband AFR
JL HD Amp with Custom sub enclosure with 12″ JL Sub
JL Cleansweep (to keep my Nav)
STI Red Pedal Kit
Painted Interior Pieces
DIY A-pillar Triple Pod
Viper 5901 Alarm System
Alcantara wrapped Steering Wheel

Drivetrain:

Cobb Double Adjustable short shifter
Kartboy Front Shifter Bushings
SPT Rear Shifter Bushing
Cobb Knob
IXIS Clutch Optimizer
Group N Tranny Mount
Group N Motor Mounts
Kartboy Crossmember Bushings
Kartboy Pitch Stop
ACT HD Street Clutch
Motul Gear300
Motul 90PA Rear Diff Fluid

Exterior:

Seibon CF CW Hood – Painted
CS Bottom Line Kit – Painted
15% Tint
Hella Supertones – Painted
Painted Grill
Painted Fog Light Housings
RA Mudflaps – trimmed
DRL Delete
Rally Yellow Fog Overlays
ROLLED FENDERS
Rear Wiper Delete
Perrin Shorty Antennae
BlueBatMobile Tail Covers
Angel Eyes from Lightwerkz
Smoked Headlight Relfectors
Smoked Rear Reflectors
Painted Logos/Badges
Nukabe Tow Hook
CF Front Bumper Vents

Wheels & Suspension:

BC Racing Coilovers
Advan RZ 18×10 +30 in Gunmetal
Nexen N3000 275/35/18
Whiteline Camber Bolts
Front Camber Bolts
Whiteline Rear Subframe Inserts
Perrin Strut Brace
Perrin 22mm F Sway Bar
Perrin 22mm R Sway Bar
5Zigen Locking Lugs Blue

-T3h_Clap

I don’t normally go on Rants, but it’s about time someone did. This needs to happen.

After the most recent post about the new tire rack website I got more than a few comments stating the following.

“Can we pick wheel size now?”

“Oh, it’s just a tire selection, no wheel selection?”

“Can we reverse search wheel size?”

unfortunately the answer to all of the above is no.

I, among many other enthusiasts want to be able to select and BUY wheels from tire rack that we know will work. LET US PICK A SIZE!

I don’t want to have to use a “big wheel STI” (aka 96 Toyota Supra) to search for anything wider than 8.5″ for my STI.

Everyone I’ve talked to is willing to give up their “return if doesn’t fit” ability to have this function.

I understand “WHY” tire rack doesn’t have this feature available to everyone, people go to tire rack for a no questions asked fitment. Well tire rack, I want to say that there are some of us that know we can make a setup work. Sure we can call in and talk to a select few of your amazing customer service/sales guys who know how to fight their way through the system, but we should be able to do it online!

Especially with Tire Rack now carrying some of the bigger names in the import market (Namely Rays, Weds) they are a great option for us not only to search but to also buy!

Is there anyone else out there that thinks Tire Rack needs wheel size selection?

Allow me to pick Bolt Pattern, Width Range, Offset Range and Diameter Range. Hell Tire Rack has the software to also know special factory brake clearance. *hint* *hint* although the last part isn’t a pre-requisite for us getting what we want.

Add your comments in support or against Tire Rack adding this functionality!

-t3h_Clap

Looks like Tire Rack took a hint from the guys over at Rays and decided to integrate some new goodies.

Check it out! http://www.tirerack.com

The new functionality is really going to make things easier to navigate. Gotta love progress!

Comments on if you like or dislike the change?

265/35/18s….new street tires maybe?

-t3h_clap

The magic delievery person dropped off Two boxes from the Famous TiC. I had gotten an email from Clint saying they shipped and I was anxiously waiting for my TiC SSTs. They only took 3 days to get here! For those not familiar with the Turn In Concept spec AST Coilover system here are some teaser photos until I get everything assembled.

Turn-In-Concept SST Coilovers

TiC’s Strut assemblies are made by AST to TiC SST specifications. TiC offers their coilovers with Swift Main Springs, Swift Helper Springs, and Swift Thrust Washers. I chose to go with the Vorshlag Camber Plates front and rear as well. They also come with a very detailed document on the assembly and care of your new suspension (rare to find that now-a-days).

This specific set of TiC SSTs runs the same setup as their Time Attack winning WRX with stiffer and shorter Swift Springs. I’ll be running 9k front and 8k rear, both front and rear are 6″ Springs. Once Clint & Tony knew the ride height and planned use for the suspension we custom tailored the spring choice to meet my needs.  Thank you again Clint and Tony!

Now More Pictures!

Below you’ll see some more snap shots of the 6″ 9k/8k Swift Main Springs, Swift Helper Springs, and Vorshlag Camber plates.

Vorshlag Camber plates were chosen because of their short stack height and additional caster. Along with the Whiteline offset caster bushings I should be able to maximize caster without having too much.

Still working out the final alignment and ride height settings.

Shooting for around -3.0 front and -1.7 to -1.8 rear camber and as much Caster as we get.

Car will be corner balanced so the ride height wont be exact but we’re shooting for about 14″ front 13.75″ rear + or – .25″

Everything is coming together, stay tuned!

I don’t normally post random “holy crap this is awesome” posts, but there is a first for everything.

The recently updated Rays Engineering site is really amazing. The functionality is increased along with speed and usability.

http://www.rayswheels.co.jp

Check it out and give me your thoughts.

This will make searching easier and should help expose some of the lesser known Rays brands.

More screen shots from the website, I love the brand selection filter and size filter.

I’m heading to STU. I want to get back to street tires.

I’ll be putting together a few articles with the build progress and parts accumulation.

The build is going to be a simple STU build. Suspension, Bushings, Wheels, Tires and Driver tuning.

Round 1: Bushings, Mounts, Shifter from Turn In Concepts

As you see we’ve got a nice little box of goodies going in.

Turn In Concepts sent out the first round of goodies, and I couldn’t be happier!

Thank you again Clint and Tony.

Looking forward to the day I can get the new bushings and mounts installed.

July 2nd 2009; Ordered a set of TiC SSTs with custom spring rates and more bushings from Turn In Concepts.

Also, just got off the Phone with the Earl @ Touge Factory and put down the deposit for the new Wheels.

Busy lunch hour. haha.

Stay tuned for more updates.

-t3h_clap

You read that right, 100% stock suspension 2006 Subaru Impreza WRX STi with 9.5″ wheels! Quick background on the car/owner. Ben Wales has had a slew of Subarus over the years. What you see below is a 2006 Subaru Impreza WRX STI aka. Batscubie #5.

17x9.5 +44mm Enkei NT03+M 245/45/17

This STi was recently bought when Ben traded in Batscubie #4 aka. the Wraith. Ben had these 17×9.5 +44mm Enkei NT03+M’s on Batscubie #4 (08 STi) with some 275s. Ben wanted to compete in STU with the 2006 STI so he kept the 9.5 Enkei’s and bought some 245’s.

Ben Wales Batscubie #5 9.5 Enkeis 2006 Subaru Impreza WRX STI

Batscubie #5 is one of the luckiest GD Imprezas out there. Two days after picking it up from the dealership Ben had mounted up his new wheel/tire combo. Brand new 245/45/17 Bridgestone RE760 Sports mounted on to the 17×9.5 +44mm Enkei NT03+M’s. Batscubie #5 was rocking a set of Enkei NT03+M’s in 17×9.5 +44mm offset on a stock suspension STI!? You may ask, 245’s on a 9.5″ wheel? Well the answer to that question is simple, SCCA Solo2 STU requires a 245 tire max. 2nd question is why not RE-11’s? Well the answer to that question is simple too, Ben Wales from Wales Garage in Ft. Lauderdale loves any excuse to push Bridgestone’s best tires to the test. RE-11’s are coming later this year….errr. Maybe I wasn’t supposed to let that part out. Sorry Ben, secrets out.

2006 Subaru Impreza WRX STI GD 17x9.5 Stock Suspension

Ben’s Batscubie #5 is a 2006 Subaru Impreza WRX STI with Stock STI Springs, Stock STI Struts, Stock STI Front and Rear Sway Bars, and Stock un-Molested Rear Fenders. You read that right, un-Molested Rear Fenders. The reason he isn’t rubbing in the rear is simple, +44mm offset and 245/45/17 tire. This combination allows the wide wheel/tire setup to stay clear of the rear fenders (even while autoxing).

245/45/17 Bridgestone RE760 9.5 Enkei STU STI

I’m not going to lie, the stock suspension’s height (aka. 4×4 status) does the Batscubie #5 a favor. With a lower suspension and still stock fenders this 2006 Subaru Impreza WRX STi would rub.

The is not alot of room inboard with this 17×9.5 +44mm and 245/45/17 setup. This is the same wheel seen on Jaimie’s Car (Seen Here). The offset requires careful calculation with inboard clearances, as there can be rubbing if the coilover is wider than the factory strut bodies, or too much camber is dialed in via camber bolts.

Ben Wales 2006 Subaru Impreza WRX STi 17x9.5 Stock Suspension

There you have it, 9.5″ wheels with a proper offset are capable of fitting on a 100% stock suspension when running a 245 tire. Any offset lower than a +40mm will most likely rub on the rear fenders, going any higher than +45mm will cause rubbing inboard.

Ben’s 2006 Subaru Impreza WRX STi has alot instore for the up coming months, I can’t let everything out of the bag just yet so here’s the current mod-list.

Wheels/Tires:
Enkei NT03+M 17×9.5 +44mm
Bridgestone RE760 Sport 245/45/17

Suspension:
100% Stock

Power:
APS 3″ Turbo Back
Cobb AP

Interior:
Defi Amber BF Boost Gauge
Schroth Harness for Autox’s

Exterior:
Wingless WRX Trunk

Keep your eyes peeled for future Batscubie articles, and as always any questions/comments feel free to post or email.

Jon is aiming to be TopScoob 14 this coming Month, and based on what I’ve seen he’s got a damn good chance. Equipped with some 18×9.5 +32 Prodrive GC-010G’s and 255/35/18 Bridgestone RE-11s he’s got himself a little track animal. With nearly 10 track days under his belt in this 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX STI, Jon has let this animal run free on more than a few of his local and not so local road courses. This car doesn’t just look amazing, it also performs thanks to a tried and true suspension from KW and a Yimi Sport Tune of his Cobb AP v2.0 (kinda sorta Stage2 Protune). Enough of the Intro lets get to the details. Jon will also be competing in this months Redline Time Attack @ Big Willow. I’m excited to see some results from all his seat time. Enough of the Intro lets get to the details.

Jon is on his 8th Subaru. One of the many Subaru owners sucked into the community by his roommates and closest friends. Jon’s nicely modified A4 (with the infamous 1.8T) couldn’t keep up to his friend’s WRX. As with the rest of the community one drive and you’re hooked. “It’s what makes a Subaru a Subaru”. Jon’s story about why he loves Subaru isn’t uncommon. Jon had bought a 1993 Subaru Impreza L wagon with aspirations to swap in the bigger and better WRX drivetrain into his poor unsuspecting L, something else unsuspected happened. He had an unfortunate accident where his Subaru Impreza L Wagon rolled during a Road Rally. Luckily, Jon had chosen the right car, the little L saved his life and like many other fortunate Subaru Owners, Jon walked away unscathed. Not only did a Subaru save Jon’s life but it also introduced him to some of his closest friends and one of the best communities of Owners in the Industry. Jon says it best “I am so thankful for the friendly Subaru community and all my close friends that I have met because of Subaru.”

Ready To Pounce 08 STI

Jon took his previous street car (Subaru Legacy Spec.B) and his previous track car (Mazda Mazdaspeed Miata) and traded them both in on this sexy Obsidian Black Pearl 2008 STI. It was hard to say no to some of the offers Subaru was putting on the table. Eventually, Jon just broke down and decided it was time to get back on the track in a Subaru, and just for kicks decided he’d Daily Drive it too! This animal of an STI has been to Buttonwillow, Willow Springs, Streets of Willow and Auto Club Speedway all driven by Jon himself (gotta tune the nut between the seat and the wheel!). 

Prodrive GC-010G 18x9.5 +32mm and 255/35/18 RE01Rs

Jon’s performance path is best described by him, he’s not one of the uniformed consumers who just buy random stuff because they like the name or found it in a magazine.

“All of the parts on this car have been carefully selected in comparison to the past where I would find just the best deals. I owe a lot to my sponsors, Ferdie at South Coast Subaru who has guided me the whole way through the build of this car and also my tuners both Paul Yim and Paul Leung of YimiSport Tuning in Santa Clarita, CA. They have been nothing but supportive and have encouraged me to be competitive in Time Attack races.”

YimiSport Tuning should sound familiar for you loyal blog readers, they also tuned the Family Man’s track car owned by Jamie. The guys at YimiSport Tuning in Santa Clarita are turning out some amazing vehicles. The Time Attack circuit is going to get attacked by a full squad of YimiSport Tuning cars.

Jon's 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX STI rolling shot 18x9.5s!

Jon’s car is getting some well deserved exposure in a few publications here in the future, keep your eyes open.

It’s up to the Nasioc Subaru Community to vote for the next Top Scoob and I’ve got my vote in for Jon.

I’m going to have to get a review from Jon on how he likes the new RE-11’s once he gets done with a few more events.

And it’s up to Jon to get out there and show some of the big dogs who’s boss out there on the Time Attack Circuit!

The Modlist:

Wheels/Tires:
Prodrive GC-010G 18×9.5 +32 (Type L lip, Type M face)
Bridgestone Potenza RE-11 255/35/18 (for Time Attack Street Class)
Project Kics R40 Lugnuts

Suspension/Brakes:
KW Clubsports 9k/9k
Cobb Front Sway
Whiteline Rear Sway
Whiteline Rear Sway brackets
Whiteline Steering Rack Bushings
Whiteline Roll Center Kit
Whiteline ALK
Whiteline Chassis Brace
Cusco Rear Lateral Links
Hawk HP+ F+R (Street)
Project Mu Level Max 900 F+R (Track)
Goodridge Stainless Steel Brake Lines
Motul RBF600

Engine:
Invidia Catted DP
Milltek Catback exhaust (same as on the Litchfield Type 20)
AEM Cold Air Intake
Perrin Turbo Inlet
Tomei EXpreme Equal Length Header w/ uppipe
Prodrive BCS
Prodrive Battery Tie Down
Prodrive Oil Cap
Crawford Performance A/O Separator
Cobb AP V2 (from my Spec.B )
YimiSport ProTune w/ Launch Control and Flat Foot Shifting
300 whp 357 wtq

Exterior:
Varis Front Lip (Dry Carbon)
PIAA Plasma Ion 9006 Foglight Bulbs
BlueBatmobile Rear Taillight overlays
17% Tint

Interior:
Recaro SPG
Bride FO Rails
Kenwood DNX-7120 Navi Headunit
SWI-JACK
Prova Shift Knob
JDM Subaru AV Panel
Rally Innovations Harness Bar
Schroth Profi II ASM Harness

Super Thanks to:
My understanding girlfriend for my obsession 
Ferdie at South Coast Subaru
The Pauls at Yimi Sport Tuning
Firestone of Rowland Heights
Team SCS: vinceGC8, samleeiii, Dr.Chu

-t3h_Clap

As many of you know One Lap of America is underway and each day we slowly get more and more updates from the participants and the Motorsports Media.

Earlier this year I got a PM from a guy looking to compete in One Lap of America, he had some standard fitment questions that we helped figure out. Although he did have one criteria that I don’t normally consider when helping with a Race Car’s wheel/tire fitment.

The guys at Moroccan Gold Imports needed a tire that could be Streetable, Track Ready, perform on the Wet Skid Pad, AND still have tread 2/32nd’s of tread after it’s all said and done!! Talk about a feat, I let the guys worry about the rest of the car. R.J. set the requirements of what was needed and we bounced back and forth for a few weeks. He decided to run a sick tire setup. Kumho Ecsta XS in a 275/40 slapped on some 17×9 +42mm on some 17×9 +42mm wheels.

Yes this is the infamous car to get pulled over by the Florida Highway Patrol and get featured in Motortrend!!

http://wot.motortrend.com/6535014/one-lap-of-america/busted-florida-highway-patrol-1-team-moroccan-gold-imports-0/index.html

Photo Courtesy of Motortrend

For updates on the MGI One Lap of America team check out their Blog http://www.moroccangoldimports.com/

They’ve been updating it daily with plenty of videos and pics! Go MGI!!

The car looks great all stickered up. Keep taking down the competition!

Good luck guys!

-T3h_Clap

The car is a 2006 Subaru Impreza WRX STi with a full Zero/Sports goodies and Volk Racing TE37s. Many people inside and outside of the Subaru community are familiar with the car that I’m about to feature (for a 2nd time). Bill Vitale has done it yet again, he sets the bar for Aggressive fitments. The first time Bill set the bar was over 14 Months ago with his 18×9 +29mm Advan RS’s.  Bill’s most recent overhaul included more than just fresh wheels and suspension. He decided it was time to go Rotated, a GT30R no less. 
 

9.5 +22mm TE37

Getting an 18×9.5 +22mm TE37 with a 255 to fit on any Subaru takes considerable effort and planning. Bill, as always, was willing to do what it takes to have one of the most aggressive setups on an GD STi.

Bill’s fresh new Engine bay oozes goodness, from the custom powdercoated Valve Covers and Intake manifold (Flipped of course) to the Polished Compresser Housing on his GT30R. Cooling is handled by the Mishimoto Radiator and a Perrin Front Mount Intercooler with Custom Piping from Area 1320. The Stance GR+ coilovers and H Kansai Service Strut tower bar finish off the engine bay nicely.

Top Scoob

Bill took the prestigious award of “Top Scoob #013″ this past week, His well thought out and prepped Subaru went head to head with multiple other highly modified Subarus. I have an incling it was more than just this photo that won “Top Scoob #013″

TE37s 06 STI

 
Winning Top Scoob isn’t easy, the 18×9.5 +22mm Concave TE37s and the accompanying 255/35/18 Nitto Invo tires  didn’t simply bolt on. Getting this setup to fit required some extensive fender modifcations from the Bill and Vitale Collision. The stiffness and adjustability from the Stance GR+ coilovers helped significantly in getting the Massive Concave TE37’s to fit right. The coilovers allowed Bill to run a -3.0 front and -3.1 rear camber. The combination of the Coilovers, Fender Modifications and the Camber allowed Bill to run this crazy rarely seen aggressive setup.

18x9.5 +22mm TE37 Aggressive Fitment 06 STI

Floating around the internet I’ve seen Bill’s car pop up on Japanese, Australian, Hungarian, Malaysian, and other Forums all over the world, these new wheels will only further the spread of this amazing vehicle. I can’t wait to see more shots of Bill’s car (hopefully some action shots at an upcoming track event!).

Full Bride Interior

Below you’ll see the “short” list of modifications Bill has done to his car…ahaha “short”. 

Mod List:

Wheels/Tires/Alignment:

Volk TE37 18×9.5 +22 in Titanium Gunmetal
Nitto Invo 255/35/18
Volk Formula Floating Lugnuts
-3.0 Front Camber
-3.1 Rear Camber

Interior:

JDM Red Hazard Button
Bride Stradias in Hyper Red Gradation (2)
Black Suede Doorcards
Black Suede 02/03 Headliner
Black STi Limited Carpet
Works Bell Short Hub
Works Bell Red Quick Release 2.0
Works Bell Original Steering Wheel
Powdercoated STI Shifter Trim by LPC
JDM STi Type RA-R Shift Knob
ATI Gauge Pod
Defi Imperial BF Amber Boost Gauge
Defi Imperial BF Amber EGT Gauge
Defi Imperial BF Amber Oil Pressure Gauge
AEM Uego Wideband
Autometer Gauge pod
Painted Dash Trim
Pioneer AVIC-D3

Exterior:

Zero/Sports Front Bumper
Zero/Sports Rear Bumper
Zero/Sports Sideskirts
Zero/Sports Roof Vane
Zero/Sports CF Wing Garnish
TrueChoice Bumper Quick Releases
Autospeed STI License Plate Delete
04-05 Tail Light Swap
JDM Tail Light Mod
HKS Oil Filler Cap
Hella SuperTones powdercoated Super Chrome by LPC
Tein Bonnet Dampers
Red Lined Impreza Badge
JDM STi Radiator Cap x2
Mishimoto Temp Gauge Rad Cap
Perrin Black Radiator Shroud
JDM Subaru Rain Guards
Painted Headlights by Vitale Collision
Custom Red/Black STi Stickers by GraphicSTI
30% Tint by Ryan @ Shades of Gray
Roll Call and All Vinyls by Auditor Clothing

Performance:

ATP GT3076R .82 a/r w/ polished compressor housing and powdercoated turbine housing
TiAL 44mm EWG
TiAL Q BOV
Custom Downpipe by Area1320
Custom Up-pipe by Area1320
Tomei Expreme EL Headers
Reverse Intake Manifold powdercoated Lollipop Kandy Red over Black Frost by LPC
Grimmspeed 8mm Phenolic Spacers
TGV Deletes powdercoated Super Chrome by LPC
Custom Coolant Resevoir by Area1320
Dual Air/Oil Seperators
P&L Braided SS Power Steering line
P&L Braided SS AVCS lines
Agency Power Top Feed Fuel Rails
820cc Top Feed Injectors
Customer IC Piping by Area1320
NGK 1-Step-Colder Spark Plugs
Valve Covers powdercoated Lollipop Kandy Red over Black Frost by LPC
Honda Civic 51R Battery
Custom Cat-Back Exhaust powdercoated Lollipop Kandy Red by LPC
Customer Short Ram Intake
Perrin Signature Series FMIC
KartBoy Short Shifter
KartBoy Shifter Bushings

Suspension/Brakes:

Stance GR+ Pro Coilovers
Front and Rear Camber Plates
TIC Fender Braces
Whiteline Steering Rack Bushings
Perrin 25mm Adjustable Rear Sway Bar
Perrin Front Endlinks
Perrin Rear Endlinks
HKS Kansai Strut Tower Brace
DBA 4000XS Front Rotors
DBA 4000XS Rear Rotors
Powdercoated Stock Brembos
Hawk HPS Brake Pads
Goodridge Stainless Steel Brake Lines

Special thanks as always to:
Chaz Boyd photography
12Volt Perfection
Liquid Powder Coats
Area1320
Shades of Gray Tint
Turbo Tek Tuning
Auditor Clothing
Stance-USA
CVR Motorsports
Vitale Collision
EDO Performance
R/T Tuning
Mishimoto

The great minds at Yokohama have decided to add a new wheel to their already popular line up which is properly named Advan Racing.

I can’t wait to see these wheels on some cars stateside. Some 19×9.5 +45mm RS-D’s would look spectacular on an 08 STi for a mild street setup or some 18×10 +35mm’s slapped on a GD for the aggressive side.

JUN STI Advan RS-D

The New Advan RS-D is a 10 spoke similar to the RS with a small twist. These new wheels have a lip and a slightly different spoke shape. The spoke spacing is obviously derived from the RS instead of the RZ. The size options match the other Advan Racing wheels we’ve seen in previous years (for the most part).

Advan RS-D Black

The RS-D does come in 20″ sizing which hasn’t been seen in an Advan Racing wheel up until now, most likely to appeal to the new GT-R owners who still want to keep massive 20″ wheels.

Advan RS-D

Either way, here’s a nice fat list of the available sizes/offsets.

4×100

18×7.5 +42mm

5×100

18×8 +47mm

5×114.3

18×7.5 +48mm
18×8 +45mm, +37mm
18×8.5 +51mm, +31mm
18×9 +45mm, +35mm, +25mm
18×10 +35mm, +25mm
19×8.5 +45mm, +38mm
19×9 +35mm, +25mm
19×9.5 +45mm
19×10 +35mm, +25mm, +15mm
20×8.5 +38mm
20×9 +25mm
20×9.5 +40mm
20×10 +35mm ,+25mm
20×10.5 +20mm

This is looking like a good year for some new wheels. 

-T3h_Clap

This new Prodrive wheel looks great, pretty standard design seen from different manufactures with a little Prodrive twist. The sizing is great too. The GR STi has another 18×9.5 with the proper offset! The GD STi (5×114.3 anyway) has some great options too.

Prodrive GC-05K

Who will be first?

Sizes available are as follows.

5×100
17×8 +45mm (Face 1)
18×8 +45mm (Face 1)
19×8 +50mm (Face 1)

5×114.3
17×8 +45mm (Face 1)
17×8.5 +34mm, +40mm, +44mm, +54mm (Face 1)
17×9.5 +34mm, +40mm, +44mm (Face 1)
18×8 +45mm (Face 1)
18×8.5 +34mm, +40mm, +50mm (Face 1)
18×8.5 +24mm, +30mm (Face 2)
18×9 +20mm (Face 2)
18×9.5 +15mm, +24mm, +30mm, +34mm, +40mm, +44mm (Face 2)
19×8 +40mm, +50mm (Face 1)
19×8.5 +25mm (Face 2)
19×8.5 +35mm, +45mm (Face 1)
19×9.5 +15mm, +25mm, +35mm, +40mm (Face 2)

Caliper clearance isn’t finalized yet but the 18×9.5 +44mm looks promising.

Additional Color

Black GC-05K's

The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution has been around just as long as the Subaru Impreza WRX. They’ve been battling back and forth for just as long. The latest iteration of the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution is the EVO X. The Mitsubishi EVO X is an evolution from its older siblings in nearly every way. The EVO featured here is a perfect example of the new Mitsubishi EVO X. Archie’s car is no slouch and has had 3 sets of wheels already (not including the stockers).

EVO X 19x10.5 CE28Ns

Archie hasn’t done things slowly in terms of modifying. He had some killer 18×9.5 TE37s on his car shortly after buying it. Then he decided to run some very slick 19×9.5 AME TM02’s.

Finding a Mitsubishi EVO X running 19×10.5 CE28Ns is damn near impossible. I happen to stumble on this car while doing a feature of his friend Luis and his 08 Subaru Impreza WRX STi. Archie has chosen to build his Mitsubishi EVO X for Track use. I look forward to seeing some results from Archie once he hits the track.

Well Modified EVO X with CE28Ns

Archie has been in the Mitsubishi Lancer EVO world for awhile now, this being his second EVO. The first Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution Archie had was a 2003 EVO VIII. The EVO X is a perfect example of the word Evolution.

19x10.5 +22mm Volk Racing CE28N EVO X

The EVO X you see here has one hell of a mod list. The brands of choice trickle their way down the JDM alphabet from the likes of Bride, Defi, HKS, JUN, Ralliart, Varis, and Volk. Archie hasn’t focused on only JDM parts, the Ultimate Racing exhaust and AEM alcohol injection are two of the key components netting his strong power numbers. Archie’s Mitsubishi EVO X hit 358whp and 366wtq on pump 91 and 100% Meth with 26.5 psi of boost.

EVO X 19x10.5 +22mm CE28N Volk Racing Wheels

To re-cap; No slouch in Performance, No slouch in Wheel/Tire Fitment and No slouch at the track. This EVO X is no slouch at all. I can’t wait to see what else Archie has in store.

Exterior
JUN Lip
Voltex 1500mm Carbon Fiber GT Wing
Ralliart Carbon Fiber Center Grille Cover
Ralliart Dual Exhaust Shields
JUN Carbon Fiber Mirrors
OEM Carbon Fiber Hood Scoop
HKS Carbon Fiber Side Spats
OEM Sides and Rear Aero Kit Package
Ralliart Tail Lights
Varis Carbon Fiber Dual Cannards
Varis Carbon Fiber Side Vents
Ralliart Carbon Fiber Pillars

Wheels / Tires / Suspension
Volk CE28N Formula Limited Silver in 19X10.5 +22 Offset
Falken Tires 452 275/35/19
BC Racing Coilovers

Interior
Bride Stradia Sport Seats
Defi BF Boost Gauge
Defi BF Controller
Ralliart Scuff Plates
Ralliart Carbon Fiber AC Surround Panel

Engine / Power Mods
5 Zigen Dual Cat Back Exhaust
Ultimate Racing Test Pipe with Mini Muffler
Ultimate Racing Downpipe
AEM Alcohol Injection / 100% Meth on Pump 91
Turbo Trix Upper and Lower Intercooler Pipings
Turbo Trix Intake Piping with HKS Super Megaflow Filter
AGP Intercooler
Forge BOV
Tuned on ECUTEK

Archie has had a few different wheels on his EVO X. All three listed here look great on the EVO X, none of which are the same color or design truly showing off the EVO X’s great lines and aggressive stance. Going into the wheels in a little more detail is needed. (Really just and excuse to post more photos).

19x10.5 +22mm CE28N Volk Racing

The 19×10.5 CE28Ns weren’t exactly a simple bolt on fitment. Archie had to roll the rear fenders and remove the front fender liners to make these wheels and 275/35/19 tires fit. Another requirement of getting the wheels to fit was the addition of some camber in the front, currently Archie is running -2.5 front camber.

Mitsubishi EVO X Volk Racing TE37 18x9.5 +22mm

Archie first had the 18×9.5 +22mm Volk Racing TE37s wrapped with 275/35/18 Toyo T1Rs, the 18×9.5 +22mm TE37 has that highly desirable concave face that is becoming ever so popular. The concave face doesn’t happen on 18×9.5 TE37s until the +22mm offset, the popularity of this wheel and the ease of fitment lead Archie and his EVO X to a new set of wheels quicker than he expected.

EVO X AME TM02 19x9.5 +22mm

Enter the 19×9.5 +22mm AME TM02’s wrapped in 265/35/19 Toyo T1Rs, as you see here these wheels weren’t on the car forever and now he’s stepped up to 19×10.5″ wheels.

Archie wants to thank wife Marigil for supporting him throughout his mod addiction.

There isn’t much more to say but enjoy the excellent photos taken by Luis. More of Luis’s photos can be seen here (2008 STi 18×9.5 +40mm SSR Type-Fs) and here (http://luisbicol.smugmug.com/cars).

As always any questions or comments don’t hesitate to email or comment. In the coming weeks there will be more articles focusing on the EVO models, any recommendations of features or ideas feel free to Email me. On to the pics from Luis!

Archie's 19x9.5 AME's

More 19x9.5 AME's

Volk Racing TE37 +22mm

18x9.5 +22mm TE37s Concave Face

Looking at running a 17×9 on your Subaru Impreza WRX STi?

Here’s a short list of some of the available 17×9 wheels for the Subaru Impreza WRX STi (05+) that clear the brembo brake calipers.

These models listed below may require modifcations to fit a given suspension setup. The modifications required to make these fit will be addressed later. Although the 9.5″ article seen here (http://t3hclap.com/archives/11) and the Fender Mod article seen here (http://t3hclap.com/archives/49) are must reads for all people hoping to run 9″ wheels.

In short the lower the offset the more fender mods and the more spring rate and the more camber you’ll need (or a combination of those three) to fit.

For a proper fitment you’re looking at a nice tire (preferably 245 or wider) and a performance oriented amount of camber to make it all work (-1.5 to -3.0 front and -1.5 to -2.0 rear).

The wider the tire you choose the more fender work/camber you’ll need. I’ll go into more detail on that later.

Here’s the short list so far. Any other models you’d like added don’t hesitate to comment or shoot me an email.

17×9 +40mm Volk Racing CE28N
17×9 +40mm Volk Racing RE30
17×9 +40mm Volk Racing TE37
17×9 +45mm Advan RG2
17×9 +45mm Advan RS
17×9 +45mm Advan RZ
17×9 +38mm gramLight 57Maximum
17×9 +45mm Kosei K1 TS
17×9 +45mm 57Motorsport G07WT
17×9 +43mm 5zigen FN01R-C
17×9 +42mm WedsSport TC005 (15.8 lbs)

Contributors to the above list so far; bdi, me

It’s official Rays has released some new wheels. Some sexy ass wheels. Some 19×9.5’s that will be perfect for the new 2008 and 2009 GRB STi. Onto the pics and sizing!

Volk Racing

VR.G2 

New Volk Racing G2

VR.G7

New Volk Racing G7!

VR.G10

New Volk Racing G10!

All three of the wheels come in some great sizes. Although some will say they are too big.

19’s are going to be come standard here in the coming years with most cars coming factory with 18″ wheels, stepping up 1″ is standard operating procedure for a street wheel.

I’m looking forward to seeing some GRB Sti’s running the 19×9.5s. The G10 is going to look spectacular on a GRB. So, Who’s first?

Sizing as Follows for Subaru Impreza WRX STi Brembo Clearance

VR.G2

19×8.5 +43mm S1 5×114.3 

19×9.5 +42mm S1 5×114.3

VR.G7

18×8 +50mm 5×100

18×8 +50mm 5×114.3

18×8 +40mm 5×114.3

VR.G10

19×8.5 +43mm S1 5×114.3

19×9.5 +44mm S2 5×114.3

As always don’t hesitate to comment or email any questions.

The 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX STi had just hit the states, everyone was waiting to see what the car had in store. Some people were going with normal fitments, and some people were taking it one step further. When I saw what Luis had done with his STi I almost fell off my chair. Not only is he running the new SSR Type-Fs but he’s running the 9.5″ version! Luis bought the 08 STi to be a fun Daily Driver/”family” car/Canyon Carver, from the looks of it he hit the nail on the head.

This car is definetly done proper. The 18×9.5 +40mm Gold SSR Type Fs compliment the Aspen White 08 STi perfectly.  The fitment is spot on with a little room to grow tire wise if Luis decides to fully roll the rear fenders. His suspension setup looks like the standard 08 roll call with BC Racing Coilovers (FYI all other USDM 08s featured on the blog run BC Racing coilovers), Whiteline bars and a solid street oriented alignment that still enhances performance.

Luis comes off as a normal guy when I talked to him, but I don’t buy it. Anyone who buys an STi as a “Family” car either has the persuasion skills of a Jedi or a Wife that deserves a medal of awesomeness. Luis made a promise to his wife that he was not going to modify the 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX STI since it’s already “fast”.  (FYI it didn’t come off the Assembly line with SSRs or Coilovers….haha).

Luis has some crazy camera skills to boot, that and his STI can be seen with its arch enemy the EVO X. The EVO X with it’s HUGE TE37s is no slouch either. The EVO X is in a few shots in this article but more photos of both the STI and the EVO can be found at Luis’s Smugmug Page here. Luis Smugmug Page. Keep your eyes on the blog for a potentional feature on that very EVO X.

Luis used to drive a torqueless go-kart of a car (Civic Si) the 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX STI is far from that with its 2.5 liter motor. Luis says he’s content with the car the way it is now, but we all say that, hell half of us mean it. Just because we mean it doesn’t mean things are going to play out as planned. Plus looking at Luis’s history of “not modifying” I have a feeling there is more in store for this Subaru Impreza WRX STI. I would keep my eyes on this 08 Subaru if I were you.

On to the mod list. 

Mod List:
Wheels/Tires/Suspension:
- 18 x 9.5 SSR Type F
- 265/35/18 Falken RT-615
- BC Racing coilovers
- Whiteline Rear camber adjustment bushings
- Whiteline 22mm adjustable Front and Rear swaybars
- rear fenders were rolled a bit (not flat, probably it was rolled about 55 degrees) – citytireonline.
- alignment settings: zero toe all around, -2* front camber; -1.6* rear camber – stokes

Performance:
- Cobb AP
- Tanabe CBE
- Injen CAI
- Invidia catted DP
- Stage 2 protune @ HBSpeed
- Crawford Air/Oil Separator

Exterior:
- RA UR mudflaps
- CF replica – chargespeed bottomline kit
- CF replica of the OEM exhaust garnish
- red taillight overlay with cutouts
- 20% tint
- OEM foglights, Venture Shield clear bra, Hella supertones, painted ST logo – intercooler, LED rear license plate bulb

Interior:
-OEM ipod interface, adjustable armrest, all weather floor mats, auto-dim rear view mirror with homelink
-CF shiftknob

Luis didn’t do this build alone, I’ll let him do the thank yous. 

I’d like to thank
My Wife: for letting me buy mods for this very expensive hobby
Young: for hooking me up with parts
Import Image Online
Turn-In Concepts
Tanabe USA: For the CBE
City Tire Online: Bryan and John for giving me a good deal on my wheel/tire combo/fender roll
HCP buddies: For helping me install all my mods
Jeff @ Stokes Tire Pros in Santa Monica: for my perfect alignment
NASIOC.COM/IWSTI.COM: for all the subie info!  
I almost forgot!  I’d like to thank myself for being a badass amateur photographer haha just kidding

As always any questions, comments feel free to post or email.

P.S. This car is amazing.

Shop for SSR wheels at Tire Rack.

Recently Rays decided to address the growing market of hybrids and Eco friendly automotive junkies.

The Eco Project released a few wheels designed specifically for increasing in fuel economy (doesn’t hurt the looks any either).

The wheels are CE28 ECO drive.

They come in a 15×6 +35mm, 16×6 +35mm, 16×6.5 +35mm. Specifically for the Toyota Prius and Honda Civic Hybrid.

Who’s going to grab a set?

-t3h_clap

This will be a short article as there is only one 57Motorsport wheel that will clear the STi Brembos. The 57Motorsport G07WT

Here is a list of 57Motorsport Wheels that Clear Subaru Impreza WRX STi Brembos. This includes all GD brembos and GR Brembos. Specific model years this article applies to are 2002-2009 Subaru Impreza WRX and Subaru Impreza WRX STi models with Brembo Brake Calipers.

This is one of the few reasonably priced, lightweight 17×9s that come in 5×100!

All of the sizes below can and will work on a Subaru Impreza. The Bold and *’d sizes will fit without modification with the correct tire size.

5×114.3
17×8 +45mm*
17×9 +45mm
18×8 +43mm*
18×8 +50mm*
18×8.5 +43mm*
18×8.5 +50mm*
18×9 +43mm
18×9 +50mm

5×100
17×8 +45mm*
17×9 +45mm

The 17×9 versions can fit with the correct suspension and alignment settings. There is a 9″ wheel guide article in the works.

As always any questions feel free to comment, email or PM.

-t3h_Clap

For the last 3.5 years people have been curious if the 9.5″ RPF1s cleared the Subaru Impreza WRX STi brembos. Well, they don’t. They require a spacer, how large of a spacer?

Up until last week I couldn’t say with confidence what size they needed to clear. Luckily for me a fellow Subaru owner on the forums with a crazy Wide Body STi happens to have a few Enkei connections. Earl managed to test fit one of the 17×9.5 +38mm RPF1s for Brembo Clearance.

He had a couple spacers laying around so he decided to test it and snap a few pictures to finally put the question to rest, “How big of a spacer do I need to run 17×9.5 +38mm RPF1s?!”

Once Earl got the wheels back to his house he tracked down the spacers and jacked up the car.

Now through the grapevine I’ve heard that these wheels could require a spacer as big as 15mm, I found that hard to believe. Luckily all that is needed to clear the Brembos is a 5mm spacer.

As you can see here the clearance isn’t massive but it should be plenty.

To Recap, 17×9.5 +38mm RPF1 require a 5mm spacer to clear the Brembo Brake Calipers on a Subaru Impreza WRX STi.

The 18×9.5 +38mm has NOT been tested and may require a larger spacer due to the different diameter/spoke design, I’m going to see if we can get that size confirmed as well.

A 5mm spacer on a Subaru will require longer wheel studs to allow full engagement of the lug nuts. There will be future articles on Longer Wheel Stud Options and the Negatives/Positives of running a spacer.

I want to thank Earl for testing these out and ending the rumors/misinformation floating around the Internets. We now have solid proof of what is required for 17×9.5 +38mm RPF1s to clear the Brembo Brakes on a Subaru Impreza WRX STi, Thanks Earl.

As always feel free to Comment, Email or PM with any questions.

-t3h_Clap

Ben is well known throughout the Subaru community for many reasons. The first is probably the fact that he had an Awesome GD Subaru Impreza WRX STi that he was not afraid to take to the track. He sold that wonderful track ready STi and took a detour from Subaru, but like every smart person he came back.

This time around he’s not aiming for a track monster but a Daily Driven 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX STI with a few choice improvements. The improvements to Ben’s 2008 Subaru include some 18×9 +50mm SSR Type-F wheels in Silver paired up with some ultra grippy 245/40/18 Dunlop Z1 Star Specs. This combination alone transforms the look and performance of the 2008 Chassis simply from lightening up the rotational un-sprung weight and tossing out those crappy stock tires. Ben didn’t hestitate to go stage 2 with his AP and Turbo Back. He chose to go with the new MXP full 3″ turbo back (Video here).

Without further delay here are some more pics of Ben’s Killer Setup.

Ben’s setup was chosen for a few reasons. He wasn’t looking for the ultra flush look, or searching for the widest tire fitment on the block. Ben wanted a setup that he wouldn’t need to modify the fenders and could run a higher quality stock sized tire. The setup he chose is perfect for his needs. An 18×9 +50mm SSR Type-F is a great sized wheel for a 100% stock body GR chassis STI. There are no mods needed to run this wheel with the stock sized tire. This size is the same as a GD running an 18×8.5 +52mm in terms of ease of fitment, although I have to admit this 18×9 +50mm looks a lot better! Rumor has it there maybe some Coilovers on their way to Ben…but you didn’t hear it from me.

There is only one Person who knows where this car’s mod path leads and it sure isn’t me. Ben’s mod selection has always been top notch and I look forward to seeing more of this Red 08 circulating itself around the Forums.

You want 18×9 +50mm wheels to fit your GR 2008 or 2009 Subaru Impreza WRX STI like this?

Here is a step by step.

1.) Buy some 18×9 +50mm wheels that clear the Brembo brakes (be sure to get some quality lugs too).

2.) Buy some sticky stock sized tires (245/40/18)

3.) Get them mounted and balanced at a trusted tire shop

4.) Bolt on and Enjoy. Don’t have to go crazy to still look amazing.

The Sticky (Wheels & Tires):

18×9 +50mm SSR Type-F in Silver.

245/40/18 Dunlop Z1 Star Spec.

The Skinny (Weight Reduction):

Braille Light weight battery w/ Limited Edition STi brackets.

The Speed (Performance):

Stage 2 Tune.

MXP Full 3″ Turbo Back.

The Future (The Obvious):BC Coilovers with nice stiff rates.

^^ Always a classic glamor shot for wheels, the SSR Type-Fs in 18×9 +50mm with the FF Disk.

^^The hot new MXP full 3″ Turbo Back exits the car with two pairs of these.

^^Here is a great picture showing the front wheel placement of the 18×9 +50mm SSR Type-F’s on a 2008 GR Chassis Subaru Impreza WRX STi on the stock suspension.

Here is a brief list of tire sizes that will be close to factory size for the GD Subaru Impreza WRX and Subaru Impreza WRX STi.

Here are the applicable sizes. Each of these will work on a stock body WRX with the correct wheel/offset/suspension/alignment setup. May need fender rolling or other fender mods to fit without rubbing. 05-07 GD STi Fender mod.

225/45/17
235/45/17
245/40/17
255/40/17

225/40/18
235/40/18
245/35/18
255/35/18

Each of these sizes will work with the right setup. As always any questions don’t hesitate to Comment or Email.

Ever wanted to see 18×10s on a stock body Subaru Impreza WRX STi?

I have.

18×10 RPF1s are freaking amazing. The guys over at TopSpeed managed to wedge a set of them along with some 285 tires under the fenders of their red 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX STi.

TopSpeed has a few cars with 18×10 RPF1s. It was only a matter of time before they swapped a set from their crazy Flared TimeAttack GC for a test fit. Now it looks like they bought their new 08 its own pair of 18×10 RPF1s.

This setup with -3.0 front and -1.8 rear camber with stiff 8k/10k coilovers isn’t for the average street driver, but damn does it look amazing. Can’t wait to see this car at this years One Lap of America.

The wheels/tires are 18×10 +38mm RPF1s with 285/30/18 Advan AD07s.

With a good fender roll and some stiff coilovers the new GR chassis Subaru Impreza STi is able to squeeze some nice rubber.

Hopefully we’ll be able to get a more detailed article on both of the TopSpeed cars in the future.

Damn those wheels look awesome.

Having an STi sometimes is not enough. Hitting the track for a High Performance Driving Event in your new STi sometimes is not enough. Sometimes it requires building an STi as a Track Car. This is a dream only few get to achieve, that and being the pilot of the car yourself is even more rare. Seeing this car grow over the past few years has been a blessing, I can’t wait to see what it does next.

Jaime came to me a while back asking for some wheel/tire advice for his 05 Subaru Impreza WRX STi. It didn’t take long to realize Jaime was serious about wanting to run a proper wheel/tire setup for his Track setup. Jaime’s Subaru was no slouch when he came to me, but once we decided on a set of Strong, Lightweight, and Affordable wheels in the correct size he had a monster on his hands.

Jaime decided to go with a 17×9.5 wheel with a +44mm offset. The new Enkei NT03+M’s were going to be shroud with a set of newly released Toyos. The new Toyo R888 has had some very good success in the Time Attack circles, Jaime chose to go with a 255/40/17. These new R888s look amazing on the Enkei NT03+M’s. In conjunction with the entire Cusco suspension line-up Jaime’s 2005 Subaru Impreza WRX STi is a forced to be reckoned with.

This animal isn’t all suspension. This 2005 Subaru Impreza WRX STi also has a killer aero package. With a Cusco Front lip matched with a Race Proven Cusco Undertray and a Cusco rear GT Spoiler this Subaru truly exhibits Function > Form. Jaime didn’t want to get left behind on the straight aways so he chose wisely and picked up a ATP GT3071 turbo with all of the proper supporting mods to make the new R888s work their hearts out on corner exit. Developing a car that not only performs in the suspension department but also the Power and Aero is something that isn’t normally seen from a privateer such as Jaime.

Jaime’s car isn’t his only pride and joy, him and his wife recently had their first child. Jaime’s dedication to both family and racing is an inspiration for many. He gives us all hope that we can have our cake and eat it to. The competition on the west coast better keep their eyes on their rear view for the bright Green Yimi Sports logo coming up fast.

Wheels and Tires
17×9.5 +44 Enkei NT03+M wheels
Toyo Proxes R888 255/40/17 tires

Suspension mods:
Cusco Zero2e w/ eCon
Stiffer spring rates (10K/8K range)
Cusco sway bars
Cusco trailing arms
Cusco adj. lateral links
Cusco titanium front strut bar
Cusco rear strut bar w/ V-brace
Cusco motor and trans. mounts
Cusco rear adj. camber plates
Cusco front camber plate modification
KartBoy rear endlinks
TiC Giuyngmyo Fender Cowl Braces
Whiteline ALK
Whiteline steering rack bushings
Whiteline ball joint extenders
Whiteline subframe lockout bolts
Corner balanced and aligned by Darin @ WestEnd Alignment in Gardena, CA

Special Thanks from Jaime:

Angel and Joe @ EastSide Muffler in Palmdale, CA
Paul Yim @ YimiSport Tuning in Santa Clarita, CA
Tim Bailey @ SurgeLine Tuning
Meng @ Nukabe (Cusco)
Myles and Dan @ Race Comp. Eng.
SCV Fri. Night Crew
Last but not least, T3h Clap!!!

Rays Wheels Brembo Clearance can be hard to figure out.

Here is a detailed listed that should clear up some of the confusion.

As we all know the Brembos can be a bit challenging finding a wheel that fits without spacers or other modifications.

Here is a list of Volk Racing Wheels that Clear Subaru Impreza WRX STi Brembos. This includes all GD brembos and GR Brembos. Specific model years this article applies to are 2002-2009 Subaru Impreza WRX and Subaru Impreza WRX STi models with Brembo Brake Calipers.

The sizes listed don’t all “just fit”, some may require extensive work or even a Widebody. Any specific fitment questions feel free to shoot me a message. Contact Info

Bolt on fitments are are highlighted in bold and have an * after them.

Rays Engineering Volk Racing Wheels

Forged One Piece Wheels

To make things easier, I’ll separate by bolt pattern.

First up are the 5×114.3. The 5×114.3 bolt pattern applies to all 05-09 Subaru Impreza WRX STi GD and GR chassis cars.

5×114.3

CE28N

17×7.5 +33mm
17×8 +33mm, +38mm, +44mm*
17×8.5 +25mm, +30mm, +40mm*, +50mm*
17×9 +15mm, +22mm, +23mm, +35mm, +40mm
17×9.5 +15mm, +22mm, +28mm, +40mm, +47mm
17×10 +15mm
18×7.5 +33mm
18×8 +33mm, +38mm
18×8.5 +25mm, +30mm, +40mm*, +52mm*
18×9 +35mm, +40mm, +50mm
18×9.5 +15mm, +22mm, +28mm, +34mm, +40mm, +47mm
18×10.5 +18mm
19×8 +43mm
19×8.5 +22mm, +29mm, +35mm, +43mm*
19×9.5 +12mm, +22mm
19×10.5 +12mm, +22mm

CE28NF

17×8 +33mm, +38mm, +47mm
17×8.5 +53mm*
18×7.5 +25mm
18×8 +33mm, +38mm

RE30

17×8.5 +50mm* (S1)
17×8.5 +25mm, +30mm, +40mm* (S2)
17×9 +35mm, +40mm (S2)
17×9.5 +40mm (S3)
17×9.5 +28mm (L1)
17×10 +15mm (L2)
18×8 +33mm, +38mm, +44mm* (S1)
18×8.5 +52mm* (S1)
18×8.5 +25mm, +30mm, +40mm*, +44mm* (S2)
18×9 +35mm, +40mm, +50mm
18×9.5 +40mm, +47mm (S2)
18×9.5 +28mm, +35mm (L1)
18×10.5 +18mm, +25mm (L2)
19×8 +30mm, +40mm*, +44mm* (S1)
19×9 +25mm, +40mm (S2)
19×10 +30mm (L1)
19×11 +25mm (L2)

TE37

17×8 +33mm, +38mm
17×8.5 +30mm, +40mm*
17×9 +0mm, +15mm, +22mm, +28mm, +40mm
17×9.5 +12mm, +28mm, +35mm, +40mm
17×10 +18mm
18×7.5 +30mm
18×8.5 +22mm, +30mm, +40mm*
18×9 +40mm
18×9.5 +12mm, +22mm, +35mm, +40mm
18×10.5 +15mm, +22mm
19×8.5 +22mm, +29mm, +30mm, +35mm, +43mm*
19×9.5 +12mm, +22mm, +35mm, +43mm
19×10.5 +12mm, +22mm

Next up are the 5×100 models. There are significantly fewer 5×100 Volk Racing Forged Monoblock wheels that clear the Subaru Impreza WRX STi Brembo brake calipers.

These wheels will clear the brakes on all 5×100 equipped Subarus including the GC chassis Impreza when equipped with Brembos.

All of the *BOLD models can be made to work on the 2002-2009 Subaru Impreza WRX and Subaru Impreza 2.5 models.

All of the *BOLD models can be made to work on the 2004 Subaru Impreza WRX STi.

5×100

CE28N

17×8 +38mm, +44mm*
17×8.5 +40mm*, +44mm*
17×9 +43mm
18×8 +38mm, +44mm*
18×8.5 +44mm*
19×8 +43mm*

CE28NF

17×8 +38mm, +44mm*, +47mm*
18×8 +38mm, +44mm*

RE30

17×8.5 +40mm*, +44mm* (S1)
17×9 +43mm (S2)
18×8 +44mm* (S1)
18×8.5 +44mm* (S2)

TE37

17×8 +38mm, +44mm*

Any companies looking to support the website and advertise on this article feel free to email me.

With the help of a close friend of mine on the opposite side of the United States, we decided it was time to write a simple and detailed how to for this mysterious process.

Here’s the step by step on how to properly modify the rear fenders on a 2005 to 2007 GD Subaru Impreza WRX STi:

- Removed rear fender garnish using Kyoto (KTC) panel removing tools. They’re made of a high grade plastic and designed to do minimal/no damage to surrounding parts. Generally used on interior trim piece removals. Very handy stuff for the garage. Link here http://ultimatetoolco.com/panelpopperkit.aspx This picture was actually taken later once I’d ground out the inner lip, but this is essentially what the rear fender will look like once the garnish piece has been removed.

- Next I used a 4 inch angle grinder with a 50grit disk to remove the inner lip. I have a lot of experience with these, so I wasn’t too worried about doing this myself. You have to be pretty careful with this as it removes a lot of material really fast. It can also dig in, which can rip the grinder out of your hands, or send it shooting into something you don’t want ground up. Use caution, and WEAR SAFETY GOGGLES. I’ve seen these disks come apart. Since the tool spins at about 10,000 RPM’s it will gladly deposit the pieces into your eye. This will absolutely suck, as well as delay your project while you’re at the hospital having chunks of disk or metal shavings removed from your eye. Just put the damn goggles on and thank me later.

- When I ground this down I used a smooth back and forth motion on the inner lip. Moving from front to rear with steady pressure. That way you end up with nice even material removal, and less chance of the tool grabbing. In my case I wanted to remove as much material as possible to gain max clearance. You’ll notice that the rear quarter panel is actually two pieces of sheet metal joined together, an inner and outer panel. Just above the actual lip, you can see a line of spot welds which hold these pieces together, and give the quarter panel it’s strength. I wanted to preserve these so as not to weaken any of the structure. Race cars are stitch welded along seams where panels meet, which provides great additional chassis stiffness. So, any time that you’re removing spot welds in a car, you’re losing little bits of structural rigidity and chassis strength. I’ve seen the spot welds cut out of STi’s before, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But if it were me, I’d either re-weld the panels or use some body panel bonding agent to get the strength back. I’m only running 255’s in my application on an 18×9 +45 wheel, so I didn’t see the need to go that extreme. YMMV.

- Once you have the lip ground off, you’ll see that the 2 panels separate between the spot welded areas and there will be gaps that are open which moisture can enter.

- I spoke with a local auto body supply shop who recommended a product that I could shoot into that gap as well as cover the completed area, and reattach the garnish piece with.

- Use a screwdriver to open the gaps up so that the goo can be shot up into the area between the two panels. Theoretically this will add strength to the area as well. But for sure, it’ll keep moisture from sneaking between the panels and causing a rust problem in the future. Here’s a shot of the panels separated for goo application.

- A pic of the aforementioned goo. This is “Lord Fusor 803EZ” which is a professional urethane sealer/adhesive.

- You’ll likely only find this product at body shop supply stores. Not intended for consumer use, blah blah blah. You just put the stuff into a regular applicator gun like you use for grease or caulking.

- No worries. GLOVES come in very handy with this stuff. Once it’s on something, it’s pretty much on it. I cut the application tip only a little so that I could get the goo to squirt into the gap between the sheet metal panels. Then I used my finger to force as much of the goo in there as possible. After I was sure that I had plenty of adhesive in there, I used a body hammer to tap the gap closed.

- Wax and Grease remover is also extremely handy when working with the Fusor. It will remove the adhesive when it’s wet, right after you’ve applied it. After it drys, good luck getting it off anything. It comes in handy cleaning up tools like the dead blow hammer in the above pic, your hands, etc.. I use PPG Acryli-Clean. It’s not the cheapest wax and grease remover you can buy, but works very well. This can be purchased at an auto body/paint supply shop as well. I probably used 4-5 full rolls of blue garage towels during this process. Messy!

- Once the goo had some time to cure, I went ahead and used the dead blow hammer pictured above to “massage” the fender. The term “Pulled fender” is a little misleading, as usually this is done by hammering the fender out from the inside. However, the term “Hammered fender” doesn’t sound nearly as nice.

Here’s a picture from above after moving the fender lip out a bit with the hammer.

- After hammering the lip out, I applied a skim coat of the Fusor product over the entire inner lip area where the gap was.

Then I prepped for paint…

… and applied some “Zero Rust” black paint to seal the area.

Then it’ll look something like this….

Yup, just blackness.

Now, on the the garnish piece…

- The nice thing about having the garnish piece to cover this is that you don’t have to be a professional body guy to pull this off. With some basic tools, products, patience, and time… you can do this. The above pics are not the final position of the lip, but close. I worked it out a bit more before reattaching the garnish piece.

- OK, so you’ve destroyed the clips on the garnish… what to do? Well, even if you had saved the clips and the “male” attachment points that are on the inside of the garnish piece, it wouldn’t fit right when you put it back on the car. The reason for this is that the garnish is now in a sprung state. It’s shaped to fit your fender opening before you went and messed with it. So follow me here. If you push it flat to the top of the wheel opening, the ends of the garnish will stick out, and vice versa. That’s OK, because the Fusor 803EZ generally rules, as it has nuclear holding strength. Bear in mind that my method will make the garnish fit perfect. But you aren’t going to be taking it off any time soon. The way I figure it is that the only time that would have to be taken off is if someone stuffed me in the quarter panel. So, permanent is just fine for me.

- Before I put the garnish back on, I used the 50 grit sanding disk on the 4 inch angle grinder to remove all the “positive” areas of the inner side of the garnish. Basically, I ground every thing off of it. All the posts that hold the clips, etc. I also removed the lip portion which sits 90 degrees perpendicular to the quarter panel, making for max tire clearance. If your skeered of that big grinder for this delicate work, you can use a mini version of the grinding wheel on a 3M Roloc adapter and put it on a drill. For most people, I’d recommend this. I’ve spent way too much time with a 4 inch grinder, and am very comfortable with it. But you could very easily destroy the garnish piece if you aren’t super precise with the sanding disc.

Here’s a pic of the Roloc adapter with a sanding disk on it. Insert into standard hand drill, for a much more controllable grinder.

For some reason it’s hard to capture with a camera, but here’s the garnish piece with all the “positives” ground off. Ready for adhesive.

Now, apply the Fusor to the garnish piece. As you can see, I was pretty liberal with the product…

Probably forgot to mention that I’m a little OCD….. so, I put some on the quarter panel as well after wiping it down with wax and grease remover.

- OK, remember the whole thing about the piece being in a sprung condition. Now, we need to convince it that it needs to be a different shape. I’m a little anal retentive to go with the OCD part, so off to Lowes for ratcheting clamps.

Clampage….

- You can see in the pic above that I cut up a cotton t-shirt so that I had something soft to sit against the paint instead of just the plastic clamp head. I know I over did this, but the result is excellent.

Clampage installed…

Yeah… try and move now, sucker. Pwn3d!

You’re not going anywhere…

- The next pics are of the wheels and tires on the car with COBB springs on factory struts. That was the previous owners setup. RCE Tarmac 2’s and camber plates front and rear on the way!!!

They’re tucked in more with the RCE’s, but this is with the COBB’s and the car sitting at approx 1.6 deg negative camber in the rears. My being able to adjust camber at the top and mid-bottom of the wheel you can effectively pull the entire assembly in a bit. (subject to inboard clearance). With this setup, I was able to pull in the fronts and rears a bit. I had a tick too much poke in the front for my taste. With the RCE’s in the car it fit’s perfect. I’d have a few pics of that as well, but my camera seems to have gone on holiday without me…. No clue where it is.

But this is just pure goodness.

Oh yeah…

Even the guy from Penguin Garage approves of this setup. If he had opposable thumbs, he’d be giving a thumbs up here…

Let’s just say I’m a little more than pleased with the outcome myself.

As always, any questions don’t hesitate to ask.

wheelhelp@t3hclap.com

I’d like to thank Brad for the great photos, doing the write up and taking the plunge in doing the process.

-t3h_clap

It’s like a rumor. A mystery hidden in myth and nearly impossible to find, like the Lost City of Gold. For the enthusiast community, it is the daily driver that also performs well on-track when necessary, and without a lot of fuss. Well, it is real and it’s been spotted in Motown. And surprise, surprise, it was riding on some very nice gold.

Chris, aka. boondocksaint, has one of the cleanest 2006 Subaru Impreza WRX STi’s in the nation. No need for a fancy body kit or crazy paint job. The only stickers on the car are his alumni sticker and an oil change reminder.

Chris’s car has a very special, very rare set of Prodrive wheels – the only set in this specific size/color in the states. The suspension is one of the most sought after setups in the Subaru community, not only because of its quality parts and design, but because it excels at nearly everything it does. Chris’s thoughtful and planned modification path has yielded a car that not only looks amazing, but also handles and performs with the best of them. Now he just needs to tighten the nut behind the wheel.

I had a chance to bounce a few PM’s back and forth with Chris prior to writing this article and here is what he had to say during the T3h_Clap interrogation.

T3h_Clap: What is the Current Suspension Setup and Settings?
Boony: TiC SST coilovers, Whiteline 24mm adjustable swaybars (front and rear), Kartboy swaybar endlinks (front and rear), Vorshlag camber plates (front and rear), Ingalls camber bolts (front and rear), CarLabs X-Brace
Sway settings: full soft on each for now
Damper settings (from full stiff): F -8, R -10 (for now)
Ride Height: Front 14″, Rear 13.5″
Alignment: Fr -1.5 (more with me in it), Rear -1.5
Toe is DEAD straight.

T3h_Clap: Any future modifications planned?
Boony: I need to do something with brakes and get corner balanced. And, at some point, I should do some power mods.

T3h_Clap: What is your Current Wheel and Tire Setup and Settings?
Boony: Prodrive GC-06H 17″ x 8.5″, +51 offset, ~16lbs each
Falken RT615 in 255/40-17
Tire Pressures: 40psi F, 37psi R
Strut Clearance: a little less than a finger width front and rear between the tire and the lower perch – doesn’t rub, but doesn’t miss by much…

T3h_Clap: What are your planned uses for the car?
Boony: Daily driving, open track days, and the occasional road trip back home to the South.

T3h_Clap: Did you set your car up for anything specific?
Boony: My car was intended to be 95% daily driver and 5% track day toy. I do not autocross at all, nor do I drag race. Road courses only. To that end, I wanted to run slightly wider rubber (I think 255 is as good a compromise between street/track as I can get) and keep some style. I needed the car to be a bit more neutral while still retaining just a bit of understeer for safety and because the car is far more capable than am I. I chose the coilovers for their ability to excel on the street and at the track. Even though stiff springs would increase track performance, the car is primarily daily driven. It is currently more comfortable than stock despite having spring rates 50% stiffer than stock.

T3h_Clap: How are your tire clearances with the TiC Coilovers and the Prodrive wheels?
Boony: Tire-to-strut clearance (actually the lower perch) is only enough to squeeze my finger between them. It’s damn close. Without the camber bolts at full positive, there would be contact. I am considering a 5mm spacer and extended studs for next year, but am still researching my options. It would allow me to run more negative camber.

T3h_Clap: Last but not least a list of sponsors/vendors/people you want to mention/thank.
Boony: Long list, in chronological order:
IWSTI.com, as it is an invaluable resource on these cars without the boy-racer attitude. GarageSpec.com and TurninConcepts.com for their help getting the wheels and suspension hooked up. CarLabs, for such an awesome, effective brace. Penguin Garage and T3h_Clap for help getting everything exactly right, and for the spoiler. AutoEurope in Berkely, MI, for mounting my tires without screwing up my wheels and for balancing them properly, and my super-secret alignment guy. Yes, I was aligned manually with string, a ruler, slip plates, and a spreadsheet. Nandan, my photographer, for the amazing photos. Lastly, all my friends in the community who have helped me learn, modify, and tweak my car – thanks to you all.

Since this Interview, Chris has replaced his RT615s with a fresh set of Bridgestone RE01Rs in the same size (255/40/17). And yes, the clearances are still tight. Chris will be tracking his car over the summer.

More Photos:

Q: Can I run different Size Tires front and rear on my Subaru Impreza WRX STi or Subaru Legacy SpecB.?

A: NO!

Do not run different Tire Sizes Front and Rear or Side to Side on a Street Driven Subaru. All 4 tires must match.

This includes all models of Impreza, Legacy, Forester, Tribeca, Outback, and Outback Sport with AWD.

Why you ask?

1.) Because Subaru Says so

click me

2.) Because your owners manual says so

if you’re not sure, or don’t believe me go read it.

3.) Because saving $200 or even $500 today is not worth the expense or Hassle to fix your center diff.

On a more technical side of things,

You can’t run a different rolling diameter front and rear on a street driven Subaru due to its AWD system. The center diff will try and compensate for the differing speeds between the front and rear tires and proceed to overheat and eventually fail.

This also applies to running different Model tires of the same size. EVERY aspect of your 4 tires should match when installed on a Subaru including;

Width

Profile

Diameter

Load index

Tread pattern

Tread compound

Brand

Model

This is the only time that it makes sense to buy crappy tires for an STi.

Also proper rotation is key to the longevity of both your tires and your differentials, rotate your tires consistently and often (i.e. Oil changes/after autox’s/after track days).

Not a lot of information out there on the new gramLights 57D wheel except that it doesn’t really come in sizes for Subarus.

And Honestly I don’t care, this wheel looks awesome.

Even though the “unofficial” release for these was in January of this year, I figured it was about time to show it off to the Subaru world.

The D stands for “drift”, but I’m more concerned with the fact they cleaned up the lines for the popular 57Maximum and added some crazy new Colors.

The 18×9.5 +38mm that is available and closest to Subaru friendly offsets is not listed as clearing Brembos, but it shouldn’t require too much of a spacer to get it to clear up front.

Guess only time will tell if someone is crazy enough to run some Luminous Orange gramLight 57Ds on a Subaru

-T3h_Clap

Images from Rays Engineering Website

I don’t normally do this, but this New Concept from BMW is a must see.

Imagine being able to make the wheel arches of a car wider simply at a push of a button no worries of paint cracking or having to mold in new body panels.

Simply Amazing

I’m waiting for a setup where I can make the car wider at an event for some large wheels/tires and then bring it back down to standard street setup and still look amazing doing both.

I guess the question is when will this hit the streets and will the smaller less luxury companies be able to make it a feasible option for new vehicles. Subaru for 2015? Where do I sign?

GINA Article

Video of GINA in action

More Details

Photo from http://www.carmagazine.co.uk

Here are a few little graphs I put together for a few different people to compare the different measurements of a few select size tires.

First up is a comparo of a select few 255/35/18 and 265/35/18

all tires listed in this graph are a 35 profile and 18″ diameter

Measuring Width is the wheel width that was used when measuring Tread width and Section width. Both of tread width and section width change with wheel width. More on this in a future article.

Tread is the Tread width of a given tire on a given wheel width, measured from the inside tread to the outside tread. Tread Width is not always published as you can see here where the red sections go down to zero.

Section is the Section Width of a given tire on a given wheel width, measured from the inside to the outside of the tire at the widest portion. The three digit number on the side wall of a tire relates to the tires section width.

as you can see the the difference between a 255 and 265 is noticeable in both section and tread widths.

the measuring wheel width also changes, the measuring wheel width for a 255 is generally 9″, 265 is generally 9.5″.

Mounting a tire on a wheel narrower than the measuring wheel width will result in a narrower section width then the published number.

Mouting a tire on a wheel wider than the measuring wheel width will result in a wider section width then the published number.

2nd up is a graph comparing 255/40/17 tires, all tires below had a measuring wheel width of 9″

As you can see comparing 255 only tires creates a more uniform graph in terms of section width. Tires range from a 10.2 to a 10.4. 10.2″ Section Width belongs to the Toyo T1R and the 10.4″ Section Width is from the new Dunlop Z1 Star Spec and R888.

The tires with the largest tread widths A048, R888 are both R-Compound Track tires.

Unfortunately the new Dunlop Z1 Star Spec does not have their Tread Width numbers publicly published, if anyone has a Dunlop connection that has these numbers I’d love to get my hands on them.

The RT615 and RE01R are the middle ground in terms of size for a Max Performance Street Tire, both measuring 9.4″ tread width
The AD07 from Advan is by far the largest coming in at a staggering 9.9″ tread width.

The R1R is between the RE01R and AD07 with a 9.6″ tread width

Choosing the correct tire for any application is critical, with the tires being the only thing touching the ground it’s key to make the right decision on what tires will maximize the use of your vehicle.

There will be another Article Following next week going into more detail on the Measurements listed here.

Also look out for more Tire comparison and analysis.

As always if there are any specific questions don’t hesitate to shoot me an email or comment.

-t3h_Clap

Building a streetable BSP car isn’t too hard. You just have to make sacrifices. Sacrifices to Driveability, and Ultimate BSP Preparation.

1.) How much blood do I want in my urine? 10k/8k or 14k/12k?

2.) NVH “WHAT? I Can’t hear you”

3.) How am I supposed to fit 17×10s and 275s in my backseat!?

Is it possible to build a BSP car without these sacrifices? yes, but you give up speed and leave time on the course where ever tenth counts.

I figured it was time to do a little article on my own car, T3h_Clap.

Built for BSP Autox Competition and Daily Driven in the wonderful state of Florida.

Honestly, the sacrifices aren’t that bad.

sure the exhaust is loud (APS 3″)

The Coilovers are noisy and stiff as hell (Zeal Function V6s)

But it’s worth it, the amount of Grip this little MY05 Subaru Impreza WRX STi has is amazing.

For a truly competitive BSP Subaru one NEEDS to be running at least 17×10s and 275 tires. These are the minimum. Winning Locally on a set of 8.5″ wheels with 245 tires doesn’t mean you can hang on a National Level. Of course National Level requires a driver who can hang as well, (that’s where I fail haha).

It took awhile to find a Setup that I liked.

1st it was STi Pink springs

2nd it was the Breakfast Blend (STi Pink Front Springs, PDE Front Camber plates, STi Pink Wagon Rear Springs)

3rd it was KW V3s with PDE front camber plates

4th it was the Current Zeal Function V6s with 10k/8k springs and camber plates front and rear.

All four of the setups have their ups and downs.

Pinks were great daily, but were too low and soft for big rubber.

Breakfast Blend was amazing daily, great for big rubber, but lacked the stiffness.

KW V3s amazing on the street, stiff enough for big rubber, great adjustability, but lacked the stiffness I wanted.

Zeals Stiff for sure, great adjustability but lack the ideal amount of Droop Travel.

For wheels I ended up running a set of 17×10 CCW Classics custom made with enough pad height and the Proper Disk to not require spacers to clear brembos.

The Suspension Setup that was needed to make the AutoX only 17×10 CCWs and 275/40/17 V710s to fit was as follows.

Ride height: ~14.25″ front and ~14″ rear (corner balanced so it’s not exactly that).

Camber: -2.9 Front and -1.7 Rear

Camber Plate/Bolt Trick: Rear camber plates full negative, with camber bolts in the rear set to positive to achieve final -1.7 Rear camber number. This “trick” gives added clearance between the rear strut and tire allowing me to run a higher offset then normally possible with 17×10s and 275s.

Body Modifications: to allow 17×10s were simple, just had to “push” the lower corner of the front bumper outward. Due to the 10″ wide wheels the 275/40/17 V710s were now hitting the lower corner of the front bumper when the wheel was turned. 275/40/17 V710s on smaller wheels don’t hit the bumper (although it’s close).

The Car will be under going some Interior and Exterior Changes over the coming year, but the rest of the car “should” stay as is as long as I don’t get Antsy or the Real Owner of the CCWs doesn’t ask for them back (thanks for letting me borrow the Wheels Rich!).

The Rest of the Important Mods on the car are pretty standard for BSP.

APS 3″ Turbo Back

APv1 ProTune by Jarrad of PDX Tuning (93 and VP110 maps) 306whp/331wtq on 110 on the JapTrix Dyno in West Palm Beach.

Whiteline Anti Sway Bars front and rear (24/26 front 20/24 rear)

Ingalls rear camber bolts

ARP Long Wheel Studs

The Street Setup:

Only difference for the street setup is the 93 Octane pump gas map and the wheels.

The wheels of choice are a set of 18×8.5 +45mm gramLight 57Maximums in White (First Set in the States installed 6/1/2006).

The tires of choice are a set of 265/35/18 Hankook RS2s.

As always at T3hClap.com we’re looking for sponsors to help us get out to more events and upgrade the car further. Any donations or sponsors don’t hesitate to shoot me an Email.

Photos:
Slideshow on abbyjons.smugmug.com

Recently I was flipping through the latest Hyper Rev Impreza #6 (thanks John @ GarageSpec), and I found something the community needs to know.

I stumbled upon the release of an 08 STi specific Volk Racing RE30 size.

In case you’re unfamiliar with the Wheel here’s a little photo.

The new Volk Racing RE30 size release for the 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX STi takes advantage of both the added inboard clearance of the new GRB chassis and the new wider front and rear fenders.

This new size will be the standard for all 08s, the “basic” fitment if you will.

18×9 +50mm

Doesn’t that just sound wonderful!?

9″ as a “basic” fitment, I remember when it was big news for the Bugeyes to run wider than 7.5!! LOLs.

9″ wheel +50mm offset that will easily fit on the new 2008 STi with ZERO issues?!?!

Makes me want to go get an 08…

For a more aggressive setup, one only needs to go .5″ wider and 3mm lower offset to find another RE30 that clears the Brembos and has very attractive sizing. 18×9.5 +47mm, with the correct fender mods and suspension one could run a 275/35/18 on this setup with only minor hassles.

After scanning through the new Hyper Rev it is evident that there will be much more to come for the GRB Chassis. With the way the US and the Japanese tuners are diving in to tuning the new chassis it is only a matter of time before the guys with the big check books realize what’s possible to squeeze under those new Fender Flares.

Yes, I’m jealous, and Yes I’m looking for some 08s to tinker with.

Any South Florida takers? I’ve got a few wheels that need test fitting

Stay tuned for some more Volk Racing articles.

-t3h_Clap

In stock form the Subaru Impreza WRX STi is no slouch in the suspension department. This doesn’t mean it can’t be better, but how far do you go?

Lowering springs that limit the performance and wheel/tire selection or kidney bruising coilovers?

There is a proper middle ground to setting up an STi that is still competitive at the Autox.

Karlton has found that middle ground, the middle ground also happens to include a few sets of 9.5″ wheels!!

Karlton bought this STi in November of 2005, and after about 500 miles and its first oil change, Karlton took it to its first autocross.

Karlton planned on not modifying this car at all and just running it for fun in A Stock. (We all know how this story pans out)

His first event in the car, Karlton knew it needed a few suspension tweaks. He decided to set the car up for STU since he could keep the car relatively streetable and limit how crazy he could go with the modifications.

After going through a couple different suspension setups Karlton finally found his middle ground.

Karlton qualifies as a Wheel Whore with a nice list of wheels in his arsenal.

Autocross setup:
SSR Competitions
17×9.5 et42 (3mm spacer in the front)
Bridgestone Potenza RE-01r
245/40/17

Street/Rain setup:
Kosei K1-TS
17×9 et45
Kumho Ecsta SPT
245/40/17

Just for fun:
Enkei RP03
17×9.5 et38
Yokohama Advan Neova AD07
245/40/17

As you see here there is a pattern, 245/40/17s. Karlton is forced by the SCCA Street Tire Unlimited (STU) rule set to have tires no wider than 245, wheel width is unlimited. Exploiting the unlimited wheel width ruling, STU competitors mount their 245s on the widest wheel possible to widen the section width and improve steering response.

When it comes to 9.5″ wheels I really like the placement of the +38mm wheels.

The middle ground Karlton has chosen for his Streetable STU STI is as follows.

Suspension Setup:
Ground Control housings with Koni 8611 Double adjustable shocks
Ground Control camber plates front and rear
Eibach springs 530lb front/500 rear
Whiteline 27-29 swaybars front and rear
Camber: -3 front/-1.8 rear
1/16” toe out front and rear
Ride height: about 13.75” front and rear

Thank you Section:
Karlton would like to thank his sponsors: SpeedElement, GST Motorsports, and AutoRnD.

Any Specific setup questions can be emailed to me, any questions about Karlton’s setup feel free to comment or shoot me an email.

Below are some more photos of Karlton’s car Equipped with the 17×9.5 +38mm Enkei RP03 with 245/40/17 Yokohama Advan AD07 Tires.

Yesterday I swung by my local Subaru Dealership to take a look at the new 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX STi which they had sitting outside.

First impressions are “Whoa, you grew” and “Yes please”.

The car as a whole appears larger than the earlier years.

As a good wheel whore the first thing I check was the rear Fender lip.

As Suspected there was a good 1″ or so of fender that could be rolled up and out of the way without much hassle.

This is amazing considering people are squeezing 275/35/18s on 9.5″ wheels with only a minor fender roll.

Imagine what can be done with a heavy roll and a slight pull of those fenders.

The Front fenders did not have nearly as much lip as the previous years, although the front is never really an issue due to the amount of negative camber we tend to run.

It’s very tempting to just bite the bullet and jump into an 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX STi and not look back, just go out and grab a set of 18×9.5s with a nice high 40 offset, slap on my 265s and be content until a set of coilovers show up.

I’ve needed a car to use my pretty new fender roller on……

Yes there are alot more thing to talk about on the new 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX STi, but honestly who cares, it wont be long before you see 08s rolling around with some T3h_Clap Approved 18×10s

Stay Tuned for more 2008 Impreza WRX STi Fitment Info and Photos as I either convince my girlfriend to let me get one, or I find someone on the street willing enough to let me do some test fitting.

-T3h_:Clap:

The width of the wheel is one of the key factors in selecting a wheel.

Go wider than stock?

Stay the same width?

Go narrower than stock?

These are a few questions that must be asked and answered before selecting a wheel. Not all wheels are available in all sizes.

The width of a wheel is measured from the inside bead to the outside bead.

The wheel width determines backspacing, forward spacing, offset selection and tire sizes.

Offset as said earlier is measured from the center of the wheel to mounting face.

Backspacing is the distance from the mounting face to the back of the wheel.

Forward spacing is the distance from the mounting face to the front of the wheel.

With knowing this only looking at offset when selecting wheels can be a very bad thing. Changing forward spacing and backspacing (by increasing wheel width) while maintaining the same offset can lead to potential rubbing issues.

the width of a wheel also dictates the size of tire that can safely be run.

is it possible to run a 275 series tire on an 8″ wheel? Yes, I ran it for part of the 2006/2007 season Solo2.

Is 275 on an 8″ wheel ideal? No, ultimately grip will be increased compared to a properly sized tire but there will be some side effects such as slower turn in, and “squirmy” sidewalls.

Why run an over sized tire for autox? Rules, in stock class changing wheel width is illegal, but tire width is unlimited. I will go into more detail about autox classing later.

Back to wheel width and tire width, each manufacture has listed the range of wheel widths any given tire can fit on. This is a good starting point for what is “ideal” although they do tend to lean towards a slight stretching of the tire. Some people prefer to have a little extra tire to help protect the wheel and increase grip. This can be accomplished by using a wheel width that is on the narrower side of the listed range.

Wheel width is a large contributor to wheel weight. When increasing wheel width it is a good idea to also upgrade to a better construction wheel either a high quality cast wheel or forged. Upgrading to a better construction usually means the overall weight of the wheels will be less.

Wheel weight will be discussed in further detail in a future article.

Wheel width is only one of the many aspects of selecting a wheel.

The other aspects of Diameter, Offset, Desired Tire Width, Acceptable Camber, Desired Usage, and Current and Future Suspension setups all need to be consider as well. Blindly saying “I want a 9″ wheel” can get you in loads of trouble if you’re not careful and don’t do your research.

Hey guys,Recently there has been a bit of a stir of what Work Emotions will and will not clear the Brembo brakes found standard on the Subaru Impreza WRX STi. As we all know the Brembos can be a bit challenging finding a wheel that fits without spacers or other modifications.

Quickly I want to Thank the guys over at RavSpec Online who were kind enough to Sponsor this article.

Here is a list of Work Emotion Wheels that are known to clear brembos from independent sources and from Work themselves, lets get started.

Work Emotion CR Kai

17×7.0 +32mm

17×8.0 +47mm

17×8.0 +42mm

17×8.0 +32mm

17×9.0 +28mm

17×9.0 +17mm

18×7.5 +35mm

18×8.5 +43mm

18×9.5 +30mm

Work Emotion XD9

18×7.5 +38mm

18×8.0 +45mm

18×8.0 +35mm

18×8.0 +28mm

18×9.0 +43mm

18×9.0 +38mm

18×9.0 +30mm

18×9.0 +20mm

18×10.0 +18mm

Work Emotion XT7

17×7.0 +32mm

17×8.0 +47mm

17×8.0 +42mm

17×8.0 +32mm

17×8.0 +25mm

17×9.0 +38mm

17×9.0 +28mm

17×9.0 +17mm

18×7.5 +35mm

18×8.5 +46mm

18×8.5 +38mm

18×8.5 +32mm

18×8.5 +25mm

18×9.5 +38mm

18×9.5 +30mm

18×9.5 +20mm

18×9.5 +12mm

Work Emotion XC8

17×7.0 +35mm

17×8.0 +50mm

17×8.0 +42mm

17×8.0 +35mm

17×9.0 +38mm

17×9.0 +28mm

17×9.0 +17mm

18×7.5 +35mm

18×8.5 +47mm

18×9.5 +35mm

18×9.5 +20mm

18×9.5 +12mm

19×8.0 +48mm

19×8.0 +35mm

19×9.0 +45mm

19×9.0 +35mm

19×9.0 +25mm

19×10.0 +35mm

19×10.0 +20mm

Don’t hesitate to head over to our Sponsors for your next work wheel purchase, tell them T3h Clap sent ya

These may not be all of the Sizes that clear brembo. All of the above will clear brembos, this does not mean they will work with all Impreza Suspensions, Body Work, Or tire size. Specific Fitment Questions can be sent to drew@t3hclap.com or below in the comments.
Feel Free to leave questions or comments.

After hearing about the latest news from the most recent SCCA FasTracks I immediately sent in my response against the change.

The BSP Mitsubishi EVO VIII’s and IX’s did very well this year at nationals in BSP. Neither of the STI or EVO as a whole have proven that they would be competitive in ASP on a national level.

If the bases of the change was due to the performance of the EVO and STI at nationals the S2000 and C4 Corvettes should also be bumped into the ASP arena.

Below is a link to the 2007 SCCA Solo Championship results, as seen here the EVO and STi did not dominate BSP, there is a strong mixture of vehicles in the top 10 of BSP competition. Don’t change that, keep the competition alive.

Read the new SCCA Solo FasTracks here.

They are asking for emails in agreement of disagreement with this change.

We need everyone to send an Email to seb@scca.com and voice our disagreement with this new class change.

Below is a Sample letter for you to send.

2007 SCCA Solo Championship Results can be downloaded here.

The Sample letter is Short and Sweet.

To: Seb@SCCA.com
I am against the change of moving the BSP STi to ASP. The results of the car do not show this to be required.

Sincerely,
Avid Autoxer

Want to run an aggressive GTR Face setup on your Impreza?

It isn’t impossible, you just need to be willing to do the modifications necessary to make it work.

Perfect example of someone willing to do what it takes is Bill (Aka. IStoSTi, CarbonIS, and a few others I don’t know).

Bill contacted me asking “what would it take for me to run this?”

I informed Bill of what he would have to do. Generally when I reply to questions like these people run away or ask if I’m serious, not Bill. Bill asked for more details. Crazy guy I tell ya.

This setup he was talking about was an 18×9 +29mm Advan RS with the coveted GTR face.

To make this aggressive of a setup work on an Impreza it takes a good amount of work and very aggressive camber settings front and rear.The tire of choice for this setup was a 235/40/18, this allowed Bill to run slightly less camber and have the lower ride height he was searching for.

Even with the 235/40/18 and -2.5 rear camber it is still necessary to do modifications to the rear fenders. Bill decided to modify the rear fenders by trimming the excess fender lip away, this allows the car to maintain stock look and still gain the needed clearance.

Setting up an aggressive wheel and tire car isn’t a simple set ride height, install, align and done. Modifying the setup, for everything to fit properly is a tedious process and can take days if not weeks. If I remember correctly Bill and a local performance shop modified the fenders and did the alignment in two days. Crazy again I tell ya.

Once Bill had everything setup and got some photos taken he had started a revolution of sorts, proving that it is possible to run these kind of Low Offset wheels on stock bodied Subaru Impreza Sedans. This is beyond fitment, this is the way a low offset Subaru is supposed to look.

Bill doesn’t need wheels to do dual duty, he has plans to run a more performance oriented aggressive setup for track use in the future. Normally I’d stray away from this aggressive 18×9 +29mm setup for a car using these wheels for both street and track, due to other options being more ideal for dual duty. Although if you’re crazy enough to do it, do it. My only request is you do it right the first time.

Important Modifications:

Suspension: Tein Flex Coilovers, Rear Camber bolts

Wheels: Advan RS GTR Face 18×9 +29mm 5×114.3

Tires: Falken Azenis RT615 235/40/18

Alignment: -2.6 Front Camber, -2.5 Rear Camber

Ride Height: 12.5″ Front, 12.3″ Rear

Body Modifications: Trimmed rear inner fender lip

Here are some photos of Bill’s setup. Click for higher-res.

Bill asked me to thank a few of his Friends and Supporters for him.

Shades of Gray Tint
EDO Performance
RT Tuning
Area1320
Liquid Powder Coats
201 Motorsports

Photos by: Laura DeBolt

As always if you have specific questions about your setup or want to be featured on T3hclap.com don’t hesitate to shoot me an email.

drew@t3hclap.com

-t3h_:clap:

Want to run wider tires on your 2005+ Impreza WRX STi that is still using Stock wheels and Stock (or stock replacement) Struts?

Using the following setup it is possible to easily run a 245/40/17 or 255/40/17 Tire

1.) Stock 17×8 +53mm wheels (BBS or Enkei)

2.) Stock Struts (or stock replacements, such as Ohlins)

3.) Lowering Springs (90% of lowering springs will work, only the softest and Lowest will cause issue).

4.) Performance alignment (dialing in as much as possible using the stock front camber bolts ~ -1 degrees is normal, using aftermarket Camber Plates or Camber Bolts can be used to gain more camber).

Quality Summer 245 and 255 tires.

Bridgestone RE01R 245/40/17 or 255/40/17

Yokohama Advan AD07 245/40/17 or 255/40/17

Hankook Z212 RS2 245/40/17

Falken Azenis RT615 255/40/17

Dunlop Z1 Star Spec 245/40/17

All five of the tires listed are great tires. When considering if they will work on a you 2005+ STi you need to consider the use. If you’re Autoxing in STU you can’t go wider than 245, so running a 245/40/17 would be the best idea.

Also, if you plan on using the tires on new wheels that are wider and have a lower offset and you don’t plan on changing your suspension, you may want to avoid the 255’s as it can cause rubbing issues even with high offset 8.5″ wheels.

As Usual if you’ve got specific questions on fitment don’t hesitate to shoot me an email.

Street Alignments can be tricky.

No offense to alignment techs, but 90% go for the easy way out when it comes to setting up your alignment. Especially when you’re on an upgraded suspension.

For example,

It’s 1000x easier to adjust camber plates to get equal camber left and right, this is a big no no and will negatively effect the handling of the vehicle.

In short the easiest way to make sure your car gets setup the best way possible you can do the following, or make sure the alignment tech does your alignment as follows.

The process really depends on your setup, but here is a few basics to getting your alignment right, the first time.

Subaru Impreza with Stock or Lowering Springs and Stock or Grp N. Top Hats.

Front

1.) Adjust Camber eccentric bolt (Upper bolt that attaches strut to the spindle) so camber is maximized but equal left to right.

2.) Adjust Toe to be Zero left and right

Rear

1.) Adjust Toe eccentric to be Zero left and right

Subaru Impreza with Stock or Lowering Springs and Stock or Grp N. Top Hats and Aftermarket Camber Bolts Front and Rear.

Front

1.) Install Camber Bolt in lower bolt and make sure it’s aligned for negative camber (tab inward).

2.) While on the alignment rack able to see the adjustments. Adjust both Camber eccentric bolts. First adjust the lower camber bolt to around -1.5, then use the upper camber bolt to fine tune to -1.8 or so. Make sure camber is maximized to where you want it but equal left to right.

3.) Adjust Toe to be Zero left and right

Rear

1.) Install Camber Bolt in upper bolt and make sure it’s aligned for negative camber (tab inward).

2.) While on the alignment rack able to see the adjustments. Adjust new Camber eccentric bolts. Use the upper camber bolt to fine tune to -1.8 or so. Make sure camber is maximized to where you want it but equal left to right.

3.) Adjust Toe to be Zero left and right

Subaru Impreza with Lowering Springs and Front Camber Plates.

Front

1.) Adjust Camber Plates equally negative (inward), good starting point for street use is 1/2 way between the middle (0) hash mark and full negative (inward). (Camber #s according to the alignment rack will not have to match, the plates need to match).

2.) Adjust Camber eccentric bolt until camber left and right matches. Try and achieve maximum negative camber you’re comfortable with. I prefer a -1.7 or so front camber for a street driven Subaru Impreza.

3.) Adjust Toe eccentric to be Zero left and right.

Rear

1.) Adjust toe eccentric to be Zero left and right

Subaru Impreza with Coilovers and Front and Rear Camber Plates.

Car As A Whole
1.) Adjust ride height to where you want it. Good starting point 14.25″ Front and 14″ Rear (measured from center of hub to fender).

2.) Corner Weight the car by adjusting ride height and using scales.

Front
1.) Adjust Camber Plates equally negative (inward), good starting point for street use is 1/2 way between the middle (0) hash mark and full negative (inward). (Camber #s according to the alignment rack will not have to match, the plates need to match).

2.) Adjust Camber eccentric bolt until camber left and right matches. Try and achieve maximum negative camber you’re comfortable with. I prefer a -1.7 or so front camber for a street driven Subaru Impreza.

3.) Adjust Toe eccentric to be Zero left and right.

Rear

*if rear camber plates are non existent, skip step 1

**if rear camber eccentric bolts are non existent, skip step 2

1.) Adjust Camber Plates equally negative (inward).

2.) Adjust Camber eccentric bolt until camber left and right matches. A good baseline is -1.5.

3.) Adjust toe eccentric to be Zero left and right.

If you’ve got a specific setup that you’ve got questions about starting points for ride height and camber don’t hesitate to comment or email.

Ok, so you’ve got some dirty wheels? Not surprising. Today’s brake pads and roads can get you car and wheels filthy in a hurry. Not to worry though. That’s why we’re here. This is the proper way to clean your wheels and keep them clean.

Ew dirty wheels!

First, make sure the wheels are cool to the touch. Wheels get hot just from normal driving and braking. So take a minute, get set up and let them cool. You are going to need a few products to accomplish this task.

First off, some soap, whatever you use to clean your car is great for this. Dish soap is a bad idea. Now get yourself a bucket and get the soap all sudsy and get a good amount of water in the bucket. I also use a grit remover in the bottom of my bucket. You’ll also need something to clean the stubborn spots of caked on brake dust. I use a fairly aggressive rubbing compound. I’ve found it works great when used properly. Next, you’re going to need to protect your wheels. There are several products on the market for this. They all have something like “wheel protection” or something to that affect on the jar/bottle. If you are questioning a certain product, don’t hesistate to contact me or your local professional detailer for a bit of help on what to use. Finally, you’ll need some microfiber cloths to work with, any brand should work.

Here’s a picture of the stuff i used:

Now, you’re set up, the wheels are cool, and you’re ready to start cleaning. Take a hose and spray off the loose debris. You will see some brake dust and other contaminants running off the wheel. Next, take a microfiber cloth (MF) and dunk it in the bucket of soapy water. Squeeze that so that the soapy water runs al over the wheel. Let it dwell for a second and then with that MF, start wiping down the wheel. Make sure you get every little nook and cranny.

Now, once you’ve done the initial cleaning, the wheels should definitely start looking better.

Still not quite up to par though, so onward we go.

You’ve noticed some specks/spots of black stuff on the wheel. Something like this:

This is road grime and brake dust that has physically adhered to the wheel and can’t be removed with typical cleaning. Its time to break out your rubbing compound. Apply a small amount to one of your MF’s and start working it into the wheel. It make take a bit of elbow grease and patience here so don’t worry if it doesn’t look perfect right away. When you are done with that it should look something like this.

The rubbing compound wont take off physical defects such as chips and pits so you may still have some of those. Similar to the wheel pictured above.

Here is a before and after:

before:

after:

Now that you’ve got your wheels free of most, if not all, of the contaminants. It’s time to protect them. Bust out your wax/sealant and your applicator pad and apply a thin even coat to the entire surface of the wheel.

Again, get all the nooks and crannies. This stuff tends to get into the cracks if you aren’t careful so don’t be afraid to grab a toothpick or something to get it out. Once you’ve got the wheel coated, let it dry/haze/cure for a bit (usually about 5-10 minutes).

Now, once it has hazed over, you can start buffing. Grab a MF and start buffing the wax/sealant off. Be sure to get it all off the wheel. Once it is all off, you can kick back and enjoy your work or apply multiple coats. The next time you go to clean your wheels it should be much easier to get all the grime off.

You will need to reapply the wax/sealant every few months or so. Hopefully this has helped you out! Remember, if you have any questions do not hesitate to contact me, or glimmerglassdetailing.com or even your local pro detailer.

typing t3hclap into the Glimmer Glass Detailing coupon code will net a discount.

I received a Private Message last night on one of the many forums I frequent and it is a common one. I’ve cropped down the users original question and cleaned up the answer a little.

Quote:

E,

I’m familiar with your setup, the RCIIs look very good on your car.

As you see with the 235/40/18 tire you’ve got a decent amount of room at +45mm offset all around.

Fronts don’t really require a fender roll but if you’re doing it you might as well, to help clearance in the front you can add a little more negative camber (~-1.8 or so would be good).

With a fender roll in the rear you should be able to safely run a 265/35/18 with your 45mm offset wheels.

key word is should, you may have to “pull” or “flare” the rear slightly due to you being on springs and not stiff coilovers. Also, you may need to invest in some rear camber bolts (Ingalls work well) to dial in a little more rear camber to keep the tire away from the fender.

Being an 04 you can’t get around not rolling your fenders, unfortunately you don’t really have a choice there if you want to run wider than a 235 (at your current width/offset/suspension).

which tire were you thinking of running?

a 265/35 is a fairly common size and most Max Performance Summer tires come in that size.

another size to look into is the 255/35/18 (RE01R specifically). This will be better suited to your 8.5″ wheel and will have less rubbing issues in the rear.

now that you know it is possible to make it work, I’ll tell you the downsides of running wider tires.

the bad:

1.) Your car will find every groove in the road and start trying to follow it like a blind dog on a leash. Now it isn’t that bad really, as long as you’re paying attention. (i’m running 265s and -2.9 camber in the front, trust me I know what it’s like ).

2.) you will give up some steering response for the increase in total grip. it’s a trade off that is a hard one to decide if it is worth it or not. the decrease in steering response wont be that much going from 235 to 265 on an 8.5″ wheel, and the ultimate grip wont be that much either, at least not on the street (or canyon). I hope you’re not pushing 10/10ths out on those canyons.

3.) there will be some added roll over which you may or may not notice, it really depends on you as an individual. Some people can tell when their camber is off by a 10th of a degree. I’m not one of those people btw,

the Good:

1.) they’ll look beefy as hell
2.) You will have more grip at the limit if you get there.

The above would also apply to all Base Imprezas and WRXs as well as MY04 STi’s. For a MY05+ STi the tire talk is similar the only real difference is the fender rolling. On a MY05+ STi fender rolling tends to be more complex and it can be easier to actually cut the fender lip off versus rolling it. I will address fender rolling and trimming in a future article. 

 For all Models Suspension does play a roll, I removed the specific suspension in this so it isn’t assumed it will always work.

If there are any specific questions such as this don’t hesitate to email me or shoot me a PM on one of the many forums.

 -t3h_clap

Yes, Low offset wheels hurt your wheel bearings more than stock.

the center line of the wheel being further from hub creates more stress than the stock offset.

is there “proof” of this? is there some mile marker where your bearings will explode if you run a +30mm offset on a Subaru? No.

Are you causing more stress than factory? Yes.

Will you need to replace them earlier? Yes.

I’m more than willing to read a report from someone who has proof of their broken wheel bearing vs. non broken low offset wheel bearing.

You wont see me wasting time figuring out the actual point of where it happens. Low offset wheels increase wear. Either you accept that or you stay with a higher offset wheel. End of Story.

-T3h_Clap

You read correctly, Pastelito Racing took home the Subaru Challenge bragging rights trophy for the 2nd year in a row! 

With our “Fab 4″ doing exceptionally well in their respective classes it would’ve taken a dream team to beat us. 

Kolin (aka: Rankink) got FTD and top Pax for the day and won the opportunity to drive in the National Subaru Run Off sometime in 2008 in a factory prepped MY08 STi!

I was only slightly off pace, but it was enough to bring in 2nd place in BSP and 6th overall Pax.  The 17×10 CCWs and 275/40 V710s did amazing.

JMS put up some strong competition this challenge along with Koby Subaru and Mastro Subaru putting together teams with their top drivers.  Next year is going to be intense and we’re all hoping it isn’t as hot!

Abby’s photography for the event was amazing even through the terrible heat and inclimate weather.  All photos from the event can be seen here.

 The evening ceremony hosted by Subaru and the Buccaneer Region SCCA went on without a hitch and some killer door prizes.

 Some specific setups that should be mentioned are

SOJax/JMS MY05 Impreza WRX STi running 17×9 +43mm 5zigen FN01R-Cs with 275/40 V710s.  Suspension: Megan Track coilovers.  Driven by Bill (Scooby South).  (1st Place BSP, 4th Pax)

Mastro/Wombat Impreza 2.5RS (DSP) running 17×8 +35mm 5zigen FN01R-Cs with 275/40 V710s.  Driven by Josh (Whiteghost). (1st Place DSP, 11th PAX)

Koby Subaru MY04 Impreza WRX (SM) running 17×10 CCW Classics with 295 Hoosier A6s.  Suspension: custom JIC Coilovers.  Driven by Jose (Pacobeagle).  (1st Place SM, 3rd PAX)

[Still looking for photo]  

Mastro/Wombat Impreza H6!! this thing was mean.

Crazy Cracker Racing/Pastelito Racing MY05 Impreza WRX STi (AS) running 17×8 +48mm “unknown” wheels and 275/40/17 V710s driven by Kolin (Rankink).  This is the car that got FTD and he’s STOCK!!  Pastelito Racing FTW!

Pastelito Racing MY05 Impreza WRX STi (BSP) running 17×8 +48mm “unknown” wheels R-comps Suspension: Penguin Garage Breakfast Blend Combo, Whiteline Sway Bars. 

Pastelito Racing MY05 Impreza WRX STi (BSP) running 17×8.5 +48mm “unknown” wheels 245/45/17 V710s. Suspension: STi Pink springs with Cobb Sway Bars (3rd place BSP, 10th Pax)

Wales Garage/Pastelito Racing MY05 Subaru Legacy GT (ESP) running 17×7.5 +53mm STi BBS wheels 245/40/17 Advan A032R.  Suspension: Swift Springs, Tockico Struts, Cusco Bracing and Bars.

Pith Brothers MY06 Impreza WRX STi (SM) running 17×10 +25mm 5zigen FN01R-Cs.

Dynasty Auto/Pastelito Racing MY04 Impreza WRX STi (SM) running 17×10 CCWs and Hoosiers.

There were many other Amazing Setups at this event, which I will explain in more detail later.

Running an Aggressive fitment on an STi isn’t easy but at the same time it isn’t impossible. For autox, track, show, street it is possible to find a wheel and tire combo that will meet the needs you’re looking for.

To run a 9.5″ wheel on an Subaru Impreza WRX STi GDB/F you’ll need the following

Needs

• Coilovers with stiff springs (550/10k+).
• Camber adjustability Front and Rear (preferably with plates and bolts).
• The drive to make these work, this size doesn’t “bolt on” like other sizes.
• A dremel or fender roller or a hammer .
• 5×114.3 hubs are recommended mainly because of their out of the box durability and the wheel choices in 5×114.3 are much better than 5×100.
• Also a 9.5″ wide wheel that clears brembos and has an acceptable offset.

This is a very basic “needs” list, what EXACTLY needs to be done to run an aggressive setup will depend on many different variables.

On to the wheels that are available in 9.5″ that clear brembos.

More will be added as the days go on.

Specific fitment questions should be directed to drew@t3hclap.comas every setup is different and just because they clear brembos and the offset looks good doesn’t mean it will work.

Some wheels are available in custom offsets and widths, but not all. Most 2 and 3 piece wheels can be ordered with custom offsets.

Rays Engineering

Volk Racing RE30
17×9.5 +40mm
18×9.5 +47mm
18×9.5 +40mm
18×9.5 +35mm

Volk Racing TE37
17×9.5 +35mm
17×9.5 +40mm
18×9.5 +40mm
18×9.5 +35mm

Volk Racing CE28N
17×9.5 +47mm
17×9.5 +40mm
18×9.5 +47mm
18×9.5 +40mm
18×9.5 +34mm

Volk Racing Progressiv ME
18×9.5 +36mm

Volk Racing SF-Challenge
19×9.5 +40mm (disk A)

Volk Racing SF-Winning
19×9.5 +44mm (disk A)
19×9.5 +32mm (disk A)

Volk Racing GT-S
19×9.5 +30mm (disk A)
19×9.5 +43mm (disk A)
19×9.5 +40mm (disk B)

Volk Racing GTM
19×9.5 +36mm (disk A)
19×9.5 +33mm (disk B)

Volk Racing GTF
19×9.5 +30mm (disk A)
19×9.5 +42mm (disk A)
19×9.5 +40mm (disk B)

Volk Racing GTV
19×9.5 +30mm (disk A)
19×9.5 +42mm (disk A)

Volk Racing GTC face 1
19×9.5 +33mm (disk A)

Volk Racing GTC face 2
19×9.5 +36mm (disk A)

Volk Racing GT-7
19×9.5 +30mm (disk A)
19×9.5 +42mm (disk A)

gramLights 57F (No Longer in Production)
17×9.5 +38mm
18×9.5 +38mm

gramLights 57-Pro
18×9.5 +30mm (disk A)

gramLights 57S-Pro
18×9.5 +33mm (disk A)

gramLights 57Maximum-Pro
18×9.5 +30mm (disk A)

Yokohama

Advan Racing RS
17×9.5 +35mm
17×9.5 +25mm

Advan Racing RG2
17×9.5 +35mm
17×9.5 +25mm

Connoisseur No.151C
18×9.5 +38mm

Work Wheels

Emotion CR Kai
18×9.5 +30mm

Meister S1 2P
18×9.5 +20mm (T-Disk)

Emotion XT7
18×9.5 +38mm

Emotion XC8
18×9.5 +35mm

SSR

Competition/Type-C
17×9.5 +42mm

Type-F
18×9.5 +40mm

Enkei

NT03+M (May No Longer be in Production)
17×9.5 +44mm
17×9.5 +38mm

RP03
17×9.5 +38mm

GTC-01
17×9.5 +38mm

5zigen

FN01R-C
18×9.5 +35mm
18×9.5 +45mm

The Subaru Challenge is coming to Gainesville, FL on August 25th 2007.

It’s an autox organized by Subaru for the Subaru owner.

Using the common SCCA Solo2 classing structure Subaru Owners compete with similarly prepped Imprezas, Legacys, Outbacks and Foresters.

There is some intense competition at this years event. Teams Pastelito Racing, Jacksonville Mod Squad, and Dead Whorelando all have assembled a team of 5 racers and the each team members fast time will be added to the teams total and the team with the lowest total PAX time wins the “Bragging Rights Trophy”.

I’ve got my bets with Pastelito Racing!

This is the most basic measurement on a wheel.

Simply, wheel diameter is the height of the wheel.

Late Model vehicles don’t generally see smaller than 14″ and can go as high as 20″ from the factory.

Aftermarket wheels generally are going to be larger in diameter than their factory counterparts.

When going to a larger diameter wheel you must also go to a larger diameter tire.

The reasoning for going to a larger diameter wheel is different for different people.

Reasons for changing wheel diameter:

• Looks. Generally speaking a larger wheel looks better than a smaller wheel, of course there are exceptions to this rule. There tend to be more styles of wheels in the larger (17″+) diameters as well.
• Brake Clearance. Larger diameter wheels have more space for larger rotors and larger calipers. When changing wheel diameter be sure the new size will be compatible with your current/future brake setup.
• Tire Selection. Changing wheel diameter can open up access to a larger selection of tire sizes and compounds. When selecting wheel diameter one should also look at available tire sizes and pricing, just because a 255/35 18 is the ideal size in both width and height doesn’t mean it is readily available in all compounds.
• Offset and Width availability. This is my personal favorite reason to change wheel diameter. Some vehicles come equipped with a relatively uncommon wheel diameter. The MY03 WRX is a good example, with a factory size of 16×6.5 and an offset higher than +50mm finding a 16″ wheel with the right width and offset can be difficult. Upgrading to a 17″ wheel allows for more widths and offsets to choose from.

Negative Aspects of Changing Wheel Diameter:

• Weight. Looking at two wheels of the same brand/style/width and offset where the only difference is diameter the larger diameter wheel will weigh more. Weight is the enemy when it comes to performance (handling, acceleration, deceleration). The extra weight can also cause added stress to a vehicle’s braking and suspension systems. When upgrading from a factory wheel it is possible to save weight (even when increasing diameter) if the correct brand/model/size is selected.
• Cost. Changing the diameter from the current size costs money, not only does one need to purchase the new wheels, but the current tires will not work on the new wheels which means it’s time to buy new tires. When upgrading to a larger diameter wheel the tires tend to be more expensive (and they get more and more expensive the larger you go).
• Rubbing.
  • Too big. When increasing wheel diameter it is possible to create rubbing problems that were not there previously. Just because some guy down the street fit 22″ wheels on his monte carlo doesn’t mean they will also fit on your accord coupe*. Increasing wheel diameter without increasing the overall tire diameter is the key, this is accomplished by decreasing the sidewall height of the tire**.
  • Too small. When decreasing wheel diameter it is possible to create rubbing problems on brake and suspension components. Before decreasing wheel diameter be sure the needed clearance is there.
• Availability. When changing wheel diameter the concern of being able to replace the new wheels in the event of an accident or failure one should consider the wheels availability. Is this new diameter a limited edition wheel? Is this new diameter hard to come by? Do I need to wait 10 months for them to come by boat? Are they stocked by my favorite vendor? All of these availability questions can be answered by the company you purchase the wheels from.

*Is it possible to make anything fit? Of course and we will get into model specific fitment at a later date.

**Detailed information on tires will be covered at a later date.

Offset alone is useless.

The combination of wheel diameter, wheel width, offset and disk/face is needed to know fitment.

Offset is the distance between the centerline of the wheel and the hub mounting face.

This distance dictates the wheel’s placement within the wheel well. Offsets are described in three different ways, Positive, Zero and Negative.

Positive Offset: Hub mounting face is on the outside (towards the wheel face) of the wheel centerline.

Zero Offset: Hub mounting face is the wheel centerline.

Negative Offset: Hub mounting face is on the inside of the wheel centerline.

There are other important measurements that include offset. Forward Spacing is the distance from the front of the wheel to the hub mounting face. Backspacing is the distance from the hub mounting face to the inside of the wheel. Both of these measurements are key to calculating fitment.

The manufacture of a given vehicle designed their wheels (offset included) around the chassis, suspension, braking and steering of said vehicle. Changing the offset can lead to problems if it is changed.

The change in offset can be calculated by finding the difference between the offset of the new wheel minus the offset of the factory wheel. When this number is large side effects start to become apparent.

Simply, when the difference in offset is positive the wheel will sit further in the wheel wells. When the difference in offset is negative the wheel will be pushed further outward.

This is the effects of offset very simply, ignoring wheel width can lead to serious problems. DO NOT LOOK AT ONLY ONE MEASUREMENT, all measurements of a wheel are key and must be considered when purchasing a new wheel.

Knowing the potential side effects of changing the offset drastically is key.

Potential Side Effects of drastically changing offset.

Rubbing:

• On suspension components
  • Springs
  • Struts
  • Control arms
  • Trailing arms
• On body panels
  • Fenders
  • Fender liners
  • Bumpers
  • Sideskirts
• On brakes
  • Calipers
  • Rotors

Knowing your clearances to all of these components is key before purchasing or deciding on a given offset.

I will be going into detail on specific models.

• Acceptable Offsets
• Acceptable Diameters
• Acceptable Widths

Math Explained:

Offset is generally measured in millimeters (mm) although converting an offset from inches (in) to millimeters (mm) is very simple. mm = in * 25.4

Change in Offset = New wheel offset* – Factory wheel offset*

Wheel Width in mm’s = Wheel Width in inches * 25.4

Centerline in mm’s = Wheel Width / 2

Backspacing in mm’s = Centerline + Offset* + 12.7

Forward spacing in mm’s = Centerline – Offset* + 12.7

*this formula applies for both Positive and Negative offsets, use the appropriate sign for a given offset to calculate both back and forward spacing.

I am t3h_Clap

Hopefully t3h wheel33tist in me will subside long enough for me to create a few unbiased tech articles.

I’ve got a laundry list of articles that I will be compiling here for the masses.

The coming weeks I will start rolling them out, stay tuned.

If there are any specific questions on fitment or availability don’t hesitate to shoot me an email.