17x9 +45 hits upper trailing arm

[AZPete]

I looked for rear wheels that were 17x9 +35 but the only 17x9 Enkei RPF1 wheel made is +45 so I bought them after several guys said "just add a 10mm spacer", as if it's easy. The inner wheel rim hits the upper trailing arm so when I searched for spacers I found that I would have to remove the knuckle, press out the hub, press out the studs, press in new studs, press in the hub, reassemble and repeat for the other side. Any other solution?

I went with 17" because the 18" tires were over 25" diameter.

[Boog]

You could always go with an adapter (to the same bolt pattern) instead of a spacer.
15mm version at ~$65: http://www.motorsport-tech.com/adaptec/car/subaru_s
Or you can get some custom adapters made if you can bump up to 20mm if you are willing to spend ~$250. The benefit being that you can match both sides, hub-centric and wheel-centric. You could also adapt to a different bolt pattern (like an STI set) if you haven't already picked them up. http://www.motorsport-tech.com/4DCGI/wheel_adapters

*Not an endorsement of this company as I have never bought from them before. I ran across their site a couple of years ago and they looked like they had their act together so I saved a bookmark.

[Jaime]

You can replace studs with the hub still on, while on the car. Just grind the heads down to 18mm (usually that involves taking less than a mm off) and slide them in through the ABS sensor hole.

[billjr212]

Did you measure to see if a 15 mm spacer would fit? There is a vendor on here that has them similar to what Boog describes which shouldn't require all the disassembly you mention.

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showt...-15mm-amp-25mm

[AZPete]

You can replace studs with the hub still on, while on the car. Just grind the heads down to 18mm (usually that involves taking less than a mm off) and slide them in through the ABS sensor hole.

Jaime, Aren't the studs pressed in? How would I press the studs out, and then in, with the backing plate in place?

[AZPete]

Did you measure to see if a 15 mm spacer would fit? There is a vendor on here that has them similar to what Boog describes which shouldn't require all the disassembly you mention.

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showt...-15mm-amp-25mm

Thanks for the link to a forum vender. I called AJW and they said that if the OE studs protrude through their 15mm spacers and prevent the wheel from seating, (of course the 25mm stud would!) then their suggestion is to cut the studs. And, they are out of stock. When I talked with a local shop called Wheel Specialists, I was told cutting studs accurately is difficult and not safe.

Boog, thanks for the suggestion but changing to another bolt pattern with an adapter would mean my new 5x100 wheels wouldn't work, so that's not a good option. But, thanks anyway.

[Brando]

On my upper trailing arms I put both spacers on the outside of the ball joint to get them to clear the tire.

[Jaime]

Jaime, Aren't the studs pressed in? How would I press the studs out, and then in, with the backing plate in place?

To press the old ones out, bang them with a hammer. If you want to keep them, screw a nut on and bang that with a hammer.

To press them in, fit a stud loosely and put a one inch tube and washer over it. Draw the stud in with a lug nut. Here's a how to:

http://www.dirtyimpreza.com/forums/s...nt-for-WRX-STi

That web page says it won't work for long studs, but I did it last month with the studs that came in my 15mm spacer kit. I had previously removed the ABS sensor ring, so that might have helped a bit.

[AZPete]

Brando, I'll try that when I get home tonight. I see from your build thread that you have Enkei 18x8.5 +45 wheels so maybe moving the spacers will work for my Enkei 17x9 +45 wheels. I also saw that you got your Enkei wheels from Wayne . . . damn, I wish I had known he sells Enkei wheels so I could have sent money to him rather than to Tire Rack! Sorry, Wayne, I didn't look hard enough.

Jaime, thanks. Changing studs is Plan B now that Brandon has given me an easier solution to try.

[Boog]

The adapter could 'adapt' from 5x100 to 5x100, just with an added 15mm thickness, assuming the back of the wheel mounting location has hollows to accept the little extra left over from the original studs.

+1 for Brando's solution. Any downside to running both spacers on one side?

[metalmaker12]

On my upper trailing arms I put both spacers on the outside of the ball joint to get them to clear the tire.

Same here, easy fix

[metalmaker12]

I looked for rear wheels that were 17x9 +35 but the only 17x9 Enkei RPF1 wheel made is +45 so I bought them after several guys said "just add a 10mm spacer", as if it's easy. The inner wheel rim hits the upper trailing arm so when I searched for spacers I found that I would have to remove the knuckle, press out the hub, press out the studs, press in new studs, press in the hub, reassemble and repeat for the other side. Any other solution?

I went with 17" because the 18" tires were over 25" diameter.

My 18 inch tires are not over 25dia, 255/35r18, and you don't have to remove the hubs either, there is a way to get them out and in. Pm me, it's also on nasico

[Stickshift84]

For anyone looking, they do make 17x9 +35mm offset Enkei RPF1 is a variety of finishes. See link for gunmetal finish.

http://www.oakos.com/Merchant2/merch...Category_Code=

I am running 17x9 +38 mm wheels on my car with 255/40R17 azenis rt615 tires. I started with a 3mm spacer to get clearance to all the suspension links at the supposed best offset of 35mm. However I was not satisfied with it. Last night I installed 10 mm spacers and for me the fit is perfect. Of course the final offset will partially depend on where you set your rear quarters.

For me, 17x9 +28mm with 255/40R17 tires is perfect.

[Stickshift84]

Also, as was necessary, I installed ARP extended wheel studs in all four hubs while they were on the car. It was not overly difficult.

[AZPete]

Brando's solution of remounting the upper trailing arms worked! The arms are close to the wheel rim - about 1/4" - but that will work without changing studs and adding a spacer. Down the road when I add the body I may want the rear wheels a little further out but that's then and this gets me out terrorizing the 'hood in my go-kart!!

Thanks to all, especially Brando!