Hi

Am thinking of buying some larger wheels for my car but am not sure what size to go for. Ideally I would like the wheels to fill the arch but the ride height and gap between my wheel arch and tyre at the moment is quite large.

Will 18's do the job or am I destined to splash out on 19's.(oouch)

Anyone had the same problem and actually done something about it.

I have seen a couple of C70's with 18's and they look good and fill the wheel well.

To reduce the space in the wheel well, just lower the car with lowering springs or a coil over setup. It also increases handling alot and gives the car a lower, more aggressive stance. Putting bigger rims on is fine as long as you lower the tire profile to keep the overall diameter of the tire the same as before. If you increase the overall diameter of the tire, you will throw off your speedometer, odometer, and possibly some wacky brake sensors, etc. Plus, it will worsen your braking ability. I know all about this stuff because I researched it heavily before I lowered my Lexus and put rims on it. Does not make it a rough ride, but rather firm. Around turns, I would sometimes forget I am not driving an M3. My advice is to put 17" rims and tires with a 45 low profile tire. They are pretty dam big enough and don;'t make the ride too harsh and are not bad in the rain. If you must, go with 18' rims with a 40 or 35 profile(depending on width). But NOT 19". They will be too rough and be good only for dry summer weather.

Good luck,
Ant.

My Picks

Best Combination

Lowered Sus 30-45mm FR & RR
Wide track spacers 25-32mm MAX

17' 215/17/45 (standard but still looks good)
18' 225/18/40 (getting a little DUB style)
19' 225/19/30 (rough ride)

Cheers

Oz