Eibach Lowerings springs & 205/45/17 or 215/40/17 tires

[justgotFiSTed]

Good luck finding a tire that's worth a crap! haha....I ran Kumho Ecsta XS on the GTI in 35 series for a while (245/35-18) because it was the stickiest thing I could get in that size, and that size was the limit for a while. 35 series in narrow widths are SCARCE!

 

[re-rx7]

Lol two choices in that size. Hopefully the 215/40 works out and we can all celebrate.

 

[Chris G]

Lol, no, just no

Awwwww yeahhhh....

 

[JPGC]

Awwwww yeahhhh....

View attachment 3152

I would totally destroy my wheels with that tire setup. Hell, the stock tires on the FiST make me nervous, lol.

 

[Slimer]

Layman's terms for this thread.

The lowering springs dont matter at all. EDIT:AS LONG AS YOU DONT CHANGE THE BUMPSTOPS The travel of the suspension remains constant along with the direction of travel (all geometry remaining equal).
The taller tires will rub if they make contact prior to the bumpstops taking action. Where static ride height begins is not relevant to the discussion.

So... Maximum tire height vs. maximum wheel travel (complete stroke until the bumpstops) is the key to this dance.

My example is that i am running 205/50R16 and under full compression (leaned over in a corner and hitting a bump) they rub in the front.

Good thing they are winters

 

[justgotFiSTed]

Layman's terms for this thread.

The lowering springs dont matter at all. The travel of the suspension remains constant along with the direction of travel (all geometry remaining equal).
The taller tires will rub if they make contact prior to the bumpstops taking action. Where static ride height begins is not relevant to the discussion.

So... Maximum tire height vs. maximum wheel travel (complete stroke until the bumpstops) is the key to this dance.



View attachment 3216

Holy crap! Someone gets it!

 

[Slimer]

Holy crap! Someone gets it!

It could just be a case of how things are being worded. There are some pretty savvy fellas on this forum and I sure dont claim to be an expert.

I suppose i am curious though. Why are we trying to change our tire size? 10mm of width surely wont make a difference worth writing about. The extra height in the aspect ratio would improve nothing but the ride.

So is it a tire selection issue? Are there any suggestions for this?

I would recommend going to 15" or 16" for the highest perfomers out there. Tire selection goes up and prices (typically) go down.

Hopefully someone can clear this up for me.

 

[JPGC]

It could just be a case of how things are being worded. There are some pretty savvy fellas on this forum and I sure dont claim to be an expert.

I suppose i am curious though. Why are we trying to change our tire size? 10mm of width surely wont make a difference worth writing about. The extra height in the aspect ratio would improve nothing but the ride.

So is it a tire selection issue? Are there any suggestions for this?

I would recommend going to 15" or 16" for the highest perfomers out there. Tire selection goes up and prices (typically) go down.

Hopefully someone can clear this up for me.

Wording is exactly what it is. The arc keeps getting brought up and yes...we know the arc doesn't change and yes, the spring isn't going to change the wheel travel...unless the spring kit comes with shorter bump stops which will allow the wheel to travel further up into the tire well on harder bumps. When I say a set of lowering springs can cause rubbing... I'm referring to a lowering spring kit in addition to other mods like different wheels/ tires, etc.
The problem is, is that you can't just go with a blanket statement and say that lowering springs can't cause rubbing on a forum like this without explaining that some lowering springs are much shorter than stock and come with shorter bump stops in the "kit". You also must explain that wider tires with different offsets change things. There are a lot of people who go on forums to learn because this may be they first car that they have modded. They may get aftermarket wheels first and with the stock springs, there are no issues. Then they read here that lowering springs will not cause rubbing, so they get a set. Next thing you know they have all kinds of rubbing due to the spring/ wheel/ tire combo. Or...they may have stock wheels/ tires and they may want to lower their car. They read here that lowering springs won't cause rubbing and they don't do the research that they should on brands, so they go to eBay or something and get a set of lowering springs that are quite aggressive with a much shorter bump stop. The kit that they get may not be as well tested and engineered as the stock springs and boom...they rub every time they hit a decent bump because the bump stops are allowing more travel and the spring rates are not high enough to support this.
Another thread was created to prove the point the lowering springs don't cause rubbing and yes...the spring and solely the spring may not be the reason for rubbing, but there are other factors going on when you change springs, depending on the mods on your car before the springs. This applies to all cars, not just the FiST.

 

[JPGC]

It could just be a case of how things are being worded. There are some pretty savvy fellas on this forum and I sure dont claim to be an expert.

I suppose i am curious though. Why are we trying to change our tire size? 10mm of width surely wont make a difference worth writing about. The extra height in the aspect ratio would improve nothing but the ride.

So is it a tire selection issue? Are there any suggestions for this?

I would recommend going to 15" or 16" for the highest perfomers out there. Tire selection goes up and prices (typically) go down.

Hopefully someone can clear this up for me.

Oh yeah, the reason for the extra width for me is more to fatten the tire up a little...mostly for looks. Since I'm already replacing my tires, I want to get a set that looks a little better, IMHO. Plus the ones I'm getting at a heck of a lot cheaper than the stockers I don't go out racing but maybe once in a blue moon.

 

[Slimer]

I'm referring to a lowering spring kit in addition to other mods like different wheels/ tires, etc.

The original question was about stock wheels and minute changes to tire sizes. It became convoluted in regards to suspension geometry changes.
You are, of course, correct that a different offset or width of wheel would change this, which is why i said "All geometry remaining equal".
Also there was no mention of bumpstop changes in the conversation.

I agree with you that a sweeping statement is not a great thing because there are too many variables when it comes to different mods.
Thats why i based my comments on (and mentioned) the geometric absolutes.

I am all about the DIY, but if you see a part in your "kit" that you dont understand or dont understand why you are changing it, you should ask a question.

My intention was not to cause a stir, but to help out the folks who are looking to do basic mods. I will edit my post to clear up this confusion.

 

[JPGC]

The original question was about stock wheels and minute changes to tire sizes. It became convoluted in regards to suspension geometry changes.
You are, of course, correct that a different offset or width of wheel would change this, which is why i said "All geometry remaining equal".
Also there was no mention of bumpstop changes in the conversation.

I agree with you that a sweeping statement is not a great thing because there are too many variables when it comes to different mods.
Thats why i based my comments on (and mentioned) the geometric absolutes.

I am all about the DIY, but if you see a part in your "kit" that you dont understand or dont understand why you are changing it, you should ask a question.

My intention was not to cause a stir, but to help out the folks who are looking to do basic mods. I will edit my post to clear up this confusion.

I quoted you based on the sentence about how things are worded, not because of the rest of what you wrote as I agree. I should have been more clear . My little rant was mostly about earlier posts (Holy Crap, Someone gets it) and another thread that was started at the same time.

 

[Hijinx]

For reference on 205/45/17 at stock height. Make your own conclusion.

 

[Slimer]

No worries Sir,
I have read many of your other posts and know that you are a knowledgeable person.
I think we are all on the same page and are looking out for the communities interests.

 

[Slimer]

For reference on 205/45/17 at stock height. Make your own conclusion.

20mm overall difference... wow... that looks tighter than mine.
I'll take a photo of my 205/50R16 setup after work today.

 

[JPGC]

Okay, got the Kumho Ecsta LE Sport 215/40 R17's installed today...along with an alignment (haven't had the alignment done since I lowered it on the mountune springs). The front alignment was pretty far off, btw. Anyway. I put about 50 miles on it since the new tires and no rubbing what so ever. The tires look great IMO...much better than the stockers. The 215/40s fit my 17x7.5 Motegi's much better. The ride is a little better and these tires handle choppy roads a lot better than the stockers.
Before:


After:

 

[alf45]

And with stock wheel you think it will rub ? Since you run motegi wheel offset may be different.

 

[JPGC]

I don't think it will. My Motegi's are 42mm offset and half an inch wider and there is still plenty of room on the inside of the wheel in the rear. I'm not even concern with the front. With these, there's no rubbing on bumps, driving at high speed, turning lock to lock, etc.
Here's the inside of the right rear.

 

[alf45]

Thank's , fast reply..

 

[re-rx7]

I don't think it will. My Motegi's are 42mm offset and half an inch wider and there is still plenty of room on the inside of the wheel in the rear. I'm not even concern with the front. With these, there's no rubbing on bumps, driving at high speed, turning lock to lock, etc.
Here's the inside of the right rear.
View attachment 3241

Awesome! I know what im getting! LOL How do the kumhos grip compared to the stockers?

 

[JPGC]

Better than the worn stockers, that for sure, lol. They don't slip with the 3rd gear pulls like the stickers were starting to with my new tunes. If that helps any.