Technology

This year, I updated the headlights and fog lights on my 2006 Subaru WRX. These were quality of life updates, as the old light enclosures were yellowed and dulled. I had planned to do wheel updates as well, but the rims I purchased were on backorder. The wheels were more essential as the previous rims have taken a beating over the seven years I’ve owned this vehicle. Searching for aftermarket rims was an involved process. In this article, I’ll cover the replacements and how they turned out, but also the process I went through and the tools I’ve found that helped narrow down the right size and fitment for my vehicle.

I tend to get a little too close to curbs. This was especially bad when I lived in Chicago, and had to parallel park all the time. Over the years, my wheels have taken a couple of dings.

Wheel Sizing Tools

I’ve thought about getting new rims for a while. With the current damage, I tend to lose tire pressure every couple of weeks. Although there are some local shops that might be able to repair the edge damage, I decided to just get new rims. The process of figuring out wheel and tire sizes was pretty involved. No one tool or wheel/tire size calculator gave me the entire picture. I found the following online tools to be useful:

Photo Galleries

Every wheel brand is different, as far as their sizing and offsets. It’s difficult to use just web tools to get an idea of what the final installation will look like. So I also utilized various car and wheel galleries to get a better idea for rim fitment. They’re not perfect, as owners might misreport their wheels. Their vehicles may be lowered, or have other modifications that affect the end result as well. Still, they can help in deciding rim sizes, offsets and brands:

The Results

I ended up deciding on a set of Enkei PF05 18x8.5 wheels. I paired them with Pirelli 225/40R18 tires. The order was placed to Tire Rack in May. They immediately contacted me to let me know the wheels I selected were backordered. I told them I was fine with waiting, even if it was a few months. I wasn’t in a hurry. The estimated delivery date was originally September 13th. They ended up being shipped early in late August, and I wasn’t charged until the wheel and tire set were ready to ship.

Tire Rack listed local shops and region chains it works with for installation. I selected a local Pep Boys from their order screen. When I called to schedule the installation, the sales rep at Pep Boys told me they don’t really get any information from Tire Rack about specific orders. The packages just show up, and they wait for a call from the customer.

My wheels and tires had arrived, and they took less than an hour to install on September 7th. The price was what was quoted by Tire Rack. It was a very clean installation job. I was going to come back and pick up my old wheels with my truck, but they managed to get all of them in the hatch of the WRX. I’m always amazed by the WRX’s cargo capacity.

Results

Researching each wheel I was interested in and their fitment options was a fairly involved task. I really wanted the new tires and wheels to be close to the original diameter, but also wanted wider tires that didn’t stick out too far from the fender. At first glance, the new wheels and tires to appear to extend a bit further out. Yet, when I look closely from the back, the tires sit almost perfectly within the fender. If they kick out at all, it’s probably less than half an inch.

Wheel fitment is a difficult thing to get right. Unless you’re one of those people who enjoy selling and trading wheels (I don’t), you only get one shot at it. This is my first time buying custom rims, and I’m pretty happy with the results.

I wasn’t expecting a huge handling difference, but the increased grip on turns is surprisingly noticeable. The Enkei rims are also very open, exposing a great view of the rotors and stock Subaru branded Brembo breaks.

I think I’m done with major work on the WRX for the rest of the year. She’s always been a fun car to drive, but I’ve gained a new appreciation for her now that I have retrofit headlights and solid rims. These updates will hopefully last for years to come.