91 CRX wheel fitment question

[REVOisGO]

im looking to get some aftermarket wheels for my crx daily driver.

what is a good size/offset to have some flush wheels? i dont want them poking out, just flush with the fender having the tire right up against it. i was thinking some 15's would look good on there, but i am unsure of what offset/wheel width would let me achieve this. anyone running low offset 15's on their crx?

i also need to lower the car as well so i dont have flush wheels and 4x4 suspension. i was looking into tein s-techs. heard good things about them. opinions? will that get me low enough?

[JustRob]

This will tell you exactly what you need to do to figure out what wheels will be flush on your CRX. No, S-Techs will not get you low enough.

First remove the wheel from one side of the car on the desired end (do front and back separatley). You need to level the car. By measuring from the ground to the highest point of the fender lip and making sure both sides are the same. If they are not, just raise or lower your jack so they are equal. *One thing to note, on the front of the car, especially on lowered cars, because you have an independent suspension you may have to literally put the rotor on the ground to level the car, this is because the suspension is not compressed from the weight of the car. If you need to put the rotor on the ground, just put a block of wood under it, it is ok to let the ground compress the suspension. but make sure the majority of the weight is on the jack.

Now make a plumb bob like above and tape it to the centerline of the fender. When the plumb bob has steadied, measure from the wheel mounting point on the hub (not the brake rotor, where the lug bolts thread in) to the string. Note this dimension.

Now, you want to replicate this distance with your wheel/tire setup in order to get the tire flush with the fender. Again, you can add or subtract to this to achieve a desired poke/tuck look.

To do the calculation you need to know two things. 1, the offset of your wheel in MM (et 42 for example = 42mm) and 2, the width of your wheel OR the width of your tire OR the sidewall width of your tire.
In regards to #2 the best measurement to have is the overall tire width, note this is NOT sidewall width (what is coded in tires sizes). Some people publish tire widths, but most don't. I have seen identically coded tires (205/55/15) vary as much as 3/4 inch in overall width depending on manufacturer and model.
Since overall width is not usually published it is best to use tread width, if you don't even know what size tires you are running you can use wheel width, but usually wheel width will give you low values. *One thing to note, is if you are stretching your tires, you should use rim width NO MATTER WHAT, the whole point of tire stretch is that the wheels are too wide for the tire, so using tire measurements isn't going to give you accurate measurements.

If you plan on using wheel width convert it to millimeters. Now you have your tire/wheel width and the wheel offset. The rest is just math.

Take the tire or wheel width measurement and divide it in half. Subtract the offset from this figure. Subtract the resulting value from the appropriate hub-fender measurement above, and that is the size spacer you need in order to be flush, again, you can vary this to achieve a desired look.

Example. Montreal I rim et42, 205/55/16 tire

(205 / 2) - 42 = 60.5

71 - 60.5 = 10.5
So 10mm Spacers would get me flush in front

87 - 60.5 = 26.5
and 25mm Spacers would get me flush in the back

Things to remember in either case

1. 1 inch = 25.4mm http://www.onlineconversion.com
2. 5mm is only 1/5 of an inch, going down 5mm in spacer size may save you a bunch of money without seriously affecting whether you are "flush" or not
3. If the number you get after calculating your offset - wheel/tire width is LARGER than the hub - fender measurement you are going to poke no matter what. Spacers only extend your wheel and tire out, they can't subtract width. You need to do that with offset.
4. Along with #2, you do not need to hit the values EXACTLY, depending on drop, 15mm inside the finder can look "flush".

[REVOisGO]

well, thanks. i know how to calculate offset. i was just asking if anyone on here has a crx with flush wheels and what sizes they are running. like for me, ive been a nissan guy for a while, and know that 17x9 +15 sits perfect with a little fender rolling on an s13.

i am currently in iraq and cant physically measure that stuff right now. wanted to get some wheels for my car and get them on when i got home.

also, is there a different set of springs i can get that will get me pretty low? or am i looking at coilover territory? i dont want it on the ground, just dont want to look stupid with aftermarket wheels and stock suspension

[JustRob]

well, thanks. i know how to calculate offset. i was just asking if anyone on here has a crx with flush wheels and what sizes they are running. like for me, ive been a nissan guy for a while, and know that 17x9 +15 sits perfect with a little fender rolling on an s13.

i am currently in iraq and cant physically measure that stuff right now. wanted to get some wheels for my car and get them on when i got home.

also, is there a different set of springs i can get that will get me pretty low? or am i looking at coilover territory? i dont want it on the ground, just dont want to look stupid with aftermarket wheels and stock suspension

Every car is going to be a little different. You need to measure it first to find the proper size. Wheel fitment isn't one size fits all. What may be poke on one car will be sunk on another.

Just wait until you get back to buy wheels.

H&R Race Springs and Skunk2 Springs have the most aggresive drops. But depending on wheel and tire size along with the struts, you'll probably rub. Coilovers are the best route to go so you can dial in the height perfectly with no issues.