Some Friendly Help Off Other Focus People!

[Anth23]

Hi all,

God, been a long time since I was on here!

I am currently coming to the end of a year spent travelling in australia and I plan to work on the car again when home, but need someone's help!

I am looking for nice deep concave alloys. I have found a few but what I wanted to know was if anyone knows the maximum sizes and offsets and widths you can go?

For example would a 19" alloy at a width of 8.5 catch the brakes or inside the wheel arch etc?

I'm looking at these specs. Which would be not advisable:

Car is Focus (2007) Zetec (ST bodykit) 5 stud x 108

18" x 8.5

18" x 9

18" x 9.5

19" x 8.5

19" x 9

19" x 9.5

All the offsets are fine, I can fit them or if not i have spacers!

Thanks guys! Appreciate anyone who can help!

[Lenny]

Hi Anthony,

I've got 18x8 ST3 rims fitted and no problems,

The rim itself has a spacer to allow for bigger brake calipers so rubbing won't be an issue,

To be honest either 18x8 or 18x8.5, 19x8 or 19x8.5 would be wide enough with a 30 or 35mm profile

Along with lowering you could throw it in to bends without losing it even do a 180 degree turn at 60kmh

Anything over 8.5 will rub the arches and restrict your turning radius on the inside of arches,

Ive fitted fords recommended steering limiter kit to the inside of the hub knuckle joints prior to fitting the 18x8 to prevent rubbing on the inside of the arches when turning full lock,

Now on tight corners ive gotta take wide anges like an F1 driver lol

Spacers on the front will make the turning handling worse, but a wider rear will improve front turning,

Ive been recommended to purchase a ''white line'' Rear sway bar apparently it greatly improves handling and turning on the front end compared to the standard rear sway bar.

I then asked if I should upgrade the front sway bar too

And I was told ''no if you fit stiffer front and rear it won't be as good as just upgrading the rear''

Also

Before fitting 19" you may not be aware of ''unsprung mass''

Unsprung mass is wheels, nuts, tyres

Anything the car carrys outside of the hub has an effect on performance aswell as handling,

Bigger rims draw more power to turn but the fatter profile helps turning and stability at high speeds,

The lower profile also eliminates wabble from tyre sidewall at speeds over 100mph

The bigger wheel takes more power to turn, resulting in less power to the road in the end, anything under 150bhp stick to 18"

Anything under 100bhp stick to 16" or 17"

I reckon 18" are big enough in either 8.0 or 8.5 handling is fantastic and the torque doesn't make it wooly like 16"

120mph feels like 70mph

And I'd use Avon ZZ3 tyres

225/35/R18

Here it is lowerd 35mm on Eibach pro springs rolling ST3 18x8 parked next to an RS on 19"

[Anth23]

Hey Lenny.

Thanks for all the help buddy!

I have found some with the width 8.5!

But all I need to do now is decide 19 or 18

I want to lower the car and prefably a nice low too! Not extreme but not so minimal you don't notice. So something like where the tires just about in line with wheel arch or the tiniest bit inside the arch!

What would you recommend buddy? 18inch looks far too small for focus wheel arches I find.

Thanks again man

[Lenny]

Hey Lenny.

Thanks for all the help buddy!

I have found some with the width 8.5!

But all I need to do now is decide 19 or 18

I want to lower the car and prefably a nice low too! Not extreme but not so minimal you don't notice. So something like where the tires just about in line with wheel arch or the tiniest bit inside the arch!

What would you recommend buddy? 18inch looks far too small for focus wheel arches I find.

Thanks again man

I'd say have a look at my image above pictured next to the RS

Both focus are lowered on 35mm Eibach pro springs

My focus has 18" rims and the RS has 19"