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18" wheel offsets

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Old Aug 8, 2023 | 10:02 PM
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Default 18" wheel offsets

I've been looking at wheels/tires again. I've got 17x11, 50mm offset rears with 315 tires. Fronts are 17x9.5, 50mm offset with 275 tires. Was thinking about 18" wheels what I've looked at (OE) the 18" wheels have a 56mm offset. Will that work? I have a 1989. It just seems there are more tire choices with the 18" wheels.

Thanks, Went
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Old Aug 8, 2023 | 10:23 PM
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You didn't mention a 'width' for the 18". Offset and width are the criticals for actual fitment.
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Old Aug 9, 2023 | 09:23 AM
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I see 18 x 10.5 wheels with a 56mm offset and 18 x 8.5 wheels with a 56mm offset. I'd like the wide tires front and back. It would be nice to be able to rotate my tires. I also like the look of the wide tires all around. At the end of the day the wide tires aren't necessary, I just like the look. Would the 18 x 10.5 56mm offset wheels work on all four corners?
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Old Aug 9, 2023 | 10:13 AM
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Originally Posted by Went
Would the 18 x 10.5 56mm offset wheels work on all four corners?
I would think so. The 10.5 @56 would have the same or very close fitment inside as an 11 @50 and on the front I'd think would work also. What do you choose for tires? Mathew Miller will be by I'd think soon with an opinion.
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Old Aug 9, 2023 | 09:47 PM
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On my current wheels I'm running Nitto G2 555 tires. 315/35/17 on the rear and 275/40/17 on the front. They're okay...they've been hard to balance correctly and they flat spot fast. Once I've driven a few miles on a hot road they smooth out. It looks like maybe 295/35r18 tires might be a good fit for the 18x10.5 wheels? Most of my driving is town and freeway with an occasional driving corners like I'm on the way to a house fire.

Will going to an 18" tire cause speedometer issues?

Last edited by Went; Aug 9, 2023 at 09:54 PM.
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Old Aug 9, 2023 | 11:19 PM
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Agreed, the 10.5x18 et56 wheels will fit an 88+ C4 front or rear. Whether you need a speedo correction depends on the diameter of the tires you run. If you go with 275/35/18, 285/35/18, 295/35/18, or 315/30/18 you will be close to stock diameter (25.7)" and you won't need to correct anything. For a street driver, I would go with one of the first three size options because a lot more real street tires are available in those sizes.

Near Portland, where you are, you don't even need an all-season if you pick a "summer" tire wisely. It rarely freezes there or gets snow/ice, right? The Contiental ExtremeContact Sport 02 (295/35/18) or the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S (I'd go with 285/35/18) are both killer three-season tires. They are the two best street tires bar none on wet roads (better than any all-season), and also very grippy yet refined on dry roads. Those Nittos you have are bad tires. They just are. They are also a bad value because they aren't even that cheap. I'd avoid them like the plague. If you want a more budget tire than the Conti or Michelin, a far better value is the Riken Raptor (275/35/18). It's both cheaper and far better in both performance and quality.
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Old Aug 16, 2023 | 03:40 PM
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Sorry it's been a while since replying to this. My wife had her second knee replacement surgery and I've been busy! I think the Continental Extreme Contact Sport 02 tires are to my liking...not too much more expensive than the Nitto's I have on the car now. Now I have to find some 18" wheels that don't break the retirement bank.
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Old Aug 16, 2023 | 07:43 PM
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Originally Posted by Went
Now I have to find some 18" wheels that don't break the retirement bank.
The OE Wheels offerings are the cheapest aluminum wheel option for a C4 that I know of...at least for new wheels. They are decent quality and a very good value. Some of their models are cheaper than others. Double-check me on this, but I think their CV05 DD is the cheapest 18x10.5 they offer in the proper bolt pattern, and I think it looks really good. In this day and age, $179 for a cast aluminum 18x10.5 is really cheap. They have a few other designs that are a bit more expensive if you prefer a different look. Several people on here plus a friend of mine have bought their wheels and reported good things about them.
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Old Aug 17, 2023 | 11:38 AM
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Originally Posted by Went
Sorry it's been a while since replying to this. My wife had her second knee replacement surgery and I've been busy! I think the Continental Extreme Contact Sport 02 tires are to my liking...not too much more expensive than the Nitto's I have on the car now. Now I have to find some 18" wheels that don't break the retirement bank.
I've really been curious to see Weld Ventura's in 18x10.5 on a C4 18x10.5 ET54 would be perfect.

https://www.weldwheels.com/weld-stre...=S10480562P54#
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