Hi I just purchased a new 2015 Fit EX. I also have my Rota Grid 16 x 7 with a +40 offset and I feel like I may have pulled the trigger on these wheels too quickly. I see some people say 205/50R16's fit with no rubbing but I am not seeing how.

Original wheel and tire...
16x6 size +53 offset
185/55R16

New wheel and tire...
16x7 Rota Grid +40 offset
205/50R16 Michelin Premier

Here is some measurements I took...



By this calculators calculations the wheel and tire will need 23mm more clearance than the stock wheels and tires.

Here is some front measurements... With a level placed flat on the wheel down the center it looks like we have .5" or 13mm from the tire to the outside of the wheel well and there is .625" or 16mm of thickness shown in the second picture here. There seems to be no clearance even with the stock wheels and tires... Maybe I don't understand how this works but how in the heck does more tire fit under there? I see some people saying they fit 205/50R16 with no rubbing... How?

 

Maybe I should have put this into the tire questions thread :-/

 

are u dropped? if ur still on OEM springs, your car is sitting so high it shouldn't rub even with the bigger tires...

 

Negative camber is the only way without rolling and pulling the fenders and modifying the liners.

 

Ok... got it. I already have the Eibach Pro Kit on order, they seem to be sold out everywhere, so yes I will be lowering it. OK thanks guys man it sure seems like there were at least several owners in one of the OFFICIAL fit shoes thread who say these fit with no rubbing. I wonder if there is just less room on the 2015 fit. Looks like my wheels are going back (Ill take quite a ding on that). I think I'm just gonna stay with the orignial tire size and find some 16x6.5 wheels with something closer to the original offset. The only ones I can find at this point are the SSR GTV2's which cost 220 a piece... Ouch. I do like them though...

One more question... How greatly does the amount of camber you would have to use to make this not rub affect the life of the tire? So how much faster does it take a 40k tire to wear out?

 

This is 16X7, +42, 185/55/16, -1.7 degrees. When I put 205's on I expect the tire to add another 11mm to the outside. I think it will clear ok based on my measurements:



If you stay between zero and negative 2 degrees, tire wear will be fine. It's toe that accelerates wear. In fact, many fwd mac strut cars tend to have increased wear on the outer edge of the tires anyway; a little neg camber would actually help with that.

The rear of the Fit is spec'd at -1.6 degrees or so right from the factory. Adding an equal amount to the front will not effect wear any more than the rear really. Just make sure you get an alignment afterward to correct the added + toe that increases when neg camber is added.

 

Another note: the only way to add camber is with "crash bolts", or camber bolts as they're called. SPC makes a popular one, part # 81260. I bought mine through Eibach. They're the higher 12.9 grade bolts. Using one only in the top position will get you about -1.8 or so max. For everyday driving its plenty.

After you change the wheels, tires, shocks, springs, and add camber, you'll be amazed how much the handling transforms away from the granny car that it is.