I've put a few hundred miles on my aftermarket wheels & tires so far, and thought I'd report out that they ride as smoothly, if not more so than the OEM wheels/tires. I chose to stay with 16" wheels to keep the sidewall height the same – there's no harshness at all with the new setup.



Tires are Continental ExtremeContact DWS, and the 205/50R16 size was chosen to keep the diameter as close to OEM as possible. The one "Your Speed Is: ___" sign I went past indicated 45 when I was doing 45 as indicated on my speedo.

There is no interference when steering lock-to-lock, but if I hit a big bump, the front tires *will* kiss the fender (actually the plastic liner where it meets the fender). My wheels have a +40 offset (OEM is +53), and with the extra 1" wheel width, this puts the tire about 23mm farther outboard than OEM.

es

 

thanks for the update. i am going to run the same wheel and tire specs, and was wondering if i could go more aggressive or not. your review confirmed that i can't.

are you on stock alignment? where does the front "kiss" the fenderwell? you have a pic? will more negative camber solve the issue?

oh, and more pics, from the front and rear please! thanks!

 

I'm running stock alignment. A touch more camber might be enough to eliminate the occasional rubbing - it's just kissing the plastic liner right where it meets the fender - about halfway down the tread as it wraps over the side of the tire:





More pics:













es

 

Thanks for the report and photos!

More questions:

Are you using spacers on the rear?

Have you noticed improved cornering or any improved handling?

Have you detected decreased mpg?

.

 

No, but I am considering using 10-15mm spacers…

Could be my imagination, but it seems initial turn-in is a little tighter, and cornering is a touch less "numb."

I just put my third tank of gas in today (including the full tank from the dealer), and I'm still doing my break-in procedure (3/4 throttle runs up to the speed limit plus some decel using the paddle shifters to help seat the rings). Really won't ever know for sure, as I didn't have the OEM wheels/tires on very long (first tank, basically, which the car computer said I got 40.3mpg). After break-in, my normal driving will be fairly subdued with ECO on, but with occasional "fun runs" when I'm on a curvy road, etc. (not many of those out here in the Middle West).

es

 

Thanks for your answers!


.

 

Not a fan of the wheels with the GK's body. The combo doesn't mesh together.

Silly that you're rubbing even at stock height, suspension must be mega soft.

 

Seems that the GE and GK are very similar as far as fender clearance in the front. It does seem that the GK has a bit softer suspension if you're kissing at all at stock ride height.

I wonder if swapping GE shocks and springs is a feasible and cheap option... I guess we know the springs are interchangeable so i'd assume the shocks would be too. Something to think about anyway.

 

Well, you're always welcome to put different wheels on your own car… I'm an Industrial Designer, and the other designers I work with all really like the look.

I wouldn't say it's super-soft at all, but it's also not super-firm, either. I've never driven or ridden in the Gen1/2 Fit, so I can't compare with those. I did used to have a '00 New Beetle on which I rebuilt the whole suspension from the bushings out with race hardware. Handled like it was on rails, but also shook your kidneys loose on a longer road trip. My previous car was a '13 Beetle convertible (which I traded for the Fit), and it *did* have a very soft suspension, especially compared with the NB. Nice for long road trips, but not much fun to drive enthusiastically.

I'm really not concerned with the occasional light rubbing- it only touches on one big bump on my commute in to work, and now that I know, I just swerve around it. Haven't had it make contact anywhere else (yet), even taking sweeper exit ramps at speed.

es

 

yeah, it is not "hella flush" or "jdm" enough for him...

personally, it would not be my wheel choice, but if stembridge (and his coworkers) like them, that is good enough for me.

i do like the ccw ripoff wheels, but they make them only in very aggressive offsets, which won't bode well for a car that i put 30k a year on.

 

Quiet yourself.

Ugh, GK folks are so thin skinned. OP took the criticism remarkably well, then we get your post.

 

I started this thread not to make recommendations on what wheels look good on the Fit (I bought what *I* like, after all!), but rather to post real-world data on how my particular wheel/tire size combo works on the GK Fit, because there's not much info out there yet. You can like my wheels or not, but that's not really what the thread is about. If you're going to comment, at least try to add some "on topic" value to the discussion.

es

 

Stembridge
Stay here long enough no you'll understand mikeb he's a cool guy!

 

Groovy......

 

I have same size wheel/tire/offset on my GE. I am on Swifts. On sharp bumps i give a little tongue when kissing the liner. Not often and over course of the summer you cannot see any rub marks on the liners.

OP good info for the new Fitters.

 

Nice looking wheels, are they Rota RB's? From what I understand the Continental DWS is a pretty good all around tire. I'd hazard a guess it is much better than what Honda equips the Fit with from the factory. That could be why turn in feels more responsive, you now have less side wall flex.

 

10-4 on the RBs. I wanted a Minilite style wheel… happy with them!

es

 

IIRC, the DWS also has quite a soft sidewall.

 

That was my impression, too… they seem to ride a little more smoothly (to me, anyway) than the OEM Bridgestones.

es

 

With your tire and wheel specs, if the offset was +45 do you think it would still rub? How about +50?