Postby TheBoostLord » September 27th, 2013, 6:12 am
AT, it all depends on what the user wants. some ppl doh mind the stiffer ride with 17/18. others use a higher profile tyre to maintain some comfort. suspension also has a part to play a softer suspension may rub and depending on the width and offset of the rims they may rub as well. I have 17's on my forester and they did rub with 225/50 tyres in the beginning with stock suspension, but now on sti suspension they dont rub even with 255/45 tyres. i did notice an increase in stiffness going from 16 to 17 but it wasnt that much and i actually liked the sportier feel, also my handling increased. I have a friend with a gc8 and he prefers 16 because of the look.
So to sum it up, if you want 17 and are concerned about rubbing but dont mind the added stiffness,
get a 7inch wide rim with close to stock offset, and keep the tyre dimensions close to stock and you should have no probs.
I cant comment on damaging rims as i chose a beefier tyre because of my driving style i hate slowing down for anything bumps included. i run hard on rough roads constantly, never had a problem.