Wheel Fitment Experts Please Chime in......

[ChromaPop]

I am looking to buy another set of Winter Wheels and Tires so I can just swap them out myself with the stock set. I live in Central TN where snow is possible but rare. I believe I would like to go with the new Enkei Triumph 18x9.5 +45, Part # 543-895-1245ZP, https://enkei.com/shop/wheels/tuning/triumph/ and a set of ExtremeContact™ DWS06 Plus Tires in 255/35 ZR 18. I am looking for this set to provide a bit more sidewall height for winter potholes than the stock summer tire set. Sizing down to 18" to save costs, slightly less width on the tire for any chance of snow. First, does this wheel fit my car perfectly? No need for spacers, etc? Is my wheel tire combo a perfect fit, and similar overall diameter/height to my stock set? Will there be no rubbing at all? Does it provide a proper offset for looks and brakes clearance? Anything else to worry about or share?

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[ITS_320]

I use this site to help visualize what a change in wheel size and offset will look like: https://www.willtheyfit.com/index.p...2=35&wheel_size=18&wheel_width=9.5&offset2=45

I know the Enkei TS-5 in 18x9.5 +45 is used frequently on FL5 Type Rs and it fits. Our DE5 ITS has the same brake clearance so that's a positive sign. I don't know for sure if the Triumph will fit but it seems quite likely. I'd definitely look around more just to make sure you can find someone else running a set before you place the order.

There will be more poke and some members here report this causes more road sling down the side of the car. However +45 should still be flush with the top of your fender, so it looks good IMO. It's an "aggressive" fitment for the car but won't require suspension modifications as long as you stick to a 35 sidewall.

 

[ITS_320]

FYI I just found this thread with a quick search. The fitment should be identical for our cars and we share the same brake package.

https://www.civicxi.com/forum/threads/enkei-triumph-18x9-5-et45.52078/

 

[ChromaPop]

FYI I just found this thread with a quick search. The fitment should be identical for our cars and we share the same brake package.

https://www.civicxi.com/forum/threads/enkei-triumph-18x9-5-et45.52078/

Thank you!

 

[dmd2005]

A 18x9.5 et+45 will be tucked into the fender. I just swapped out to my set of 57DR Gramlights in 18x9.5 et+38 with 255/35/18 Michelin Cross Climate 2’s tonight. They are dead on flush with the top fender as seen in my photos.

If you want more sidewall, you are safe to even go to a 255/40/18 in the 18x9.5 et+45 if staying at stock suspension height and this will close up the wheel/fender gap too.

 

[optronix]

18s make this car look like an SUV. Personally I'm not the biggest fan of the rear 3/4 view from certain angles from the factory- something about the overhang of the rear bumper and the rake of the hatch... but 18s just give off a strong X6 or even Tesla vibe and I am just not here for it. It makes me sad that so many people are putting 18s on their cars but to each their own... and I guess if you do just need a winter setup you kind of don't have a choice.

I guess where you're at in Tennessee there's a higher risk of snow than here in Maryland, and also I don't have a daily commute... but I feel like 18s with thinner tires is a bit extreme for "occasional" snow? Unless you're a first responder or something and absolutely must drive in any condition no matter the circumstances...

I'm just going to slap some Michelin A/S4s (if I can find them in OEM size) or Conti DWS06+ on the OEM wheels and call it a day.

 

[ChromaPop]

A 18x9.5 et+45 will be tucked into the fender. I just swapped out to my set of 57DR Gramlights in 18x9.5 et+38 with 255/35/18 Michelin Cross Climate 2’s tonight. They are dead on flush with the top fender as seen in my photos.

If you want more sidewall, you are safe to even go to a 255/40/18 in the 18x9.5 et+45 if staying at stock suspension height and this will close up the wheel/fender gap too.

Thanks for this! I was also considering the same tire in 265 vs. 255 as it fits on the 9.5 Wheel too. Would it then be outside the wheel fender causing sling? Curious of your opinion on that. Your wheel design is great looking.

 

[ChromaPop]

18s make this car look like an SUV. Personally I'm not the biggest fan of the rear 3/4 view from certain angles from the factory- something about the overhang of the rear bumper and the rake of the hatch... but 18s just give off a strong X6 or even Tesla vibe and I am just not here for it. It makes me sad that so many people are putting 18s on their cars but to each their own... and I guess if you do just need a winter setup you kind of don't have a choice.

I guess where you're at in Tennessee there's a higher risk of snow than here in Maryland, and also I don't have a daily commute... but I feel like 18s with thinner tires is a bit extreme for "occasional" snow? Unless you're a first responder or something and absolutely must drive in any condition no matter the circumstances...

I'm just going to slap some Michelin A/S4s (if I can find them in OEM size) or Conti DWS06+ on the OEM wheels and call it a day.

I see what you are saying, but yes, to get the pothole protection I want a bit more sidewall, and to manage the height it seems I need to go down to 18". I agree I may not need the thinner tire, and for this reason I was also considering the same tire in 265 vs. 255 as it fits on the 9.5 wheel too. Would it then be outside the wheel fender causing sling? Curious of your opinion on that. Thanks for the reply!

 

[ChromaPop]

I see what you are saying, but yes, to get the pothole protection I want a bit more sidewall, and to manage the height it seems I need to go down to 18". I agree I may not need the thinner tire, and for this reason I was also considering the same tire in 265 vs. 255 as it fits on the 9.5 wheel too. Would it then be outside the wheel fender causing sling? Curious of your opinion on that. Thanks for the reply!

I also meant to say that I am tired of dragging tires into a shop twice a year to change them out on the same wheels, and so I am looking forward to swapping them myself and having a different set of wheels to look at for 4-5 months out of the year.

 

[CTR]

I’m hoping to mount my ITS wheels on my FL5 this week. I went with 265/30/19 Continental DWS 06 Plus and I am excited to see how they do in the rain compared to the stock tires.

 

[optronix]

I see what you are saying, but yes, to get the pothole protection I want a bit more sidewall, and to manage the height it seems I need to go down to 18". I agree I may not need the thinner tire, and for this reason I was also considering the same tire in 265 vs. 255 as it fits on the 9.5 wheel too. Would it then be outside the wheel fender causing sling? Curious of your opinion on that. Thanks for the reply!

I think the OEM splash guards are kind of a necessity if you care about preserving your car's paint. Add lower offset wheels and you will just exacerbate the existing problem. The splash guards are relatively inexpensive and are nearly unnoticeable, if anything improve the aesthetics of the car- and I always hated the look of splash guards.

Please bear in mind that all of this aesthetic talk is just me talking; if you don't mind the look then don't let me stop you. I also definitely hear you on swapping wheels and tires vs planning logistics for swapping tires. I plan on getting aftermarket wheels in the spring and relegate the OEM wheels to the winter set. They will be 19s... or I'll buy another set of OEMs. I'm still super sketched out on the whole "scrub radius" angle and kind of don't want to mess with this car's nearly perfect driving dynamics.

But at a minimum I was planning on trying out a 200 TW tire for autocross and light track duty next season so I may just try to go with 19s in as-close-to-OEM offset I can find. I've found a handful of +50s, and I'm guessing +45 wouldn't be too nightmarishly different- or I'll just try to do full custom. I think Volk offers custom offsets, I may look into it. I already have me eyes on a set of crazy expensive Volks, may as well explore all my options.

 

[dmd2005]

Thanks for this! I was also considering the same tire in 265 vs. 255 as it fits on the 9.5 Wheel too. Would it then be outside the wheel fender causing sling? Curious of your opinion on that. Your wheel design is great looking.

I’ve run flush setups in my previous vehicles and yes there will be some sling and stuff kicked up against the lower doors and rocker panels. Can mitigate from sandblasting your paint with mud flaps or PPF. Doesn’t need to be full PPF, just the sideskirts and lower 10 or 12 inches of the doors and fenders. I have full XPEL PPF so am not worried about stuff getting kicked up.

 

[ChromaPop]

I think the OEM splash guards are kind of a necessity if you care about preserving your car's paint. Add lower offset wheels and you will just exacerbate the existing problem. The splash guards are relatively inexpensive and are nearly unnoticeable, if anything improve the aesthetics of the car- and I always hated the look of splash guards.

Please bear in mind that all of this aesthetic talk is just me talking; if you don't mind the look then don't let me stop you. I also definitely hear you on swapping wheels and tires vs planning logistics for swapping tires. I plan on getting aftermarket wheels in the spring and relegate the OEM wheels to the winter set. They will be 19s... or I'll buy another set of OEMs. I'm still super sketched out on the whole "scrub radius" angle and kind of don't want to mess with this car's nearly perfect driving dynamics.

But at a minimum I was planning on trying out a 200 TW tire for autocross and light track duty next season so I may just try to go with 19s in as-close-to-OEM offset I can find. I've found a handful of +50s, and I'm guessing +45 wouldn't be too nightmarishly different- or I'll just try to do full custom. I think Volk offers custom offsets, I may look into it. I already have me eyes on a set of crazy expensive Volks, may as well explore all my options.

Good stuff here, my takeaway is that yes, I want to put on the splash guards.

 

[ITS_320]

A lot of this is just personal preference. I think on a stock suspension height, the 18x9.5 +45 setup looks the best. For me, the +38 has too much poke. In all cases looking at either the +45 or the +38 with a side view down the car, a full 1/3 of the sidewall is now visible and looks like it will have a substantial amount more sling down the side of the car. Even with the OEM rock guards, there's a considerable amount of tire sidewall that isn't covered by the guard when looking at +45 and +38 setups on the stock suspension.

Me personally, I'm more concerned with sling and also with messing with the overall handling dynamics (scrub radius). I really wish we had more +55 to +60 wheel options in the 18 and 19 inch range. We seem to be stuck in a lot of BMW/VW fitment specs for our current options on this car.

 

[optronix]

A lot of this is just personal preference. I think on a stock suspension height, the 18x9.5 +45 setup looks the best. For me, the +38 has too much poke. In all cases looking at either the +45 or the +38 with a side view down the car, a full 1/3 of the sidewall is now visible and looks like it will have a substantial amount more sling down the side of the car. Even with the OEM rock guards, there's a considerable amount of tire sidewall that isn't covered by the guard when looking at +45 and +38 setups on the stock suspension.

Me personally, I'm more concerned with sling and also with messing with the overall handling dynamics (scrub radius). I really wish we had more +55 to +60 wheel options in the 18 and 19 inch range. We seem to be stuck in a lot of BMW/VW fitment specs for our current options on this car.

I haven't obviously done any scientific testing, but I imagine the splash guards should still be mostly adequate even with additional poke due to the angle the road debris and grime would have to overcome to actually reach the doors. But also, PPF and/or just not selecting a wheel that pokes out that much would seal the deal.

I know we all have different motivations for choosing the cars we do, but I just have to drive home that for me personally, I bought this car for how well engineered it is from the factory to compete with vehicles far up the sports car hierarchy. Screwing around with this engineering just to put different wheels on it or make the wheels fit "flush" just seems nonsensical to me. Just buy an A spec or TLX if you want to park hard?

Even for winter fitment, there are probably plenty of OEM wheels out there, if not just buy some from Acura for ~$2400 or whatever they're asking. The only way I'd EVER consider 18s on this car is if I absolutely had to have winter tires and they don't make them in OEM sizes.

/rant

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