Alright Imolas4, I know you're gonna have an opinion on this one. This is similar to the "wheel sizes" post, but a different question. I'm not gonna do any coilovers.....yet....

Lookin for some new shoes for my 2000 S4 and I need to figure out what will fit in my wheel wells (you can assume that it is the stock S4 suspension). Ideally I'd like to do something like 19x8.5 front and 19x9.5 rear (most likely either a +35 or +40 offset); is that as big as I can go without fender modification? Also what is the widest tire I can fit (ie: ???/35R19); is 235 the widest I can go? So many questions!!! HELP ME!!

Post pics of your rides if you have 18s+!! Hell....just post pics of your rides!!

 

Sorry for the delay... been away until today.

19x8.5 will cause rubbing under severe cornering up front... but, of course, this is dependent on the actual tire section width, too. The 9.5's are OK for the rear... I think. I know a guy with that rear setup (255 tires, too!), but I want to check whether he needed to roll the fenders before I commit to that.

To be sure, 235 is the widest that I know without further modifications.

You are correct in assuming offset is a factor. It will be a compromise between caliper clearance and fender clearance.

 

Im thinkin that 235 are a little to small for 9.5 wide rim!!

 

Well, duh! I was just stating that I knew for sure that a 235 section width is safe... is all!

 

hmmm... I didn't even think about caliper clearance. Can you help me out and give me some kind of example of how that would come into play; for instance do aftermarket brake upgrades vary in size enough to warrant a larger offset? Keep in mind that if I even do a brake upgrade I will most likely just go with pads first, then if that isn't enough, THEN I will upgrade the calipers (but I don't really see it going that far). Unfortunately money issues are keeping it in the "wishful thinking" category.

I don't really see any impending need to redo the brakes, other than new pads, cuz from what I have read and researched, not many people have put new calipers on. The general consensus seems to be that the stock brakes are already plenty good. Am I wrong?

 

oh yeah, what would you suggest as a caliper upgrade, if I were to go that direction?

 

I'm a big fan of Stoptech.
Stasis has a pricey set, too.
These vendors are specific in warning you that their calipers are oversized and MAY NOT fit all wheels. Stoptech has a downloadable template to measure whther your wheels will clear their calipers. Unfortunately, there is no database of wheels that clear these brake calipers; there are just too many wheels from which to choose.

But, yeah... if you are just doing pads, then this is all moot. You are correct in your assumption - the brakes are some of the best on the market. Unless you are looking for show/bling or are going to track the car, you don't need to upgrade the system. At least put it last on your list of mod/upgrades.

 

ok, last one..... for now....

I know you said that 19x8.5 would rub under sever cornering... where would it be rubbing (top of the wheel well, front , back, etc.)? Also, now that you basically know what direction im goin in, instead of me giving you some parameters and seeing if they will work, why don't you just tell me what I can get away with without serious modification.

I mean, seeing as I don't plan on reselling this car, I will probably end up doing whatever it takes to make this car my dream. I know you know your stuff, so basically I wanna ask you what you think would be the most aggressive I could go, but still stay sane (rim size, tire size, lowering suspension, etc.)?

 

Assuming you drop the car ~40mm from the stock S4 suspension height (50mm should be the max.):
225/40 18 in the front. (You may get lucky with 235/35 19, but you'd need adjustable coilovers to tweak the height in order to be sure.)
Either 245/30 19 or 235/35 19 in the rear.
This is a "staggered" look that some people like while others think it looks odd or reminiscent of the American muscle car era.

The problems begin when you go past the tire's 9.25 inch section width. Any tire that has a 9.25 inch section width or greater will pose a problem with these rubbing issues up front. The rear has less problems with this, of course, but other factors must remain constant. The rolling surface needs to be the same so that tire wear, speedometer, odometer, and suspension dynamics remain constant.

Lastly, these values above are assuming the stock OE offset. Wheel offset can change these values dramatically.

My personal thoughts: I'm not interested in going too radical. The S4 is such a capable car that, unless I wanted to race a modified BMW M3, a Porsche GT, or a Ferrari, I won't modify my S4 beyond the stock limitations. This means that my 40mm drop will benefit from 225/40 18 tires on all four corners. 19 inch tires are too rough and offer little comfort over performance; they also require a heavier unsprung weight with 19 inch wheels. Therefore, an 18 inch package is more than adequate. Period.

 

Hmmmm... you definitely bring up some very valid points and you've got my gears turnin. I like the staggered look (basically I just like the look of a fat tire width from behind) but I think in terms of practicality (ie. rotating the wheels and cost) I would go for the same size all the way around.