Civic Type R After-market Wheel Guide

spyder57 said:

Florence, agreed, that looks like a good deal of clearance. Shocking actually, with a 10" wide wheel at +55 offset. Several other companies, Apex, included have recommended far less offset because of fear of clearance with the suspension.

Please keep us posted when you get measurements!

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I got my 100% stock CTR up on the lift earlier this week. I didn't have the light to get good pictures but I did get very good measurements.

REAR: There is about 1" of clearance between the tire and the strut. The closest clearance spot is actually between the tire and the trailing arm, but it still has about 7/8".

FRONT: The design is way different than a typical strut car, and has much more clearance. Closest spot is between the tire and strut where I could just get a 3/4" (19mm) bar to pass between the tire and the strut. At full lock in both directions there is tons of clearance everywhere including brake lines, steering rods, frame, inner fenders, etc. The strut is the only real limiting factor inwards.


So to break this down, if you were to put a 10.0" wheel with +60 offset, that would add 3/4" to both the inside and outside of the wheel. With 3/4" clearance on the OEM setup, that would put the tire just touching the strut, so clearly some additional offset is going to be needed. But a bunch more offset (like 25mm more that ET+35 would give) is not needed. Moving to +55mm is moving the wheel outward 5mm (.200") which would be enough clearance for most wheel/tire combos, and is still farther from the fender than a 9.5" ET+45 wheel. Yes, that is correct, this gives a wider wheel with more fender clearance. So it does indeed look like to me that the 19x10.0" ET+55 wheel WILL fit on the front and the rear, with some attention paid to the actual tire profile to see how close it is.

If you have a 9.5" wheel, that would leave about .250" at ET+60. Zero reason for any offset change on a wheel 9.5" or narrower. So there is no reason why these wheel companies should be trying to push these +35 to +45 wheels on us. It doesn't make sense. Why only add extra wheel width to the outside, when you can add it in both directions to get even more width AND keep the geometry where Honda designed it?




Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

This is me turning blue as I hold my breathe waiting for a wheel/aftermarket company to explain to us why they are pushing improper wheel choices on us.

ctrmofo said:

We’ll start seeing more of 9.5” wide and +45ET and 8.5-9.0” wide and +50ET. I’m guessing pricing should be same as current brands that are selling them like Volks and Advan etc.

Only Titan 7 today really focus on 9.5” wide and +45ET. They do have some +35ET but don’t sell as many of those for obvious reasons.

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Florence_NC said:

Why only +45ET on a 9.5", and +50ET on a 9.0"?

On this very thread there is a car with +55ET and 10.0" wheels. And the pictures posted show plenty of clearance on the struts. If +55 clears with 10.0" then a proper 9.5" should have +55-60ET to keep the geometry correct.

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Can we assume that you did not respond to my post because you don't have a good response?

Florence_NC said:

I got my 100% stock CTR up on the lift earlier this week. I didn't have the light to get good pictures but I did get very good measurements.

Click to expand...

You're taking measurements with the suspension in a no-load state. I'm not sure I'd believe everything to be the same when the car is on the ground.

Thank you for taking the time to do detailed measurements!

Agreed the the wheel companies are pushing wheels w/ low offsets on us - it's because that's what they have already in stock/designed. The issue w/ our cars is that they have a unique pattern (5x120) and offset (+60). The only cars that share our lug pattern is basically BMWs, who typically run a much lower offset. So all these wheel companies are just selling their wheels that have already designed and stocked for the BMW market. It takes them no R&D and they make an easy buck.

Florence_NC said:

I got my 100% stock CTR up on the lift earlier this week. I didn't have the light to get good pictures but I did get very good measurements.

REAR: There is about 1" of clearance between the tire and the strut. The closest clearance spot is actually between the tire and the trailing arm, but it still has about 7/8".

FRONT: The design is way different than a typical strut car, and has much more clearance. Closest spot is between the tire and strut where I could just get a 3/4" (19mm) bar to pass between the tire and the strut. At full lock in both directions there is tons of clearance everywhere including brake lines, steering rods, frame, inner fenders, etc. The strut is the only real limiting factor inwards.


So to break this down, if you were to put a 10.0" wheel with +60 offset, that would add 3/4" to both the inside and outside of the wheel. With 3/4" clearance on the OEM setup, that would put the tire just touching the strut, so clearly some additional offset is going to be needed. But a bunch more offset (like 25mm more that ET+35 would give) is not needed. Moving to +55mm is moving the wheel outward 5mm (.200") which would be enough clearance for most wheel/tire combos, and is still farther from the fender than a 9.5" ET+45 wheel. Yes, that is correct, this gives a wider wheel with more fender clearance. So it does indeed look like to me that the 19x10.0" ET+55 wheel WILL fit on the front and the rear, with some attention paid to the actual tire profile to see how close it is.

If you have a 9.5" wheel, that would leave about .250" at ET+60. Zero reason for any offset change on a wheel 9.5" or narrower. So there is no reason why these wheel companies should be trying to push these +35 to +45 wheels on us. It doesn't make sense. Why only add extra wheel width to the outside, when you can add it in both directions to get even more width AND keep the geometry where Honda designed it?




Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

This is me turning blue as I hold my breathe waiting for a wheel/aftermarket company to explain to us why they are pushing improper wheel choices on us.

Click to expand...

Florence_NC said:

I got my 100% stock CTR up on the lift earlier this week. I didn't have the light to get good pictures but I did get very good measurements.

REAR: There is about 1" of clearance between the tire and the strut. The closest clearance spot is actually between the tire and the trailing arm, but it still has about 7/8".

FRONT: The design is way different than a typical strut car, and has much more clearance. Closest spot is between the tire and strut where I could just get a 3/4" (19mm) bar to pass between the tire and the strut. At full lock in both directions there is tons of clearance everywhere including brake lines, steering rods, frame, inner fenders, etc. The strut is the only real limiting factor inwards.


So to break this down, if you were to put a 10.0" wheel with +60 offset, that would add 3/4" to both the inside and outside of the wheel. With 3/4" clearance on the OEM setup, that would put the tire just touching the strut, so clearly some additional offset is going to be needed. But a bunch more offset (like 25mm more that ET+35 would give) is not needed. Moving to +55mm is moving the wheel outward 5mm (.200") which would be enough clearance for most wheel/tire combos, and is still farther from the fender than a 9.5" ET+45 wheel. Yes, that is correct, this gives a wider wheel with more fender clearance. So it does indeed look like to me that the 19x10.0" ET+55 wheel WILL fit on the front and the rear, with some attention paid to the actual tire profile to see how close it is.

If you have a 9.5" wheel, that would leave about .250" at ET+60. Zero reason for any offset change on a wheel 9.5" or narrower. So there is no reason why these wheel companies should be trying to push these +35 to +45 wheels on us. It doesn't make sense. Why only add extra wheel width to the outside, when you can add it in both directions to get even more width AND keep the geometry where Honda designed it?




Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

This is me turning blue as I hold my breathe waiting for a wheel/aftermarket company to explain to us why they are pushing improper wheel choices on us.

Click to expand...

To answer your question...DEMAND. The reason these companies are coming out with aggressive setups for the Type R is because the consumers...such as myself, prefer the look. Sure it changes the geometry Honda intended but I and many other car enthusiasts prefer the look and added grip. You also have to take into consideration the design of certain wheels in reference to our Brembos. If you look at wheels in the late 90's early/ early 2000's nobody cared about concave wheels or flush fitments. This is one of the reasons the TE37 Sagas were developed, to cater to the current trends. TE37's used to have flat faces. Now they are stretching even high offset specs to be concave.

You might also want to retake those measurements with the car on an alignment lift with the full weight on the wheels. Your theory is correct but your measurements might be off. I understand you don't see why someone would want to change the characteristics of the car that broke a record on the Nurburgring. That is just part of the car culture. How do you think people felt when the first Rat Rods were built? Guys destroying Model T's by slamming them, chopping the roofs, removing fenders and hoods, letting the body panels rust....

Nice to see someone else take the time to do the measurements. I have a set of 19" x 9" 55 offsets coming in 2-3 more weeks time. Only way to get it at this time is custom made which is what i am doing. More expensive than cast and flow formed wheels but cheaper then incorrectly offset Volks. The car has only been on the market for a couple of years and a lot of people won't experiment properly or just listen to others and won't try for themselves. Another reason that has been stated everything else with this bolt pattern uses a low offset so just sell incorrectly fit wheels so they do have to retool to make a proper wheel for a relatively low production car.

Florence_NC said:

I got my 100% stock CTR up on the lift earlier this week. I didn't have the light to get good pictures but I did get very good measurements.

REAR: There is about 1" of clearance between the tire and the strut. The closest clearance spot is actually between the tire and the trailing arm, but it still has about 7/8".

FRONT: The design is way different than a typical strut car, and has much more clearance. Closest spot is between the tire and strut where I could just get a 3/4" (19mm) bar to pass between the tire and the strut. At full lock in both directions there is tons of clearance everywhere including brake lines, steering rods, frame, inner fenders, etc. The strut is the only real limiting factor inwards.


So to break this down, if you were to put a 10.0" wheel with +60 offset, that would add 3/4" to both the inside and outside of the wheel. With 3/4" clearance on the OEM setup, that would put the tire just touching the strut, so clearly some additional offset is going to be needed. But a bunch more offset (like 25mm more that ET+35 would give) is not needed. Moving to +55mm is moving the wheel outward 5mm (.200") which would be enough clearance for most wheel/tire combos, and is still farther from the fender than a 9.5" ET+45 wheel. Yes, that is correct, this gives a wider wheel with more fender clearance. So it does indeed look like to me that the 19x10.0" ET+55 wheel WILL fit on the front and the rear, with some attention paid to the actual tire profile to see how close it is.

If you have a 9.5" wheel, that would leave about .250" at ET+60. Zero reason for any offset change on a wheel 9.5" or narrower. So there is no reason why these wheel companies should be trying to push these +35 to +45 wheels on us. It doesn't make sense. Why only add extra wheel width to the outside, when you can add it in both directions to get even more width AND keep the geometry where Honda designed it?




Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

This is me turning blue as I hold my breathe waiting for a wheel/aftermarket company to explain to us why they are pushing improper wheel choices on us.

Click to expand...

Right on man, appreciate that you went out and explored what's possible on our platform. Unfortunately, there's no way I can justify 4-5k on wheels and tires. I'm still holding out for a more affordable option that will work well with our cars. I'm not ok with sacrificing performance for looks like some of the other guys.

LansocK said:

Nice to see someone else take the time to do the measurements. I have a set of 19" x 9" 55 offsets coming in 2-3 more weeks time. Only way to get it at this time is custom made which is what i am doing. More expensive than cast and flow formed wheels but cheaper then incorrectly offset Volks. The car has only been on the market for a couple of years and a lot of people won't experiment properly or just listen to others and won't try for themselves. Another reason that has been stated everything else with this bolt pattern uses a low offset so just sell incorrectly fit wheels so they do have to retool to make a proper wheel for a relatively low production car.

Click to expand...

RedGiant217 said:

You're taking measurements with the suspension in a no-load state. I'm not sure I'd believe everything to be the same when the car is on the ground.

Click to expand...

1) The relationship between the wheel/tire and the strut is controlled through the steering knuckle/kingpin/strut assembly, and these components are rigidly connected, therefore unaffected by load on the suspension.

2) The car was on a 4-post lift with all the weight still on the tires. So the above is irrelevant anyway.

art unique said:

To answer your question...DEMAND. The reason these companies are coming out with aggressive setups for the Type R is because the consumers...such as myself, prefer the look.

Click to expand...

So this one I need you to explain to me. What is it about this look that you like? I see by one of your previous posts that you have 18x10.0 +39. Not sure how well that clears the fenders, but I am guessing that some clearancing was required.

For me, I have zero interest in the wheel setup you have, even if it clears the fenders. If you like the look those wheels give you, then this is America, and you can have whatever makes you giddy. If sacrificing function for the look you want is your tradeoff, then it is your car and your money. But I am going to buy the setup that gives the best performance, and that means a wheel with an offset that keeps the geometry where it is supposed to be. And judging by the responses on here, there are just as many people like me as there are like you. So demand is not really a good argument, because I/we demand something that they don't make, and we absolutely won't buy something that is not what we want. That is why I still have stock wheels.

Sure it changes the geometry Honda intended but I and many other car enthusiasts prefer the look and added grip.

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Yeah, but you can put am 18x10.0 +55 and have the grip of wider tires AND the correct steering geometry AND don't need to hack up the fenders to get it all to clear. Just don't see the selling point on this one.

You also have to take into consideration the design of certain wheels in reference to our Brembos. If you look at wheels in the late 90's early/ early 2000's nobody cared about concave wheels or flush fitments. This is one of the reasons the TE37 Sagas were developed, to cater to the current trends. TE37's used to have flat faces. Now they are stretching even high offset specs to be concave.

Click to expand...

I get all of that. but big brakes are not exactly something new to CTRs. And while I realize that the bolt pattern and offset are out of the norm for wheels currently and thus can't be produced from the forgings they already have on the shelf, the CTR is not exactly a low production vehicle. There are going to be around 100,000 of them produced by the time the 10th Gen production cycle ends, and being the type of car it is and the unsavoriness of the OEM wheels, a big majority of them will have aftermarket wheels early in their life cycle. So there is more than enough of a market for CTR wheels for manufacturers to stop being lazy, actually measure a CTR, and then build proper wheels for them.

You might also want to retake those measurements with the car on an alignment lift with the full weight on the wheels. Your theory is correct but your measurements might be off.

Click to expand...

See above post.

I understand you don't see why someone would want to change the characteristics of the car that broke a record on the Nurburgring. That is just part of the car culture. How do you think people felt when the first Rat Rods were built? Guys destroying Model T's by slamming them, chopping the roofs, removing fenders and hoods, letting the body panels rust....

Click to expand...

I am not sure Rat Rods is a good example. A Model T is a terrible car to drive in stock form. Just about anything you do makes it a better road vehicle. Putting wheels on a CTR that screws up the functionality of a cutting-edge design makes the car worse, at least from an engineering standpoint. Don't see much of a parallel here.

LansocK said:

Nice to see someone else take the time to do the measurements. I have a set of 19" x 9" 55 offsets coming in 2-3 more weeks time. Only way to get it at this time is custom made which is what i am doing. More expensive than cast and flow formed wheels but cheaper then incorrectly offset Volks. The car has only been on the market for a couple of years and a lot of people won't experiment properly or just listen to others and won't try for themselves. Another reason that has been stated everything else with this bolt pattern uses a low offset so just sell incorrectly fit wheels so they do have to retool to make a proper wheel for a relatively low production car.

Click to expand...

Why not go 19x9 +60?

s2ktaxi said:

Why not go 19x9 +60?

Click to expand...

I wondered that myself.

art unique said:

To answer your question...DEMAND. The reason these companies are coming out with aggressive setups for the Type R is because the consumers...such as myself, prefer the look. Sure it changes the geometry Honda intended but I and many other car enthusiasts prefer the look and added grip. You also have to take into consideration the design of certain wheels in reference to our Brembos. If you look at wheels in the late 90's early/ early 2000's nobody cared about concave wheels or flush fitments. This is one of the reasons the TE37 Sagas were developed, to cater to the current trends. TE37's used to have flat faces. Now they are stretching even high offset specs to be concave.

You might also want to retake those measurements with the car on an alignment lift with the full weight on the wheels. Your theory is correct but your measurements might be off. I understand you don't see why someone would want to change the characteristics of the car that broke a record on the Nurburgring. That is just part of the car culture. How do you think people felt when the first Rat Rods were built? Guys destroying Model T's by slamming them, chopping the roofs, removing fenders and hoods, letting the body panels rust....

Click to expand...

This.

Go get a set of BC wheels. They’ll make exactly what you want.

jasonjm said:

This.

Go get a set of BC wheels. They’ll make exactly what you want.

Click to expand...

What I want is a set of TE37 Saga Time Attacks in 18 or 19x9.5 with at least 55mm offset and 60mm preferred, or maybe even a set in 10.0 with 55mm offset. I will pay up to $1000 each, and I want 5 of them. Know anywhere I can buy them? I will pay for them today.

BC can satisfy some of those specifications, but not all of them. They have wheels in a similar design, but not with the ball-milled and pin-striped beads, and not with the Time Attack graphics.

And it is not even clear if BC can supply a 60mm offset in any wheel design. I plan to reach out and get a direct response from them for myself.

Florence_NC said:

What I want is a set of TE37 Saga Time Attacks in 18 or 19x9.5 with at least 55mm offset and 60mm preferred, or maybe even a set in 10.0 with 55mm offset. I will pay up to $1000 each, and I want 5 of them. Know anywhere I can buy them? I will pay for them today.

BC can satisfy some of those specifications, but not all of them. They have wheels in a similar design, but not with the ball-milled and pin-striped beads, and not with the Time Attack graphics.

And it is not even clear if BC can supply a 60mm offset in any wheel design. I plan to reach out and get a direct response from them for myself.

Click to expand...

Well I’m not one to let a company stop me if I want something.

Some gfx are stickers, so that’s not so bad. The outer bead can be cnc’d post sale or hopefully by BC. I’ve done it to a set post purchase and added red pin stipe. Would have preferred to respray the wheels, but I couldn’t decide on the color. Then sold off the car with the wheels.

You can make it happen even if rays or who ever don’t do it.

jasonjm said:

Well I’m not one to let a company stop me if I want something.

Some gfx are stickers, so that’s not so bad. The outer bead can be cnc’d post sale or hopefully by BC. I’ve done it to a set post purchase and added red pin stipe. Would have preferred to respray the wheels, but I couldn’t decide on the color. Then sold off the car with the wheels.

You can make it happen even if rays or who ever don’t do it.

Click to expand...

I agree with your sentiment on this one, to a point. The graphics on the Sagas appear to be screened, not decals. Screening gives a bit more of a finished, refined product, but decals could achieve a similar effect.

I planned to ask BC about the ball milling when I talk to them. I could probably do it myself, just don't really want to do it, that is a lot of work to set everything up. And if you make a mistake, well there goes a quick $900. Then it has to be coated, the stripes need to be painted, etc.

I would rather the company just make the correct wheel for the car, and then me pay them $1000 a piece for their product delivered to my door.

BTW: You have any pics of the beading/striping you did?