Enkei RPF1 18x7.5 5x114.3 48 off set
 

I am looking into a wheel and tire package.

Wheels: Enkei RPF1 18x7.5 5x114 with 48mm off set

Tires: Hankook V12 Evo 215/45/18

Will this combination work on my 2008 MS3 without issues?

yes, but why wouldnt you want a wider tire?

i think my 18x7.5's were et 42. thats nothing spacers cant fix though if they are too far in for you.

herrafrush ftw.

yeah those will be fine.

I'm running 18x7.5 e42(I think) Enkei EKM3's with 235/40/18

No rubbing.

I thought that fender rolls were required if running 235's or above?

its wheel size and offset that influences this most... a wide wheel with a low offset will place the tire closer to the fender.

My 18x7.5's were et42, and had 235/40's on them. they didnt rub on my car, nor do they now rub on subparpunks car, and he is dropped low on kw coilovers.

That's a pretty conservative offset compared to what a lot of guys run, you won't have any trouble. If you don't mind my saying though, you're spending a lot of money for no real performance gain. Getting a super deal on the wheels?

I have the same wheel in 17" with 235/45 tires. Zero issues with Cobb/Koni combo (rear is stock height, front down maybe .25") Also, there's a ton of tire choices in my size, many for a good price.

^^what he said. Unless your getting some sweet deal on the combo, go wider. I have
18x8 48 offset w/ 235/40/18. stock suspension, no rubbing at all.

So you guys are suggesting 7.5 tire or even 8 and are sure that I won't rub running stock suspension?
I have very limited tire knowledge. I'd hate like hell to spend all this money only to have rubbing.

On 7.5 wide wheel and 48 offset you will have no trouble at all with a 235/40/18 tire.

Both of us have tires that are a little shorter than stock, and we both have conservative offsets, so the wheel isn't pushed out too far toward the fender.

I think the most common place to rub is the rear with a taller than stock tire, even with stock suspension. The other way to rub is a wide tire with an aggressive offset wheel (say 42 or less.)

I believe Blackspeed when he says his don't rub on stock suspension (don't believe everyone who says their setups don't rub lol.)

Tire prices go up a lot with diameter and aspect ratio ... one reason I went 17, save money, and a lot of choices there. I just checked and for a couple tires I'm interested in, the price was $40 and $60 higher for 235/40-18 vs. 235/45-17. The way this car eats tires that was important to me.

7.5 is probably technically too narrow for a 235/40 tire. A lot of people don't care about that though.

The reason I am looking at 18 inch wheels is that my winter set are 17 inch with the stock size tire and I occasionaly have ground clearance problems so what I would like to have is a 18 inch summer set as wide as I can w/o rubbing. The wheels and tires that are in the OP make a very light weight set. I'm not getting a great
deal so I could go with anything you suggest within reason. God I hate doing forum on my phone!!!!

Not sure what you mean "stock size" on a 17. If you mean your winters are 215/45-17, then you lost .5" ground clearance, so that's your issue there. I run 205/60-16 (basically a perfect match to stock for diameter) snows ... what a trip.

Do what makes you happy, it just seems like spending the money for those wheels (I have same if you didn't know) and not upgrading the rubber is money wasted. IIRC, FFF said those Hankooks weren't as good as stockers on the track. Inexpensive though, if that's what you're looking for.

You could squeeze 235/40s on the 7.5 rim, but technically it's considered half inch below minimum. To me that's a safety issue so I wouldn't, but a lot of people do.

You could do what Blackspeed did, but I don't think you'll find an Enkei Racing in that spec (18x8/48 offset.) Look at RX8 wheels at TireRack and you'd probably get close, but not maybe in the exact same wheel. You could do what I did, but a lot of people don't like the look of the taller sidewall if that's important to you.

If ground clearance is important, you probably don't want to do the 225/40 thing, they're shorter than stock. 225/45 is a little taller than stock, and some people have reported rubbing the rear with weight in the car. But if it does rub it's easily dealt with IIRC - it's in the wheel well or something, a tab you can grind down or break off or whatever. You'd want to be committed to staying stock though seems to me.

If I do say so myself, my setup avoids all this shit. Lightweight wheels, slightly shorter tires, 2 sizes larger in section, cheaper replacement, zero rubbing. But guys with 19s point and laugh :D

Oh, I made a thread in this section when I got mine. I don't start many threads so you could find it pretty easy searching my name for thread starting. There's a few crappy pics in there, but you can see the meat as it were.

I appreciate everyones input! I see that Enkei has that wheel in 18x8 with 45 offset. Do you think that would move the tire out too much with 225/40 or 45/18? or 235/40or 45 /18 and would it be out towards the fender enough to look good? I would like to keep the tires as far to the outside as I can get away with on 18's and at least 215 width. I don't want a narrower stance for sure. Thanks to you guys, I think I am beginning to understand the numbers a little. I had no idea it was such a pain in the ass to find wheels/tires that I like and will perform w/o drawbacks. I may just get another set of Bidgstones instead of the Hankooks after reading FFF's thread. I acually love the crispness of those tires. They remind me of driving a cart. The only thing that bothers me is the rate of wear. FJ, you make a good case for the 17's but I really like the shorter sidewalls. I don't mind the empty wheel well look, however. It kind of reminds me of a rally car. Maybe a 17x8 or 8.5 with 225 or 235/
40 or 45/ 17...........? Ground clearance isn't that big of a problem.............Please don't lose patience with me.

Oh and I'm with you, FJ on the safety thing. I try to stay within specs on about everything I do.

I feel like I'm turning into my wife. Does this make me look fat? Do you still love me? Would you please take out the trash for me?

If you want to stay with the 18, I'd say you're golden with the 18x8/45 with 235/40 tires. That would be sweet with the RPF1. You can really do better than the stock tires though.

Three ways people go with tires are cheaper, performance or smooth and quiet. For performance look at TireRack's Max category (I think that's the one - it has the RE-11 and Star Spec in it.) Either of those tires (and any tire in that category) would be a noticeable improvement over stock.

I have the Star Specs and with a tranny mount and stiffer shocks and springs, it's getting to be a bit much on the noise. But they handle and corner so damn well, the car just does what you ask of it with no complaints, period, that it's hard to give that up. If you have the stock tranny mount, noise wouldn't be an issue. If you don't think the stockers are noisy then you wouldn't think the Dunlops were either.

I'm trying to find a tire that would preserve most of the performance of the Stars but add a little smoothness. Best bet so far is the Dunlop Maxx TT. Brand new tire though so limited user reports. TireRack liked them, but they said they're a little softer in response than Contis, and Contis are notorious for being soft to begin with so that's a worry. The Yok Advan S.4 is intriguing ... they call it an ultra AS tire, but it's really not, more like the lowest level of summer tire. Interesting user reports on it.

The top Michelin tires are always good, but pricey.

For cheap and still a chance of a decent tire, there's the Sumi HTR Z III. Not sure I trust a tire that inexpensive though. But an option if money is tight.

I'm just throwing out ideas - I've been looking at tires a lot lately so it's on my brain. Wheels are easy, tires are hard :D

Be sure to let us know what you decide, I'm curious where you end up.

Man, you are awesome! I'm going to check out all of the tires you mentioned. I have to say that the star specs have entered my mind. I've heard nothing but good things about them.
I have TRZ trans and SU rear mounts and used to have TRZ trans and rear. Noise! I don't care about no stinking noise!

just to let you know, rpf1's under 9" wide doesnt really look good though. the spokes are too close to the face of the wheel. the best looking one that fits our cars are 17x9 +45. the spokes are actually concaved in.

just wanna ask since this thread is up. for 18x7.5 et 42 folks, what are u guys lowered with? for tires i just wanna go with 225 not sure if 45/40 + koni sport shock & spring combo. what u guys think?

What size tires on the 17 x 9 inch 45 off wheels without rubbing?

Darn it!!! They don't have the 18x8 in our bolt pattern! I was thinking I was getting to the finish line.

They have 17x8 45 and 17x9 45 or 18 x 7.5 48 and then go up to 18x 9.5 45. Everything else is a much more aggresive offset. I think the 18x 9.5 is out of the question. My head hurts! I am leaning towards the star specs though.

Ah man ... you were all set. Based on what you've said so far, including using winter tires, I'm going out on a limb, stopping the hemming and hawing, and saying you need the Star Spec. The only alternative if you're looking that way is the RE-11.

So tires are easy and wheels are hard lol. To help with the decision making, you can force yourself into a corner on purpose by committing to the Stars and RPF1s, then you just have to see what fits - narrow your choices pretty fast.

Hmm, just looking at the pdf from Enkei on the RPF1 and it's not good for you is it? You could go 18x8.5/40 I guess, but then you're paying for lightweight wheels but adding 3 lbs /wheel just to get the size you want in a fitment that works (compared to a 17) and moving the outside of the wheel about 1.25" outboard (so maybe it wouldn't work 100% after all.) As you go up in width it's logical to decrease offset to accommodate inside clearance of suspension bits and whatnot. That 18x9.5/45 would push the inboard side almost an inch farther in.

You got 18x7.5 with 225 tires (40 and 45 both available in the Star Spec)

18x7.5 with 235 tires out of spec on wheel width (but not by much)

Rethink the 17s and you have 17x8/45 with 235 tires (that's sold by TR as a RX8 wheel I think, so you'd want to verify hub size so they could put the right ring on it if it's different - the one they sell for the ms3 is 17x7.5/48 I think.)

I'm inclined to say the 18x7.5 with 225/45 Star Spec would be the best match to stock suspension. Even if you upgrade shocks, which you should be thinking seriously of doing :)

Just think, once you get something you'll be locked in so all you have to do is buy new tires every year :)

Edit: Here's that pdf if you haven't seen it

http://www.enkei.com/spec_charts/RPF1.pdf

a lot of mz3, ms3 owners run those wheels with 245/40/17. you need to roll rears. looks really badass though

http://tigermack.zenfolio.com/img/v1/p132129419-4.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3210/...4a3e0bc4_o.jpg
http://bcmazda3.gumandgut.com/Thomas...ar_2009/21.jpg

these would look awesome on my car...I think I want 17x9s

so without having to roll rears could you run wheels in a 17x8.5 wheel offset 45 tire size 235

I ordered the Enkei RPF1's in 18 x 7.5 48 and Dunlop Star Spec's in 225/45/18 last night. I also got the TPMS and wheel locks. I got an Email today that they had shipped so theres a good chance I'll have these on the car by the middle of next week. I'll let you know what I think.

I'm not sure that I've seen any 17x8.5 width RPF1's in our bolt pattern with 45 offset, or are you just talking wheels in general??? 235 will fit depending on your suspension mods and the sidewall profile (40 series vs. 45 series would be different heights), and also the brand/design of the tire. Tires with a rim protection bead are generally wider, and some brands of tires have broader shoulder blocks that would rub easier.

Short answer: Nobody can tell you that they would 100% fit unless you tell us EVERYTHING. Wheels, tires you want to run, suspension mods at a minimum.

I hope you like them. They're not nearly as aggressive as the 9 in width fitments. The 17x9 et45 RPF1 is what I want so badly I can taste it. I found a decent temporary set of the older RP01's for a song though in 17x9 et 42, so I'm happy. If I had my way, they would make the 18x9 in 45 offset too, then I could really lust after them.

what color did you get the RPF-1s in?

Re: Enkei RPF1 18x7.5 5x114.3 48 off set
 

I ordered the silver. I'm not sure how they will look on my MGM but if I don't like it I have a family member who does custom paint and powder coating. I find myself wondering what they would look like with silver spokes on MGM rims. Hmmm.......

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You know the PF01 is in 18x9/45?

Mmm, MGM, mmmm. I always liked the monochrome look if the base color was right. That might look great with MGM wheels - I'm picturing the whole wheel.

Do custom painted wheels hold up I wonder? Don't they use some kind of special "wheel paint" form the manufacturer? I used to daydream about doing some kind of vapor deposition thing on a set of wheels, cost a fortune I'd guess though.

PF01??? Do you mean RPF1 or RP01??? If you mean RPF1, I've never seen the 18x9 in our pattern with 45 offset, I've only seen them in 35 offset in that size with our pattern. If they are 18x9 et45 in 5/114.3, please direct me to the site with a link. I need this porn... :beerchug:

Ask and yee shall receive.

Enkei Wheels 2009 | PF01 |

I'm getting nervous. On UPS there's been no scan activity since friday. Theres a statement on the tracking results "your package has experienced an exception".


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Location Date Local Time DescriptionWhat's This?
HODGKINS, IL, US 03/19/2010 11:55 P.M. FORWARDED TO THE FACILITY IN THE DESTINATION CITY
03/19/2010 11:26 P.M. ORIGIN SCAN
US 03/19/2010 9:58 P.M. BILLING INFORMATION RECEIVED

I think their system is down right now, got a message from a shipper that they couldn't get a tracking number yet. Check this afternoon, and if it's not up yet call TR and they can deal with it from their end.

Hummmmmm compared at 2 pounds heavier than the RPF1 in 17x8 size. Scratch the PF01 off the list. They look purdy though.

Yeah, the PF01 is a good looking wheel and they have the sizes and offsets we like. I'm not sure it's 2 lbs. heavier though. I think I read that TR will have them available in June.

http://www.enkei.com/PF01.pdf

The Enkei/Star spec combo arrived yesterday. I checked tire pressure. There were two that were 34 psi (front) and two that were 33 psi (rear). I checked and all of the centering rings were in place. The tires were correctly mounted so that the direction was correct. I love it when things are done right! The TPMs valves were installed and the original valves were in individual packages. I like that too. Within 40 minutes I had pulled my winters, wire brushed the lugs and hubs, and installed the new set.

JF, you were absolutely right about these tires. I got 60 miles on them yesterday and I think I'm really going to be satisfied with them. They definately improve the ride quality. Road features that where jarring are now way less noticable. I didn't really push them yesterday because of break-in but I did some spirited twistys and found that the tires respond very quickly to steering ajustments but not in the edgy way that the stock tires do.
There is some apparent side wall flex but it seems to be just enough to take the sharpness out without degrading response time if that makes sense. I do like the silver on MGM so no paint. I'll try to get pictures when I get a chance to give the car a bath and will also give my 500mile impressions.

Thanks to all who replied to my questions and helped me make an educated choice!

That's a good observation, the way they respond quickly and accurately to steering inputs, but without being edgy at all. It makes me wonder if there's some sympathetic relationship between this particular tire and this car's steering setup. That sense of sidewall flex I also notice and usually describe as if you had changed a suspension component - it adds a sense of precision to the mix that's not there with the stockers.

Something I've noticed too is that the steering precision increases as cornering speed increases. It occurred to me that maybe what's really happening is that it's not decreasing like most tires do, so it "feels" like it's increasing when really it's just staying the same? whatever, it's amazing under serious sideload, it still responds well. I try to drive with smooth inputs though, so that feeds into it.

Glad you're happy!

I have really enjoyed reading this thread. Through it I have finally, possibly, decided on the wheel/tire size I want(235/40/18 mounted on 18x8 w/ 48-50 offset). Of course now I get to see what styles are available in those sizes. Post pics as soon as you can.

It's supposed to rain tomorrow so the pics won't be great but I'll go ahead a shoot a few for you. I can tell you that with the 225/45/18 and the 7.5 x 18 48 RPF1's the wheel wells look full. I took a tape measure and measured from the widest point on the tire to the outside edge of the wheel well and the tire is less than 1/2 inch short of being flush at the top. The space between the outside diameter of the tires and the inside edge of the wheel well ranges between 1 inch on the sides to 1 3/4 inches at the top.

Thanks for the info. I'll keep that in mind when comparing prices.

Crappy flash pics of a dirty car.
 

I'm ashamed of myself but you wanted them soon!

The wheels look great! I hope your happy with them.

Quick question. How often do you carry a full load? At least once a month I carry four adults. In the spring I put the seats down and load it up with mulch. I was just wondering how often people use the utility of the car as opposed to just driving by themselves. I assume this would cause an extra rubbing concern. Unless the inner fender is really concave.

Is there some sort of guide I could see that would show the "safe" tire sizes in relation to wheel width?

On tire rack dot com you can click on a tire you like, click on "Specs" and there's a chart that shows recommended wheel widths for that and other sizes as well.

What I have learned from this thread and looking at the tires and wheels I bought is that wider is possible as long as the wheel diameter is not too large and the offset isn't too much or too little. The set I bought 225/45/18 wihi 48 pffset clears the struts in the front by around 3/4 - 1 inch and about 1 - 1 1/2 inches in the rear. If I had gone with 235/45/18 on wheels with a 48 offset I think I would be very close to touching the struts at least in front. So maybe 50 offset would be in order to move 235/45/18 tires outward a little. Too much outward and because of the 45 aspect ratio you would be risking rubbing on the wheel well so you would need to go to a 40 aspect ratio to reduce the tires diameter. One thing to keep in mind is that at lower speeds wider tires require more streering effort because you are working againt more fricton due to a larger area of tire against the pavement. At higher speeds this effect is reduced. Narrower tires have the opposite effect. they turn easer at low speeds but can be less sticky at High speads due to a smaller surface area against the pavment. I believe that the wheels and tires I got are the widest tires I would consider for my application. I do load it up with two to thee weeks provision and take long road trips in it
So if you plan to go with 235/18 i would advise 40 aspect ratio and a little more than 48 offset. Correct me if I'm wrong I'm just learning this stuff and I took an ambien about a half hour ago.

****I had to edit this after seeing that it made it appear that I bought 235 tires when in reality I bought 225. My bad.

Hey arrowpoint, how much clearance do you have in the fender well with the wheel at full lock? I have the same wheels on stock suspension looking at getting the same tires but I'm concerned about the larger tires making contact with my Rally Armor mudflaps.

I measured on the front left and with the wheel turned left all the way to the stop I have about .5 inches. With the wheel turned right to the stop about 2.5 inches. Keep in mind that there was a typo in my earlier post. These are 225/45/18.

Thank you, I think they should clear just fine. Time to order some tires :)

Thanks for the continued info Arrowpoint. I like how you wheels look and think the smaller size will help control the price.

Can any wheel be fitted with the TPMS or do you need a wheel designed for it?

I'm not one hundred percent sure, Dizzel. But I would think so since it's just a valve stem with a transmitter built into it. It doesn't appear that tire rack did anything but install them in place of the regular valve stems.

That's what I thought. I really want the Enkei EKM3 in gunmetal but as of right now tire rack is only offering it in bright silver. After all this up sizing excitement I am now being beat down by price. May only increase width to 7.5.

Just to correct you, going from a 48 offset to 50 offset moves the tires/wheels INWARDS, not OUTwards as you stated. There are people running 18x8 50 offset RX8's with 245's on them and not touching the struts, so your 235 statement is wrong all around. Also depends on if the tires used have rim protection beads though too since those stick out more on the sides. Brand of tire and series of tire change things also...

Re: Enkei RPF1 18x7.5 5x114.3 48 off set
 

Thanks for the correction, Bnoon. When you consider all these variables, I don't know how anyone can know what fits other than a tire tech who has learned by trial and error. It seems like it should be simple but to me anyway its not. It would be cool if someone with access to different tires and wheels could build a photo data base of what fits.

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18x8 40et
 

Hey guys I have 18x8 Motegi sp10 wheels with a 40et from what I have been reading It seems like I might have some trouble with lowering it. I am at stock ride height now with 225/40 tires and no problems at all but I have some H&R sport springs that I am dieing to put in but I don't know if I need new wheels or not I was looking at getting some Eneki Ev5s in 18x7.5 45et will I need to roll my fenders still with the 225/40tires? H&R springs are 1.3"f, 1.2"r for the drop -thanks-

Looks good. Black would have looked better on the MGM, but i'm partial to the black RPF1's since that's what i have. The wife got them as a gift a year or so ago. Love the rims but i do wish they were wider. I may switch to a 17x9 in time.

Still congrats on them though.

you will likely need a small roll in the rear. no big deal.

This was a really good read =) Im about to purchase some zr+520 in the same offsets, looks more flush then i thought it would =) !