We installed a full set of 25mm from Torque Solutions which are top quality as well on our 17 and when you put a full load of adults in the car and the rear suspension compresses the inside edge of the rear fenders cut the shoulder of the tires. They were 255/40R18's on factory 18' wheels. So then we got a set of new wheels in 18x9.5 +38 with same tires and the rear still rubbed. Had to do a moderate fender roll. Some people run this setup without needing it. I believe there was a small change to the shape/size of the inner fender edge on later models so what fits for one may not fit for all even within the same VA chassis family. FYI
@@WRXGarage Yes sorry forgot to mention that. Maybe with the 245's it's clearing by a mm...it can't be much. The tire also pushed the thin plastic inner fender liner up some. You can see where the tread of the tire has been touching it.
You didn't tell the noobs how you stopped the wheel moving while you tightened it up, or the Subaru torque setting for the OEM nut to an aftermarket stud 😁 happy too help.
I installed these same spacers on my 2021 wrx and my rear tires wore out insanely quick on the inside edges, is this a thing anyone else has experienced? Or was it just installation error.. I haven’t put them back on after I got new tires
Sounds like your rear camber or toe was out of alignment and the spacers ended up making it worse. If you're going to add the spacers back on, get a fresh alignment right after!
How is the drivability. Does it affect the steering and braking of the car. Literature says those things get affected when the offset is changed from oem. Can you shed real world light on that
Braking is not affected. Steering doesn't seem to be affected very much, maybe a bit heavier. I also have a set of aftermarket wheels that have a higher offset and a much wider tread tire (265 vs 245 oem). If anything, the overall performance and handling is improved by increased offset.
If I ran my summer wheels which are wider and higher offset with the spacers, yes it's probable I'd have issues with the wheel bearings. With this setup, the offset is still less than the Enkei's, which haven't given me any issues even after 60k miles. So long story short, the oem wheels with spacers shouldn't cause any issues at all.
Love the video! I have the same color 2016 premium as yours and I’m thinking of doing the spacers with my oem wheels instead of the more expensive new wheels route for now. And is the set of 2 $155? Or a set of 4? Did you order 2 quantity of the sets for all 4 wheels?
Do you still recommend using white lithium grease on the install of the spacers? I’ve been using anti seize the last couple years on mine (they get removed for winter wheel/tire setup), but it gets messy and this looks a lot cleaner.
I don't know if this was asked before, if I have stock BBS wheels for the 2016 STI will the OEM studs protrude from the 20 mm spacer and hit the backside of the wheel during installation?
@@WRXGarage @kamala989 I got some 20mm titan wheel spacers (similar to the factionfab ones, super high quality, hub centric, and extended studs) for my 2018 Impreza sport with the OEM 18’s, and the back wheel face WAS resting on the OEM studs and not the spacer face. There’s probably a 1-2mm gap between the wheel and spacer, so a 25mm spacer will guarantee you’re good, but also the rear wheel face of your BBS’s might accommodate the OEM studs protruding past the spacer face. My wheels have reliefs in them, but they’re wider, like a 5x120 stud spacing, so they don’t line up with my OEM studs unfortunately. If they did, I think I’d actually be okay; the reliefs are deeper than the amount of OEM stud that protrudes past the spacer face.
The new wheel studs that you might the wheels to look like the same length as oem so I have to assume that the oem lug nuts would work fine! If you want to go new lug nuts, here are the ones I use, they've held up really well for a couple years now. amzn.to/3xSOUm3
I’m looking to put 17-19 sti wheels on my 14 wrx, I’m gonna need wheel spacers I think, how are these holding up? Kinda worried it’ll effect the drive or reliability
I run my oem wheels with winter tires for each winter and have an aftermarket set of wheels and tires for the spring and summer! The spacers were to help bump the oem wheels out towards the fender and make them look better
I ran my option labs through summer, 18x9.5. I switched back to my stock wheels 18x8.5 for winter & the Subaru dealership said my wheel toe was off. Would this be true or are they yanking my chain?
I use the factory wheels only for the winter.. I'm not going to buy a second set of aftermarket wheels that are just going to get trashed by the snow and salt 4 months a year..
A great way to add a few pounds and another failure point to your factory wheels! Get wheels that fit without spacers, and maybe shave a few pounds instead of add.
These were wheels dedicated just for a couple of months each year (winter). There's nothing wrong with running wheel spacers just for the purpose of the looks. Remember.. this is a track car with dedicated wheels and tires for dailying and the track, both without spacers.
@@WRXGarage yeah, I bought a set of Noble spacers for the same reason but hated the idea of the extra weight as much as the heavier feel. Now they're on Craig's List, along with the 29lb each aftermarket wheels (Voxx) I bought for winter before I knew better. I run snows more months of the year than not, due to my location, and the real possibility of accumulating snow from September to June. I'm a 9-1-1 dispatcher, and just talked a driver in white-out conditions into a parking lot at the bottom of Loveland Pass. I had to exercise extreme restraint in not telling the caller a WRX could have powered through, spacers or not.
Wheel spacers are for those who care more about looks than performance. They eat your wheel bearings as well. Don't do it. Grow up. Just get the wheels with the fitment you want or run your stockies as is. You'll thank me later.
Based on the laws of physics.. this setup wouldn't effect the wheel bearings any more than the aftermarket wheels would. Wheel bearings are mostly effected by excess weight that's pushed farther out from the wheel hub. Big dish wheels with crazy offset. If you watch the video, I do explain that these wheels are still less offset than the aftermarket wheels I have. 60k miles on the higher offset wheels and haven't had a single issue with my wheel bearings.
@@ianholmquist8492 Again, do your research. Wheel spacers are used, and allowed for racing. Even used in **cough** NASCAR legally. Just saying nicely, do your research. They are more widely used than you realize. :) Even in Drag racing.. that kind of stress is still safe for a proper wheel spacer. To add, there are plenty of wheel spacers that are not safe.. Non-hub centric, for example, spacers not using a high grade bolt/lug, etc. Those are definitely not recommended for use safely.
@@Antykain here is the most popular and most credible automotive engineering source on YT speaking on the subject. Seems to me the cons definitely outweigh the pros as EE explains it. th-cam.com/video/hWijfooeSyU/w-d-xo.html
Just did that on my dropped outback XT earlier today no lie.......gives that little something that normally can't put a finger on
We installed a full set of 25mm from Torque Solutions which are top quality as well on our 17 and when you put a full load of adults in the car and the rear suspension compresses the inside edge of the rear fenders cut the shoulder of the tires. They were 255/40R18's on factory 18' wheels. So then we got a set of new wheels in 18x9.5 +38 with same tires and the rear still rubbed. Had to do a moderate fender roll. Some people run this setup without needing it. I believe there was a small change to the shape/size of the inner fender edge on later models so what fits for one may not fit for all even within the same VA chassis family. FYI
Quick question! Is that with stock suspension?
@@WRXGarage Yes sorry forgot to mention that. Maybe with the 245's it's clearing by a mm...it can't be much. The tire also pushed the thin plastic inner fender liner up some. You can see where the tread of the tire has been touching it.
Gotcha! That makes sense. My fenders are rolled a lot so I haven't had any issues with the spacers!
@@WRXGarage I didn't have time to watch every minute of the video. Might be a good thing to make clear if it wasn't already. Cheers.
You didn't tell the noobs how you stopped the wheel moving while you tightened it up, or the Subaru torque setting for the OEM nut to an aftermarket stud 😁 happy too help.
I have the Apex Gold 18 X 9.5 38 offset
Make sure those studs are dry, not greasy. A greased stud has different friction characteristics and will invalidate torque spec
Yessir! I mentioned this in the video!
I installed these same spacers on my 2021 wrx and my rear tires wore out insanely quick on the inside edges, is this a thing anyone else has experienced? Or was it just installation error.. I haven’t put them back on after I got new tires
Sounds like your rear camber or toe was out of alignment and the spacers ended up making it worse. If you're going to add the spacers back on, get a fresh alignment right after!
How have these altered your suspension geometry and steering effort? Any perceptible changes?
No changes in steering feel, no need for alignment! It would be the same as running a wheel with a lower offset
@ Wow that’s pleasantly surprising to hear. Was expecting you to say yeah I’m running a roll center kit haha
Ah, well I am doing that too but I don't think it was installed when I was running the spacers.
@@WRXGarage I think I’ll go with this setup. I’m already having bump steer without spacers so it can’t harm.
How is the drivability. Does it affect the steering and braking of the car. Literature says those things get affected when the offset is changed from oem. Can you shed real world light on that
Braking is not affected. Steering doesn't seem to be affected very much, maybe a bit heavier. I also have a set of aftermarket wheels that have a higher offset and a much wider tread tire (265 vs 245 oem). If anything, the overall performance and handling is improved by increased offset.
Do you find with the spacers that it causes any issues with the bearings? I've heard mixed opinions
If I ran my summer wheels which are wider and higher offset with the spacers, yes it's probable I'd have issues with the wheel bearings. With this setup, the offset is still less than the Enkei's, which haven't given me any issues even after 60k miles. So long story short, the oem wheels with spacers shouldn't cause any issues at all.
How much did u pay for those spacers? Nice quality 👌. What would u recommend for a '16 wrx premium?
Some used 20 and 25 is common but still it is your car and depend to your taste..
Links in the description!
Garage lights link?
Oops.. just updated the video. Link to them now in the description!
Love the video! I have the same color 2016 premium as yours and I’m thinking of doing the spacers with my oem wheels instead of the more expensive new wheels route for now. And is the set of 2 $155? Or a set of 4? Did you order 2 quantity of the sets for all 4 wheels?
The links I have in the description are for pairs, so for all 4 you'd need to order x2.
Just got a set of 4 off Amazon used for 37$ free shipping
What brand?
Do you still recommend using white lithium grease on the install of the spacers? I’ve been using anti seize the last couple years on mine (they get removed for winter wheel/tire setup), but it gets messy and this looks a lot cleaner.
Anti seize works too, but yeah it's messy. The white lithium grease has held up really well.
@@WRXGarage awesome, I’m putting the summers on now and using the white lithium grease this time around 🤙
Hopefully it’s not in the comments, but what’s your brake set up??
STI 4pot/2pot brembo swap!
What size of tire did you wrap on it? Would you mind pls? Thank you
The oem wheels in this video are 18x8.5+55, wrapped in 245/40 Blizzaks
@@WRXGarage 1.4 dropped all around? Thank you
Probably 2-2.25" drop
I don't know if this was asked before, if I have stock BBS wheels for the 2016 STI will the OEM studs protrude from the 20 mm spacer and hit the backside of the wheel during installation?
No, very unlikely! The 20 and 25mm spacers are built with the oem studs and wheels in mind.
@@WRXGarage @kamala989 I got some 20mm titan wheel spacers (similar to the factionfab ones, super high quality, hub centric, and extended studs) for my 2018 Impreza sport with the OEM 18’s, and the back wheel face WAS resting on the OEM studs and not the spacer face. There’s probably a 1-2mm gap between the wheel and spacer, so a 25mm spacer will guarantee you’re good, but also the rear wheel face of your BBS’s might accommodate the OEM studs protruding past the spacer face. My wheels have reliefs in them, but they’re wider, like a 5x120 stud spacing, so they don’t line up with my OEM studs unfortunately. If they did, I think I’d actually be okay; the reliefs are deeper than the amount of OEM stud that protrudes past the spacer face.
Can you use the OEM lug nuts when installing wheel spacers? Or do you need to get tuner nuts to compensate the change?
The new wheel studs that you might the wheels to look like the same length as oem so I have to assume that the oem lug nuts would work fine! If you want to go new lug nuts, here are the ones I use, they've held up really well for a couple years now. amzn.to/3xSOUm3
I’m looking to put 17-19 sti wheels on my 14 wrx, I’m gonna need wheel spacers I think, how are these holding up? Kinda worried it’ll effect the drive or reliability
Took them off after one entire winter and they're still in perfect condition! None of the nuts came loose, threads all in great condition.
@@WRXGarage why did you take them off then? changed wheels or something? sorry just curious lol
I run my oem wheels with winter tires for each winter and have an aftermarket set of wheels and tires for the spring and summer! The spacers were to help bump the oem wheels out towards the fender and make them look better
I ran my option labs through summer, 18x9.5. I switched back to my stock wheels 18x8.5 for winter & the Subaru dealership said my wheel toe was off. Would this be true or are they yanking my chain?
If you hadn't done an alignment in a while, it's absolutely possible that it's changed over time. But changing your wheels shouldn't effect alignment.
@@WRXGarage I appreciate it. The only reason I went to the dealership was to re-calibrate the tire pressure sensors
Looks about the same 😆
$310 for all 4?? That's more expensive than new hubs w/ bearings lol.
Yep spacers are total ricer stuff
The real “issue” is spending money on spacers (money in spacers in general) on factory wheels to make it look “cool” for daily driving lol
I use the factory wheels only for the winter.. I'm not going to buy a second set of aftermarket wheels that are just going to get trashed by the snow and salt 4 months a year..
@@WRXGarage ignore this people, they are just jealous
A great way to add a few pounds and another failure point to your factory wheels! Get wheels that fit without spacers, and maybe shave a few pounds instead of add.
These were wheels dedicated just for a couple of months each year (winter). There's nothing wrong with running wheel spacers just for the purpose of the looks. Remember.. this is a track car with dedicated wheels and tires for dailying and the track, both without spacers.
@@WRXGarage nothing wrong with adding 2 lbs+ per wheel just for appearance? OK.
@@WRXGarage yeah, I bought a set of Noble spacers for the same reason but hated the idea of the extra weight as much as the heavier feel. Now they're on Craig's List, along with the 29lb each aftermarket wheels (Voxx) I bought for winter before I knew better. I run snows more months of the year than not, due to my location, and the real possibility of accumulating snow from September to June. I'm a 9-1-1 dispatcher, and just talked a driver in white-out conditions into a parking lot at the bottom of Loveland Pass. I had to exercise extreme restraint in not telling the caller a WRX could have powered through, spacers or not.
Wheel spacers are for those who care more about looks than performance. They eat your wheel bearings as well. Don't do it. Grow up. Just get the wheels with
the fitment you want or run your stockies as is. You'll thank me later.
Based on the laws of physics.. this setup wouldn't effect the wheel bearings any more than the aftermarket wheels would. Wheel bearings are mostly effected by excess weight that's pushed farther out from the wheel hub. Big dish wheels with crazy offset. If you watch the video, I do explain that these wheels are still less offset than the aftermarket wheels I have. 60k miles on the higher offset wheels and haven't had a single issue with my wheel bearings.
Really should do your research before saying this kind of stuff.. This is some of the misinformation that has been going around.
@@Antykain race cars don't use wheel spacers for a reason: because they don't work as well as just fitting the right wheels. No research needed
@@ianholmquist8492 Again, do your research. Wheel spacers are used, and allowed for racing. Even used in **cough** NASCAR legally. Just saying nicely, do your research. They are more widely used than you realize. :)
Even in Drag racing.. that kind of stress is still safe for a proper wheel spacer.
To add, there are plenty of wheel spacers that are not safe.. Non-hub centric, for example, spacers not using a high grade bolt/lug, etc. Those are definitely not recommended for use safely.
@@Antykain here is the most popular and most credible automotive engineering source on YT speaking on the subject. Seems to me the cons definitely outweigh the pros as EE explains it. th-cam.com/video/hWijfooeSyU/w-d-xo.html