FTO AUSTRALIA

sorry guys,
I 'm assuming there's a thread for this already. unfortunately my comp ain't fast enough for me to search through the topics.

I'm planning on getting 17" and lowering my fto... if you like the way yours turned out, or if you could do it again, please let me know what the best size tyre/lowering to get... 215 or 225??? does it rub for 225?? and about lowring.. what looks good 2" or 2"1/2 lowered?? or not needed??
if possible i'd like to stay as high as i can (so i don't have to slow too much on humps) but at the same time i want ppl to know that it's an FTO and not a 4WD.. if you know what I mean...

thanks in advance for the feedback guys

are 18" out of the question??? how much are they anyway?? anyone know

Here's a guide mate:

Lowering more at front than rear?
http://www.ftoaustralia.com/modules.php ... t=lowering

Lowering
http://www.ftoaustralia.com/modules.php ... t=lowering

how much to lower your car
http://www.ftoaustralia.com/modules.php ... t=lowering

40 or 45??
http://www.ftoaustralia.com/modules.php ... t=lowering

Suspension Mods
http://www.ftoaustralia.com/modules.php ... t=lowering

At the end of the day, it'll come down to personal preference. If you want to get 18s, then you'd be looking at some thin profile tyres. This will mean that your ride will be pretty harsh, and in terms of lowering, probably very limited in options. Don't forget that the larger the wheel diameter, the greater the unsprung weight the car would be carrying. But 18s will get you the PIMP look.

215 for 17" should be OK with 2" or 2.5" lowered. I have 17 X 7 with 40 profiles. Mine is lowered 30-35mm at the front and 15-20mm at the back.
I didn't believe in lowering before, but it does make the car look better.

mine's lowered 40mm front and 15mm back, and i am happy with the looks and handling.

apexi springs all round
koni/kyb adjustable shocks

i have kg/mm (jap brand) springs for sale if you are interested, they lower your car exactly the same as the apexi ones i have, check out the parts for sale forum

thanks guys... this is very helpful info and time saving...
i was planning on getting 17x7" or 17x7.5" wheels
however looking at the FTO info page, it has 17x7.5" matched up with 215x40 tyres... can I actually put 225x40 on a 17x7.5" or do I have to get a 17x8" to be able to use that tyre size?

i saw your wheels... and the newly painted calipers.. great job.
225x40?? does that mean your speedo reading is way off?? i heard for 18" you'll need 35 profiles...
I'd love to get 18" how much did you get yours if you don't mind me asking?? to put it another way... how much am i looking at for 18"
maybe a way around your rubbing problem is next time you replace your front tyres, use 215... the only drawback is that you can't rotate your tyres....
I assume your car is lowered.. can you let me know how many inches front and back..
cheers..

i currently have 17x8 rims fitted with 225/45ZR tyres and the car has been lowered 40mm up front and 15-20mm at the back.

I get no scrubbing whatsoever even at full lock (that is if i get my inner front mud guards fixed on the LHS coz they are are loose right now) The tyre profiles make no difference to the speedo whatsoever, and the ride quality is actually quite decent (depending on the tyre pressure)

when it comes to rims, i always stress the importance of choosing the right OFFSET. 17x8s with 225 rubber will fit easily if you have the right offset because too much offset will push the wheel in towards the inner guards, whereas the lower offset will push the wheel more outwards (hence increasing track width).

It's possible to fit 18s and still lower the FTO. I have 18 x 7s with 225/35s lowered 50mm and 10mm front and back respectively. Even with two people inside I don't notice any rubbing or scraping. Occasionally I get a light scraping of the front passenger tyre on the inner plastic guard when on full lock to the right but that is it. Just be aware that this setup will give a substantially harsher ride than the factory setup - but does look a lot better IMO. As for price it is highly variable on what tyre profile/brand and style of mag chosen. My package was in excess of $3000. However, my mags were not the cheapest by any means and the choice of tyres in a 35 profile were $320 or $500+ each! (with the correct load rating for the FTO). If you are prepared to put a lower load rated tyre on you can instantly save about $200 all round by allowing you to choose cheaper brands of tyre. For 18s I would think a good staring point would be $2000 for the package as the cheapest...

If you have a lower offset, you are more likely to scrape your rims against the curb. Take it from me. I'm an excellent parallel parker , usually needing only 2 moves. Ever since I got the new rims, I'm no longer as confident because getting as close to the curb as I used to gets my rims scratched.

rxboy wrote:If you have a lower offset, you are more likely to scrape your rims against the curb. Take it from me. I'm an excellent parallel parker , usually needing only 2 moves. Ever since I got the new rims, I'm no longer as confident because getting as close to the curb as I used to gets my rims scratched.

LOL, i get paranoid when i'm parallel-parking coz the kerb tends to rub off the white writing off my tyres, and those logos can be a real pain in the arse to paint!

Those ROH Adrenalines are a pain to park with! I had them on my previous car and the K.E.R.B. was my worst enemy. It's those buldging "blade-spokes".

Anyone with deep-dished rims should be happy with their kerbside parking though.