CX-50 Wheel offset and Spacer info

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CX-50
Hi CX50 People:

I wanted to share a little wheel fitment information in case it is useful to folks that want their wheel/tire package to fill the fenders a bit more fully. First off, wheels are totally a matter of personal taste, as are how they fit a vehicle. So to each their own - don’t flame me!

I had the 20” factory rims which to my eye looked a little big. Also I wanted a little more rubber between rim and road for ride comfort and rim durability. So I decided to drop down to 19”, stay with the 245 width rubber and go up one series on profile to achieve the same rolling diameter. This is the classic -1 formula.

The factory 20” wheels are ET45 (offset), and width is 8.0 inches. I chose to go to 8.5” width, and stayed with the same ET45 offset. Since the wheels are 1/2” wider and centered the same, this means my outer rim surface moved outboard by 1/4” or 6.5mm. This seemed perfect for the front, but not enough for the back end.

The CX-50 has those wide rear haunches - one of the things I really like about this vehicle. But this means a bit more track width is needed in the back to get the same fender “filling” fitment as the front. What is needed is something between 7.5 and 10mm. So I figured I needed some spacers for the back end.

Well, as of a month ago, nobody is listing spacer fitment for the -50. So I went to school on dimensions and decided that the CX-5 (model year 2017-2021) should fit fine (and they do!). I ordered these up from Redline360 (they are a very responsive outfit - no affiliation with them for me other than being a customer). Redline contacted me with the “well now, we are not sure they will fit and it is your risk” caveat. I decided to go for it and all is well. I got the H&R DRS 7.5mm. These are slip on fit and you don’t need to change the stud length because they come with special nuts that fit the spacers and work with the standard lug depth. I counted 9 turns to tight, which is 3 more than H&R says you should have.

And, in the end, the combination of 6.5mm (from wheel width) and 7.5mm (from spacer) giving 14mm total outward movement of the wheel face is just perfect to give a “the way the factory should have done it” appearance. No poke, but also now my -50 doesn’t look like it needs a trip to the gym for a leg workout!

Sorry for the wordy post - just wanted everyone to know that 15mm is a good track increase number for the back and about half of that or around 7.5mm matches it on the front. No compromise to anything - just looks more ‘finished’. Enjoy your rides.

And if anyone wants to know, I went with the BBS SR wheels in 19x8.5 ET45 (Tire Rack). The anthracite matte finish inside the machined aluminum spokes matches the black plastic on the car perfectly - it is a very ‘factory’ looking setup. Those same wheels are available in ET35, which I sort of wished I had bought instead of the ET45 - no need for any spacer at all on the back but the front may ‘poke’ just a little. Still will run fine on the CX-50 or our conservative friends at the Tire Rack would never offer them.
 
Great post! All that's missing is a few pics :sneaky:
 
somebody wanted pictures....
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Hi @4Cheeze

First, looks great! But I was wondering if you could comment on driving dynamics: Did the -1 provide less road noise? A better ride? Do you notice any degraded handling qualities as opposed to the 20s?

I'm considering going -1, maybe even -2 depending on your feedback and other stuff I'm looking at just to soften it up a bit and quiet it down. Look forward to hearing your thoughts.

PA.CX50.T
 
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