Will a taller tyre affect suspension geometry?

Asked by Guru3G2X1 Jul 20, 2020 at 11:43 PM about the 2007 Subaru Legacy 2.5 GT Wagon AWD

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

I've upgraded my tyres to something taller (235/45/17 vs 215/45/17) which has
raised my ride height by about 1/2 inch overall.
Does this lift affect the geometry of my suspension and thus my ball joints?
Or does it remain the same regardless or tyre size?  

3 Answers

It won't change the suspension geometry. I see no trade off except for possible tire rubbing when making sharp turns. Personally I would have looked for 40 series tires to keep the diameter closer to stock.

48,050

235 is a bit wide for these chariots. 215-225 is the Goldilocks zone used even now. If increasing ride height to start to approach OB clearance was the goal I would've used 225/50R17, which is just shorter than the 225/55R17 size used on the OBs. Your 235/45 should work just fine, but with a bit increased drag and some slight loss in fuel efficiency. You might like the perceived increased grip, but you don't have enough power to take advantage of the +10mm tread. But they'll fit fine. And yes, use a GPS to recalibrate the speedo if you want, but note that Subaru always erred up in calibration, so you might not see as much of a negative speed error as tire/wheel calculations would predict. It might be only about -2 or 3 mph at highway speeds....

Your Answer:

Legacy

Looking for a Used Legacy in your area?

CarGurus has 222 nationwide Legacy listings starting at $3,200.

Postal Code:

CarGurus Experts

  • #1
    TheSubaruGuruBoston
    Reputation
    2,780
  • #2
    Anthony_60
    Reputation
    1,800
  • #3
    Tom Hawkins
    Reputation
    1,500
View All

Find great deals from top-rated dealers

Search

Related Models For Sale

Used Subaru Outback
39 Great Deals out of 1,142 listings starting at $3,800
Used Subaru Impreza
35 Great Deals out of 646 listings starting at $4,299
Used Toyota Camry
47 Great Deals out of 1,118 listings starting at $2,500
Used Honda Accord
47 Great Deals out of 974 listings starting at $2,995
Used Subaru Forester
35 Great Deals out of 1,359 listings starting at $3,995
Used Honda Civic
188 Great Deals out of 3,999 listings starting at $440
Used Toyota Corolla
132 Great Deals out of 2,268 listings starting at $103
Used Nissan Altima
28 Great Deals out of 677 listings starting at $3,795
Used Mazda MAZDA3
74 Great Deals out of 1,308 listings starting at $3,499
Used Toyota RAV4
140 Great Deals out of 3,035 listings starting at $3,900
Used Subaru Impreza WRX
3 Great Deals out of 21 listings starting at $4,995
Used Toyota Tacoma
43 Great Deals out of 741 listings starting at $9,975

Content submitted by Users is not endorsed by CarGurus, does not express the opinions of CarGurus, and should not be considered reviewed, screened, or approved by CarGurus. Please refer to CarGurus Terms of Use. Content will be removed if CarGurus becomes aware that it violates our policies.