Despite what the internet might say, narrowbody WRX’s can still look cool, and we’re going to prove it. Getting your wheel fitment right is half the battle. In this guide, we’re going to help you with exactly that: wheel and tire setups that will give your narrowbody a bit more oomph. And no, you don’t need to rivet on fender flares.

Again, this is only for the narrow body:

• 2008-2010 WRX & 3rd gen impreza (GH, GE)

This information also applies to non-WRX models of the Subaru Impreza.

If you have a widebody (GR), you’re in luck, because we have a plethora of fitment examples just for that platform.

GR WRX/STi guide

Quick links

• Basic fitment info
• Brake clearance
• Rolling GH/GE fenders
• Examples of GH/GE fitment

Basic fitment info

• Lug pattern: 5x100
• Lug thread: M12x1.25
• Center bore: 56.1mm
• Lug torque: 90 ft-lbs

Every Subaru owner probably knows by now, but it bears repeating: the STi of this gen uses a 5x114.3–not an issue if you follow our guide because we only included 5x100 wheels.

Brake clearance 

This generation gets not-so-impressive 2-piston front and 1-piston rear calipers. They provide lots of space for wheel clearance, but frankly, they’re a downgrade over the previous generation WRX brakes–and that’s why people swap those 06-07 brakes onto the later models. 

If you go for this brake upgrade, you really won’t lose too much wheel clearance, so really, it’s a win-win.

• Most 17” and even some 16” wheels will clear stock WRX calipers or upgraded 4-pot calipers (red)

If you step up to STi Brembo’s, all bets are off. You’re lucky to find a 17” wheel that will clear (although a few exist).  

Fender rolling

We’ll cut it to you straight: the narrowbody fenders aren’t doing you any favors in terms of space for aggressive wheels/tires. These come stock with 205/50R17 or 215/50R17 tires, both of which are pretty measly, so you’ll want to go wider. 

The problem is, even just a couple sizes wider at 235/40 can rub pretty bad, and that’s with high offset wheels. For that reason, we’ll always recommend rolling the fenders for aftermarket wheels on this platform.

The rear tends to cause the most problems. At the very least, we recommend a slight roll in the rear. For more aggressive setups, the front and rear need to be rolled and possibly pulled.

DIY it, or pay a professional, either way, it’s kinda a must-do on the narrowbody.  

Examples of GH WRX fitment 

Fitment Facts
‎	Front	Rear
Wheels	Konig Ampliform 18x8.5 +44	Konig Ampliform 18x8.5 +44
Tires	Michelin Pilot Sport 4s 225/40R18	Michelin Pilot Sport 4s 225/40R18
Notes	Stock fenders Lowered on lowering springs

As is the norm, we’ll start with simple OE+ fitment, and while we just got done telling you that fender rolling is obligatory, we’re now gonna show you something that breaks that rule. 

This GH WRX is running Konig wheels, the specs are: 18x8.5 +44. Because the wheels are high offset and the tires are only 225 wide, the fenders didn’t need to be rolled.

While these cars come with 17” wheels, most owners go for 18’s. Not to say aftermarket 17’s look bad, actually, we’d argue they look more apt on a narrowbody.

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Fitment Facts
‎	Front	Rear
Wheels	Work Emotion T7R 18x8.5 +45	Work Emotion T7R 18x8.5 +45
Tires	Continental ExtremeContact Sport 235/45R18	Continental ExtremeContact Sport 235/45R18
Notes	Feal 441 coilovers, rolled and slightly pulled fenders The rear might clear without a roll but the front definitely needs a roll

For sedan owners looking for similar fitment, this 2009 WRX is running 18x8.5 +45 with slightly bigger 235/45R18 tires. To accommodate those tires, the fenders needed to be rolled all around. 

This car is lowered with coilovers instead of lowering springs. Both work, but coilovers are definitely better for track use.

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Fitment Facts
‎	Front	Rear
Wheels	Avid.1 AV6 18x8.5 +35	Avid.1 AV6 18x8.5 +35
Tires	225/40R18	225/40R18
Notes	Fenders rolled Raceland Primo coilovers Cobb Adjustable rear lower control arms

If we drop the offset down a bit, the result is flush fitment. The tires are sized a bit thinner to give more clearance, but still an upgrade over stock. 

This car is on coilovers–Raceland Primo in this particular application.

One big difference is that this car needed extra rear camber to avoid rubbing on those pesky rear fenders. The factory doesn’t give you a way to adjust camber, so the way to solve this is with rear adjustable lower control arms.

With these mods and rolled fenders, this car doesn’t rub.

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Fitment Facts
‎	Front	Rear
Wheels	Konig Hexiform 17x9 +40	Konig Hexiform 17x9 +40
Tires	Toyo Proxes R888R 255/40R17	Toyo Proxes R888R 255/40R17
Notes	Fenders rolled BC Racing BR coilovers

If you have some engine mods going on (who doesn’t on a WRX) and want maximum contact patch, check out this setup.

This hatch is running 17” Konigs wrapped in 255/40R17 tires. While the wheel specs aren’t aggressive, these tires specs require a roll and slight pull to avoid rubbing. You may even need some extra camber in the rear.

Generally, we’d stay with a 235 or 245 wide tire, unless you’re making some serious jam and need all the grip you can get. 

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Fitment Facts
‎	Front	Rear
Wheels	WedsSport SA-10R 18x9.5 +45	WedsSport SA-10R 18x9.5 +45
Tires	Hankook Ventus V12 235/40R18	Hankook Ventus V12 235/40R18
Notes	Coilovers and rear adjustable lower control arms Fenders rolled and pulled STi brembos

Don’t worry, it’s not an EVO, just a sedan with a shaved decklid; this is actually one of our favorites.

This 2008 WRX is running 9.5” wide WedsSport wheels–pretty commonplace on a widebody, but it takes some finesse on a narrowbody. The caveat is stretched tires: 225/40R18 on a 9.5J is a decent stretch, but nothing crazy.

Even with fairly narrow tires, it’s still a balancing act to get these to not hit the fender or the struts. You’ll need camber adjustable coilovers, rear LCAs, and some patience to find the right specs. 

This car is running Fortune Auto coils.

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Fitment Facts
‎	Front	Rear
Wheels	Work Meister 18x9.5 +24	Work Meister 18x9.5 +24
Tires	Hankook Ventus S1 225/40R18	Hankook Ventus S1 225/40R18
Notes	Fenders rolled and pulled.  Coilovers and adjustable lower control arms.

What happens if you take the specs from the previous, but drop the offset a bunch? You get a stance build. 

This car is running a lot more camber than anything else we’ve shown, and it still rubs a bit in the front. 

Aggressive wheels alone won’t give you these results; you need a proper suspension setup, obviously rolled and pulled fenders, and other odds and ends. However, you don’t need ‘real’ wheels to look good. If these 3P Work Meisters are out of your budget, just copy the specs, but with one of the more affordable options–we've got tons of ‘em.

All wheels in these specs

If you do stance a narrowbody, bookmark this one for inspiration. 

Wrap up

With stock narrowbody fenders, you’re not going to be fitting a 10” rim with 265/35 tires, these cars just can’t go that wide… but they can come close. Of course, you’ll almost always need to roll those fenders. 

With the right mods, you can make a narrowbody look pretty damn good, despite what the internet says. And remember fellas, if it’s ever looking a bit… insufficient, try taking your pics from a different angle.