Wheels that fit the SVX

[David Cohen]

I just bought an SVX with nearly-bald tires on stock wheels, so I'm planning to get 17" wheels and mount 225/45R17 tires on them in the very near future. So far, so good. But now I've done my homework and discovered that there aren't very many affordable wheels out there with offsets of (or close to) +55.

Question #1: I found a 17" wheel I like, but it has an offset of just +40. Should I keep looking? I'm concerned that moving the center of the contact patch outboard 15mm can't be good for the steering (changing the scrub radius), and I figure it would also add unnecessary stress to the SVX's wheel bearings. Who here has tried mounting wheels with offsets less than +48 on their SVX? Is this a Really Bad Idea?

Question #2: At least one person has mentioned that upsizing from 16" to 17" wheels (shortening and thus stiffening the sidewalls) noticeably worsens ride quality. I've also read that going to a wider wheel will improve cornering at the expense of comfort. So if I were to go larger but also narrower -- from the stock 16"x7.5" to 17"x7" wheels -- would that keep the handling and comfort roughly neutral as compared to stock? (As a fringe benefit, I figure a narrower wheel would be more protected from curb rash if I keep the tire width the same.) Has anyone tried this?

Question #3: You'd think there would be a decently-sized market for aftermarket wheels for Subaru WRX STi's, Honda S2000s, Acura NSX's, Mazda RX-8's, Mazda3's and other cars with 5/114.3 (5x4.5) bolt patterns and high offsets. But I have found it annoyingly difficult to find offset/ET specs out there. Has anyone found a good source for this information (and for these wheels)? Looks like a market opportunity...

And then there are the brakes...
Of course, in addition to worrying about the wrong offset affecting the steering/suspension geometry and fender/strut clearance, I have to make sure the spokes clear the calipers. Here's a nice explanation of both offset and caliper clearance, and from another related thread in this forum a diagram and measurements of SVX stock brake caliper dimensions.

At least I have company in overthinking this stuff.