Changing tire size with rims?

Question

Right now my tires are 215/60/17. I am looking at 16" rims with new tires from tirerack.com. With the bigger rims, obviously I need lower profile tires. The size tirerack.com recommends with the package is 205/55/16. Is this correct? Also, any opinions about tirerack.com would be greatly appreciated.

Answer 1

I think there's something wrong with your data - according to what you wrote, your current wheels are larger that what you are looking at (17 vs 16). Are your current ones 215/60/15? That would make more sense.

If you want the speedometer/odometer to be accurate without have to have it recalibrated, you want to make sure the new tires are approximately the same diameter as the old ones. If the old ones are 215/60/15's, that means they are approximately 25 inches in diameter, as would the 205/55/16's (all of this info is available on tirerack).

Do you really want a narrower tire (the 205 or 215 is the width)? I would go for a 225/50/16 if I were you, it will look better.

As for tirerack - they are excellent, I have bought from them before and will do so again. Read the customer reviews of the tires you are considering, you can get the lesser known brands for a lot less money, and they are often excellent tires. Kumho, Summitomo, Hankook - all good tires for the money.

Good luck!

Answer 2

PMack has a very good answer, but I would like to add that if you put a lower profile tire on your car without lowering it, you may not be happy with how it looks.  A good rule of thumb visually is that the gap between the top of the tire and the bottom of your fender should never be larger than the hight of your tire's sidewall.  If you are concidering new rims I would assume that you are doing it for visual reasons.  The question I would be asking if I were you is:  How big of a tire can I fit on my car without rubbing?  Be sure to include vehicle information and any modifications done to the suspension.

Answer 3

what is the tire size on the driver door is the best size and something to go off of.. dont see any problems with that number size