I have a 97 Accord with 15" wheels and I am about to get new rims and tires. I live in Ohio so we have average seasons with normal winters. How big can I go to drive the car with new rims year round. I know 16 is ok but what about 17" rims?

I found a great deal on 18's but the only tires to get were high performance summer so I figured 18's are not made for year round driving in Ohio.


Also, what is the cheapest online retailer of rims and/or tires?

 

You can go with 16" or 17" for the winter. The question is, why would you? A 15" tire -- which would be narrower and have taller sidewalls than a 16" or 17" tires -- will perform better in the snow.

Check out our selection of winter tires.

Winter

 

I like the look of a 16 or 17 as opposed to the 15's on it now.

I have seen a lot of all season 17" tires so I figure some are using them in the winter.

I would put my stocks back on once winter comes but they need tires and I do not want to buy tires for them.

 

Again, not the best set-up for winter, but it would work.

 

You will get much better performance year round by using two sets of tires - winter tires on your 15" wheels for the winter months, and summer tires on your larger wheels for the rest of the year. That way, all year round you will get better grip on the road, compared with the "compromise" of all-season tires. Also, your new, larger wheels will last a lot longer because they won't be exposed to the corrosive salt of winter roads. There won't be any additional cost for the wheels, and you can buy winter tires once and they'll last you for many winters.

 

So I need to lose my 15's on the 97 Accord and wanted 17's but every single "tire guy" tells me that when I go to 17's the winter travel will be very dangerous.

So my question, does anyone have any suggestions for 16 or 17" tires that will be ok to drive year round?

Right now I have 195/60/15 and I am not really sure what size to get if I go to 16 or 17" rims. Maybe 205/50/16 or 215/40/17 if I go with 17's

 

Ok, maybe I am in the wrong section for this post.

 

The "tire guys" you are talking to are idiots. Wheel diameter has nothing to do with grip and safety. However, as noted above, you will get much better grip in winter conditions with winter tires than with all-season tires.

As noted in the previous topic - there was no reason to start a new one, so they have been merged - the performance of one set of all-season tires won't be as good as it would if you get two separate sets, one with winter tires for winter use, the other with summer tires for the rest of the year. However, if you're willing to sacrifice grip all year round for the convenience of all-season tires - I don't know why you would, since you already have the two sets of wheels, but that's your decision - then you should get all-season tires in 205/50-16 for 16" wheels or 205/45-17 for 17" wheels. Here are some of the best all-season tires in these sizes:

BFGoodrich g-Force Super Sport A/S 205/50-16
Continental ExtremeContact DWS 205/50-16, 205/45-17
Goodyear Eagle GT 205/50-16, 205/45-17
Hankook Ventus V4 ES H105 205/50-16
Kumho Ecsta ASX 205/50-16

If you can't wait 24 hours for a response, then maybe you are.

 

Thanks for the info, and sorry for being impatient.


So would 16 or 17" tires be "unsafe" in rain or a few inches of snow?

 

They would not be unsafe. What I am curious about, however, is the reason behind the question. Why do you find it possible that those sizes would be 'dangerous'?

 

The short answer is no. But here's the longer answer.

The more traction you get from your tires, the safer they are; the less traction you get from your tires, the less safe they are.

As noted above, you will get better traction in snow with winter tires than with all-season tires. Does that mean that all-seasons are unsafe? Not necessarily. Does that mean that you might be able to go 30 mph on a snowy road with winter tires, but you won't be able to go more than 20 mph on the same road with all-season tires? Maybe - and maybe 30 mph would be unsafe in those conditions. If there are more than a few inches of snow, maybe you can get through with winter tires, maybe you would just be sliding around with all-seasons (although you might not even want to try).

The diameter of the wheels doesn't matter for rain or snow traction. However, narrower tires tend to grip better in rain or snow than wider tires. (On the other hand, wider tires tend to grip better when cornering on dry pavement, especially in warmer weather.) It's possible that someone was telling you not to get larger wheels for snow, because some people get much wider tires when they get wider wheels. But you aren't talking about huge differences in width (just the 205 tire width for the 16-17" wheels, vs 195 for your current 15" wheels).

 

Well, I really want 17 inch rims. 2 local tire shops said in Ohio it was a mistake and I explained that on days with any snow at all, I can drive my 4x4 Dakota, they went on to say that going from 15's to 17's is very dangerous.

I told them I find that hard to believe when I see a lot of later model cars on the road straight from the factory with tires and wheels I want and they shrugged me off.

So if I have 195/60/16 no, 205/45/17 should work just fine? I have never bought rims in my life and would hate to get 16's and be disappointed.

 

The only "danger" that I find in 17's is that there is a lot less side wall and tire to absorb bumps in the road, and there is more danger to bend a rim. You can put comparable tread on the ground as said above. I like 16's as a compromise. I have a moderately stiff suspension for the road and the 16's ride a little less rough than 17's. I have both.

 

OK, thanks for all the help guys. I am looking for some nice 16's for a '97 Accord.

I really like JBL Motorsports selection on the Konig and Maxxim wheels, and my local shop has some GY and Michelin tires for around $450 a set, I guess that is a good price, I am not up to snuff on tire prices.

Again, thanks a lot.

 

I recommend the exact tires I listed above. Don't let your local shop stick you with other, crappy tires, when you can get good ones for a good price. If they can't match the prices from places like the Tire Rack, then buy them from the Tire Rack. (You may have to pay $10-20 per tire for mounting and balancing if you don't buy them from the place that does the mounting and balancing.)

Here are prices on the above tires in 205/50-16 (shipping is typically around $15/tire):

BFGoodrich g-Force Super Sport A/S - $93/tire plus shipping at Tire Rack, $98/tire with free shipping from Discount Tire Direct

Continental ExtremeContact DWS - $107/tire plus shipping at Tire Rack, $115/tire with free shipping from Discount Tire Direct

Goodyear Eagle GT - $96/tire plus shipping at Tire Rack, $104/tire with free shipping from Discount Tire Direct

Hankook Ventus V4 ES H105 - $79/tire plus shipping at Tire Rack, $89/tire with free shipping from Discount Tire Direct

Kumho Ecsta ASX - $79/tire plus shipping at Tire Rack, $88/tire with free shipping from Discount Tire Direct