Need help choosing the right rim size for my tire

ANSWER : A road force balancer is meant to check tires for pull in one direction or another and balance a tire up to about 60 mph. Some tire balancers will check tires for higher speeds. You may have an imbalance that most machines cannot measure if it comes in after 65 mph. You can see if there is a shop near you that can do high speed balancing? You may have a front axle that is causing the vibration also. I suggest installing the original rims and tires on the front only to see if problem is still there and if so have the front axles checked for damage and replaced if any damage or looseness is noted.

ANSWER : The minimum recommended rim width for 33 x 12.5R16 is 8 inches. The rim diameter, of course, must be 16 inches. In terms of width, you can use rims that measure in the range of 8 to 9.5 inches with 9 inches being typical. Offset is set by the OEM manufacturer of the vehicle and is designed in based on suspension design, clearances and so forth. If you specify the year, make and model of the vehicle, we will be glad to look up the offset for your application. Offsets are also generally published in vehicle tire catalogs on the Internet and so will be searchable there, too, by year, make and model.

ANSWER : Hi…Tire size 33 x 12.5R16 is equivalent to LT305/70R16. The recommended rim width is 8 to 9.5 inches with 9 inches being typical. Rim width is not the only critical dimension, you also have to be sure you have the correct rim offset in your application, especially if you are not using the factory OEM rim which of course already is built with the optimal offset for the OEM suspension. If you need further assistance with any issue relating to your car or truck, please let us know.

ANSWER : If you are wanting to change all the tires to a different size then I would recommend putting the replacement next to the correct tire to see the difference in height and width of the tire. You will see that the tire you want to install is a lot larger of tire than what you had. It is not advisable to install an incorrect tire size on the vehicle. You may want to try and trade them in for the correct size tire for your car. The incorrect tire may rub on the fenders and effect the steering and handling of the vehicle. It will also cause the speedometer to not be accurate and transmission to not shift correctly.

ANSWER : Hi there. Anytime you purchase new tires and wheels that are not OEM options (which this 225/45zr17 is not), you risk creating multiple issues that will impact the vehicles performance such as ABS operation, speedometer, cruise control, and braking.

The standard rule used to be, for every inch in wheel size, you need to decrease aspect ratio (the 55 number) by one (making it a 50-series tire). Width would also increase by one size (to 215 from 205). By having a wider tire on there than is recommended, you also risk having turning radius issues and braking suspension components.

Due to these facts, I wouldn’t recommend putting those wheel and tires on your vehicle. If you were to install them, you’d need to purchase new lug nuts that are snug for that individual bolt pattern. Since we can’t see them; it’s impossible to tell you for certain if the ones you have will work.

If you’d like to know for sure, consider having one of our mobile technicians come to your home to inspect your car and suggest what to do from there.

ANSWER : I owned a 2008 Sonata and currently own a 2015 Sonata Sport 2.0T Limited. With your generation as well as my 2015, the Sonata with the 2.0T engine has larger brakes so the 18 inch wheels make more room for them. Since yours is a 2.4 Limited, it only has the 18 inch wheels for appearance as all 2.4 ltr versions whether Base or Limited, have the same size brakes. I do not recommend a 215mm section width with the 18 inch wheels. The ride and handling will deteriorate badly. If you are sticking with the 18 inch wheels, then stick with the 225/45R18 tires. You can most certainly change down to the 215/55R17 tires AND wheels. Any 17 inch wheels listed for the Base, SE, GLS, etc will fit fine. The ride and handling will be different. It will ride a bit smoother as you are increasing the sidewall aspect ratio – 55 vs 45%. The will also be narrower – 215mm vs 225 mm. It may not grip as well in dry weather but you may notice a little better traction in wet and snowy conditions as there will be more weight concentrated on a narrower tread area. Your speedometer may be slightly off however. The average overall diameter of a 225/45R18 tire is 25.9 inches. So that makes for roughly 802 revolutions per mile. The 215/55R17 will have an average diameter of 26.3 inches and approximately 790 revolutions per mile. A slight difference that may only cause your speedometer to be off by 1-2 mph. On the up side, you may get a slight bump in miles per gallon. The taller tire will reduce engine rpms at highway speeds slightly. So if you are willing to reduce the wheels from 18 inch to 17 inch, then go ahead with the 215/55R17 tires. If you are keeping the 18 inch wheels, then stick with the 225/45R18 tires.

ANSWER : There are many possible sizes of sockets depending on the rim design and types of lug nuts used. Most aftermarket rims will use the same size lug nuts as original but require a thin wall type socket. Take the vehicle to a custom wheel tire shop and have them check and supply the correct socket for your cars lugs. As far as the tires rubbing the inner fender you would need to have the vehicle checked to see if it needs special spacers or the tires are too wide for the vehicle. Anytime aftermarket wheels and tires are used that do not match the original sizes, you may need vehicle modifications.

ANSWER : 205/55R17 may be too tall for your vehicle. A couple of good sources to check size compatibility for your vehicle would be tirerack.com or maybe discounttire.com. Sites like Tire Rack specialize in winter tire packages and is a good source for fitment options. I have personally used Bridgestone and Dunlop snow tires and would recommend either. However, it is highly recommended that winter tires be mounted at all 4 corners. Having different tires with different capabilities not only makes the vehicle unstable, it will effect systems like the anti-lock brakes and traction control. Winter tires perform much better than summer or all-season tires do in ice and snow conditions. Having two tires with good winter traction and two with poor traction will have the anti-lock brake system working overtime. Also, sticking with a smaller tire for winter use is advisable. For ice and snow driving, you want the opposite for summer driving. Wide, low profile tires improve warm, dry weather driving. Tall, narrow, tires provide better control on snow and ice. Consider keeping your stock 16 inch wheels for winter use with winter tires mounted on them and maybe a nice set of 17 inch wheels and tires for summer use. I’ve done that with nearly every vehicle I’ve owned whether front, rear, or all-wheel drive.