Can I Put 17 Inch Rims On My Car?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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Can I put 17 inch rims on my car? When changing the car’s original wheels and tires, the general rule of thumb is that you can go up or down by one inch. For example, if your car is currently riding on 17-in wheels,

you can reduce the size to 16 inches

.

Can I replace 15 inch wheels with 17 inch?

Can you put any size rims on a car?


It depends

. Wheels and tires are not interchangeable words. Tires are a part of the wheel setup. For instance, your vehicle has a set size of rims, but you can buy different sizes of tires to fit those rims, as long as the middle of the tires is the correct size.

Are 17 inch wheels better than 16?

The Quick Answer.

Larger 17′′ alloy wheels will have give the car sportier handling by improving cornering and stability compared to 16′′ wheels

. However, 16′′ wheels are cheaper and produce less road noise, have better fuel economy and feel more comfortable compared to 17′′ wheels.

Can I change from 16 in to 17 in wheels?


It might work, but you’ll need lower-profile tyres

(the number after the “/” in the tyre size indicates the profile). The ride will be bumpier, and you may need to recalibrate your speedometer.

Are 17 inch rims good?

Can I change my rim size?


It’s possible to change the size of your tires without actually changing the diameter

. One example is if you want larger rims – you can buy tires that compensate for the larger rims by reducing the “height” of the outer tire.

Is it bad to put bigger rims on your car?

To keep the suspension and speedometer functioning correctly, both the stock diameter and width of the wheels and tires needs to be maintained. As a general rule of thumb,

it’s safe to fit a tire up to 20 millimeters wider than stock on the original rim

.

How does bigger rims affect your car?

If you choose bigger wheels, you will

improve the stability of your car and the range of braking distance will be shortened

; A larger diameter means that the wheel will be heavier and consequently speed will be slightly compromised during acceleration (depending also on the torque of the car);

How do I know if rims will fit my car?

The two easiest ways are to

check the sticker plate in your car, it should be located inside the driver side door, or look online for the vehicle specifications for your exact make and model

. That should tell you the standard rim size.

Are 17 or 18 inch wheels better?

The Quick Answer

Smaller 18′′ alloys will have tires with a lower profile compared to the smaller 17′′ alloys. The benefits of the 18′′ alloys are that they result in sharper handling and look more aesthetically pleasing, however,

the 17′′ alloys are more comfortable, quieter and cheaper in comparison

.

Does the rim size matter?


The size of the rim won’t really matter if you keep the overall outside diameter of the tire the same as your factory tires

. If your factory rims are 18 inches with a meaty tire, you can get 22s and go with a lower profile tire and keep the same overall diameter.

What is the best wheel size for a car?

The sweet spot for most of our muscle cars and track cars is

17- or 18-inch wheels

. This isn’t just my opinion, but that of many industry insiders. The 12- or 13-inch rotors usually chosen by the road racing crowd fit in these wheels just fine, and don’t need the additional clearance given by a 19-inch or larger wheel.

Do rims affect car performance?


WHEEL SIZE NOT only affects a car’s performance but it also has an impact on noise levels, comfort and fuel economy

. As tyre sidewall height decreases, performance tends to get sharper and handling usually improves too. Lap times also seem to improve but not massively so.

Are bigger rims better?

While

larger-diameter wheels and tires should improve handling and high-speed performance

, lower-profile tires also tend to have a firmer ride and may be noisier than the smaller, standard rubber. Some potential performance benefits may be offset by the additional weight of the larger tires and wheels.

What’s the difference between r16 and r17 tires?


The smaller 16-inch wheels come with tyres that have larger sidewalls that act as cushions against sharp edges on the roads, like ruts and potholes

. While 17-inch tyres look much better, the shorter sidewalls aren’t as good in filtering out road shocks.

Do smaller wheels save fuel?

For example, larger tires decrease your fuel economy because they are heavier, while

smaller tires increase fuel efficiency

. Bigger tires also have a higher rolling resistance than smaller tires which means they require more resistance and effort to get them rolling.

What is the standard rim size?

Wheel diameters can vary, but they typically range from

13′′-24′′

(or higher for specialized low profile fitments). Only wheels and tires of the same diameter can be safely mounted together, meaning you can only mount a 16′′ tire on a 16′′ wheel.

Do bigger rims make your car sit higher?

The most obvious effect of larger tires is that

they increase your car’s height

. By elevating it several inches off the ground, you get better ground clearance – that is, the distance between the road surface and the lowermost part of the vehicle.

What size tires can I put on 17 inch rims?

17′′ Options
205/55-17

235/80-17 35X12.5-17
215/35-17 235/85-17 37X12.5-17 215/40-17 245/35-17 37X13.5-17 215/45-17 245/40-17 38X14.5-17

What is the advantage of bigger wheels on a car?


Improves traction

:

A car with a bigger set of wheels has the capability to provide improved traction when compared to smaller wheels. The reason for this is the capacity of the wheel to fit wider tyres. Wider tyres will have a better contact patch which in turn improves the stability and grip of the vehicle.

Does changing rim size affect speedometer?

The answer is

no. Tire size and speedometer accuracy are directly linked to each other

. Up-sizing, or installing a taller tire, will lead to a speedometer reading that is slower than your actual speed.

Does changing wheel size affect alignment?


When the tire size is different from the factory, a car’s alignment will need to be adjusted after a tire change

. This is because tires that are wider or taller than original equipment tires stretch the suspension slightly and cause changes in camber and caster angles, as well as toe angles.

Do bigger rims affect gas mileage?

For any given speed, wheels with wider widths and larger diameters will increase momentum. This means more torque will be needed and hence more fuel will be consumed by the engine.

Unless the larger diameter wheels are of a lightweight design, upsizing will affect fuel economy adversely

.

Is it better to have bigger or smaller rims?

While big wheels may have a lot of visual appeal, and may even be valuable for performance drivers,

smaller wheels (or, the wheel size that the vehicle was designed for) have a plethora of practical pluses

. They generally offer better mileage (all other engine features being equal).

Do bigger wheels affect odometer?

A larger tire has a higher circumference and fewer rotations as you roll along the highway. Because the tires rotate slower, the speedometer reads this as a lower speed. The faster your drive, the more your speedometer reading will be off.

Your odometer will read lower, too.

Do bigger wheels cause vibration?

What rim size is best for performance?

How do I make my rims fit?

What rims are interchangeable?

Luckily, you can get an interchangeable rim from

any vehicle

. You only have to ensure the old wheel’s bolt patterns, wheel size, and wheel offset is the same as the new one. You can either find the right size of the new wheel by checking the sticker label on the inside driver’s door or by measuring the rim.

How do I find my rim size?

How do larger wheels affect handling?

Handling & Performance

On a basic level, road cars will see an

increase in handling and performance

when fitting larger wheels and tyres. Essentially, the wider your tyre, the better your vehicle’s grip on the road is. This is because of the increased contact patch surface area.

How much difference in tire size is acceptable?

When changing tire sizes, we recommend staying within

3% of the diameter/height of the original tire

. Any more than this and you face the risk of brake failure.

Are Bigger wheels faster?


Push bikes with larger wheels can go faster than the ones with smaller wheels

because the radius of the wheel is larger they are also more stable at higher speeds.

Are 17 or 18 inch wheels better?

The Quick Answer

Smaller 18′′ alloys will have tires with a lower profile compared to the smaller 17′′ alloys. The benefits of the 18′′ alloys are that they result in sharper handling and look more aesthetically pleasing, however,

the 17′′ alloys are more comfortable, quieter and cheaper in comparison

.

Jasmine Sibley
Author
Jasmine Sibley
Jasmine is a DIY enthusiast with a passion for crafting and design. She has written several blog posts on crafting and has been featured in various DIY websites. Jasmine's expertise in sewing, knitting, and woodworking will help you create beautiful and unique projects.