[Chris GTO TT]

235/65/17 is a much better size for a 17x8 tire than 225/65/17 in terms of width.

Go to a tire shop that will fit whatever tire you claim will fit and are willing to foot the bill for.

I absolutely agree. The 235/65/17 on our 05-07 STi Wheels, 17x8 +53, look slightly more 'stretched' than the 225/65/17 on the stock 17x7. If you really want 17x8's you should really go with a 235 section width tire.

Ask yourself, "What specific problem do I hope to address by fitting an oversize (235/65R17) tire?"

Fitting the correct size tire for the width of the wheel he's running/wants to run.

 

[ammcinnis]

Fitting the correct size tire for the width of the wheel he's running/wants to run.

8 inches is within the allowable rim width range for the OE tire size. Look it up.

 

[toomuch50]

I have a 2017 Limited with the 18" wheels. I don't have any real desire for different wheels, and am unlikely to change the tires for a while. But, I would like to know what folks think are the best options available for tires the same size as stock. I'm certainly not doing any "real" off-roading, but I go down dirt roads and tow a kayak trailer to beach access points a lot. I also live in New England and would like a true 4 season tire. What tires would you folks suggest?

I went with Yokohama Geolander G015 in 235/65/18 and couldn't be happier. Great handling in wet/snow/dry. No noticeable road noise difference from stock (although I didn't have the stock tires long).

 

[Chris GTO TT]

8 inches is within the allowable rim width range for the OE tire size. Look it up.

I'm aware a 225 is 'allowable' on a 8in wide wheel. That doesn't change the fact a 235 is a much better option. Just because something is allowable doesn't mean there aren't better choices. 235/65/17 fit fine without any real trade offs, other than he'd have to find a different installer.

 

[ammcinnis]

... a 235 is a much better option.

"Better" is simply your opinion. Besides, that wasn't the question.

 

[Chris GTO TT]

"Better" is simply your opinion. Besides, that wasn't the question.

No, better is a fact in this case. Dueler HP Sport A/S specs per Tire Rack shows the rim width range for the 225/65/17 as 6-8 inches. The 235/65/17 range is listed as 6.5-8.5 inches. It also answers your question, he hopes to fit a more correct tire size to the wheel width he owns.

Think of it this way. If you're planning on towing a 7000lb load weekly are you better served by getting a truck rated to tow 7000lbs or one rated to tow 10,000lbs? The truck rated to tow 7000lbs is technically correct, but the truck rated to tow 10,000lbs is a much better option.

 

[DougNuts]

One other question, since this wheel is 8" wide, will the stock tire size of 225/65R 17" still fit?

Stock size will fit. So if you want to transfer them over until they wear out, you can.
If you're buying new tires, I would go with 235 width for them.

 

[Dolphran]

I went with Yokohama Geolander G015 in 235/65/18 and couldn't be happier. Great handling in wet/snow/dry. No noticeable road noise difference from stock (although I didn't have the stock tires long).

On the stock Limited 18" rims, do you mean 235/60R18 (not 65). I see the Geolander G015 is available in that size and is closest to the stock size, less than 2 percent difference in speedometer reading. The 65 would be a fair amount bigger, right?

 

[kittenwhiskers]

I'm about to buy a 2017 Subaru Outback. I notice there are 17" and 18" wheels. Do they recalibrate the odometer based on the tire size? That could really add up to a big difference after 100,000 miles!

 

[mav1c]

I'm about to buy a 2017 Subaru Outback. I notice there are 17" and 18" wheels. Do they recalibrate the odometer based on the tire size? That could really add up to a big difference after 100,000 miles!

225/65R17 and 225/60R18 are only different my 3mm, so I doubt they recalibrate the odometer.

Compare here: Custom wheels, wheel tire packages for your ride - RIMSnTIRES.com

 

[TwinState]

Thank you to everyone who has replied. I'm still waiting on the wheels to be delivered due to the snow storm that hit the north east. The installer is next to my office, and has the best (local) price on the tires and is located in tax free NH. It's super convenient to have the mount and balance done there. I would prefer the 235/65R/17 for my new wheels, but they simply will not install them on my vehicle. I even asked them to mount them to my new wheels, and I would bolt them on my car myself. Still, a no go. The sales manager said he would sell them to me but that's it. Would not even mount them! I thought that was a little ridiculous, and I probably should take my business elsewhere. On the other hand, I reall don't want to throw off my speedo, and since the 225/65R/17 will fit on a 17x8 wheel, that's most likely what I'll end up with. Since this is for snow tires, which narrower is better, I think it's the way to go. If a local tire guy is going to give me this much of a hassle, I can't imagine what the dealership would say if I had a warranty issue related to the drive line down the road. I really couldn't believe that a sales manager would try to talk me out of buying an almost $800 set of studded snow tires!

 

[grantwilson]

Thank you to everyone who has replied. I'm still waiting on the wheels to be delivered due to the snow storm that hit the north east. The installer is next to my office, and has the best (local) price on the tires and is located in tax free NH. It's super convenient to have the mount and balance done there. I would prefer the 235/65R/17 for my new wheels, but they simply will not install them on my vehicle. I even asked them to mount them to my new wheels, and I would bolt them on my car myself. Still, a no go. The sales manager said he would sell them to me but that's it. Would not even mount them! I thought that was a little ridiculous, and I probably should take my business elsewhere. On the other hand, I reall don't want to throw off my speedo, and since the 225/65R/17 will fit on a 17x8 wheel, that's most likely what I'll end up with. Since this is for snow tires, which narrower is better, I think it's the way to go. If a local tire guy is going to give me this much of a hassle, I can't imagine what the dealership would say if I had a warranty issue related to the drive line down the road. I really couldn't believe that a sales manager would try to talk me out of buying an almost $800 set of studded snow tires!

that guy is an idiot
plain and simple


Also. Since everyone keeps asking:

for 18s
235/60-18 is what you want
for 17s
235/65-17 is what you want

Both of these are a bolt on, zero rubbing chance tire

245/65-17 will fit with very minor rubbing.

The same exact questions keep getting asked.

All of the above will fit on stock or 8" wide tires

 

[Yingling]

For mainly highway driving with an all season/touring type tire, are there any driving/performance benefits going to the 235/65-17 over the 225/65-17 when upgrading to a 7.5 or 8" wheel over the OEM 7"?

 

[Chris GTO TT]

For mainly highway driving with an all season/touring type tire, are there any driving/performance benefits going to the 235/65-17 over the 225/65-17 when upgrading to a 7.5 or 8" wheel over the OEM 7"?

It really depends on how you define performance benefits. Will your car handle better? yeah but your tires make a bigger difference. Will it ride better? Yes, but again simply changing the tires can have the same effect. As it's been said to before here if you're buying new tires 235 is a more appropriate section width for an 8" wheel but there's nothing wrong with wearing out your 225's before buying new tires.

 

[Quickstep]

This thread should be moved to stereotypes, a bunch of dudes arguing over the performance of an extra inch!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[BOXR 6]

Sooner rather than later I'll need new tires and have been reading good things about the Geolander G015s. They come in 235/60/18 and from what others say here, that size fits fine on stock wheels and without any concern over rubbing. So my question is to those have these tires for a while now, how do you like them on/off road, highway, city, snow, etc.? My extent of off road is minimal on unpaved, gravel roads or unplowed snow paths. Nothing heavy duty.

If there are other brands in stock size (225/60/18) or 235s that people are adamant about, let me know. Haven't read through all 115 pages here so figured I'd just ask again what's probably been asked a few times before.

Thanks

 

[JoeFromPA]

I'll add to Grant's note:

A 235/60/18 or 235/65/17 both have a .5" greater diameter than stock. This equals a 1.7% difference in odometer readings and a 1.7% decrease in gear ratio (i.e. taller) effect. This is super modest.

This doubles when you go to 245/60/18 or 245/65/17 and is STILL modest, but more impactful - you are now looking at a 3.4% decrease in odometer readings and effective gearing ratio.

Those changes are linear changes. The impact on torsional forces to things like wheel bearings are exponential as you increase the size of the lever (i.e. wheel hub to tire edge radius). What that translates into in terms of actual lifespan of a wheel bearing, couldn't say - I'm sure driving on poorly balanced tires is far worse than driving on larger tires. Just something to be aware of....

I'm still learning about the CVT and to be frank, I'm not entirely sure how it adjusts to a different final drive gear ratio. Maybe it just revs higher to compensate. IDK.

My point is simply that besides fitment there are a few other things to be aware of that how does it look, how big is it, and how much ground clearance do you gain.

 

[marshjr]

245/65-17 will fit with very minor rubbing.

Before I change my order, can you define "minor rubbing" for me? I would hate to have the tires rubbing on a daily basis (normal driving conditions). I used to have slammed cars so I know on driveways, speedbumps, etc its to be expected, but just want to make sure going with a 245 is not going to frustrate me? Appreciate your insight as you are a bit of a legend here:wink2:

 

[grantwilson]

Before I change my order, can you define "minor rubbing" for me? I would hate to have the tires rubbing on a daily basis (normal driving conditions). I used to have slammed cars so I know on driveways, speedbumps, etc its to be expected, but just want to make sure going with a 245 is not going to frustrate me? Appreciate your insight as you are a bit of a legend here:wink2:

In reverse under certain conditions is all i had. Others have had different.

 

[marshjr]

In reverse under certain conditions is all i had. Others have had different.

Thanks Grant.