Tires: tire width vs wheel width and upsizing, rim sizes, rim size

Question
Hello Barry, I want to replace my 16"x7" wheels with a 17" wheel. The style of wheel I would like to have is only offered in 17"x7" dimension.

The factory tire is a 225x60x16. To maintain correct speedometer reading, I would need a tire measuring 245x50x17.

The tire seller says a 245x50x17 tire will be OK on a 17x7 wheel, but that seems a bit on the narrow side to me.

Am I asking for problems by going with 245x50x17 tire on a 17x7 wheel? Will tread life suffer? Will handling be subpar as opposed to mounting this tire on a 17x8 wheel.

Any insight is appreciated.

Thanks
Craig

Answer
Craig,

A P245/50R17 will fit on rim sizes 7" to 8 1/2", with 7 1/2" being optimal.

So I don't think you will have any problems with this rim size.  Put another way, OTHER factors are going to have more influence than the width of the rim.

However, it is known that wider rims give better handling than narrow rims, but at the sacrifice of ride.

Hope this helps.