Tires: upsizing / different size rims, size rims, cheap wheels

Question
I'd like to beef up the look of the wheels/tires on my 97' club cab dodge dakota. The truck came with some real ugly/cheap wheels with  215/75/15's on it. I'd like to go with a 16in wheel. I know it's important to keep the overall tire height the same so as not to throw off the speedo. What other factors do I have to consider and what would you recommend for a good wide tire/wheel look?

Answer
John.

You're right, the overall diameter is important to keep the speedo accurate.  There are a number of calculators available - here's one:

http://www.1010tires.com/tiresizecalculator.asp

You'll want to be within 3%.

The next thing to consider is that the wheel width is good for the tire size you've chosen. Take a look at the rim width range on the tire specs that are published - try to stay away from the extremes.

You'll need to select wheels that have the proper offset so the tires don't rub on anything on the inside or the outside.

And last but not least, you'll need to look out for tires that are just plain too wide.

I think the best way to get all these answers is to talk to someone at one of these on line clubs or a web site devoted to your vehicle.  They can probably help you a whole lot more that I can.

Hope this helps.


The last thing is to se