Question regarding wheel upgrade

[derran.m]

OK So first and foremost ... get all the bashing over and done with now .. yes I drive a GM, yes I am not the smartest guy with everything car related... but I have seen how beyond works LOL but I would eventually, sooner rather than later, get a straight forward answer.

Anyways, I have a 05 Pontiac Pursuit ... currently running 15" steelies, 195/60/15 rubber. Would like to upgrade to possibly a 17 ... but I do not know - with the stock wheels and rubber my clearance around the tire in the wheel well is very limited, so if I consider going UP in diameter I will have no turning radius.

I am just wondering if any wheel guru's know what I am able to upgrade to, or if anyone owns a Cobalt/G5/G6/Pursuit and has upgraded to aftermarket rims and tires.

[Graham_A_M]

Dont know what kind offset you'll need, but keep in mind, as you go up size in rims, to keep the same total wheel circumference; you'll end up going with a skinnier tire. Skinnier tires mean you'll have a worse ride as very skinny tires offer a very rough ride. My tires are a almost 2" in "thickness" and the ride is brutal at times on Deerfoot especially. :thumbsdow
Just something to keep in mind.

What kind of rims are you looking at? Perhaps Bob (username:Tirebob) will chime in and help, otherwise PM him as hes a sponser on here.

[derran.m]

Originally posted by Graham_A_M
Dont know what kind offset you'll need, but keep in mind, as you go up size in rims, to keep the same total wheel circumference; you'll end up going with a skinnier tire. Skinnier tires mean you'll have a worse ride as very skinny tires offer a very rough ride. My tires are a almost 2" in "thickness" and the ride is brutal at times on Deerfoot especially. :thumbsdow
Just something to keep in mind.

What kind of rims are you looking at? Perhaps Bob (username:Tirebob) will chime in and help, otherwise PM him as hes a sponser on here.

Yep, my last car had 17's with about 1-1.5" of rubber and it was a bumpy ride ... I know what I'm up against there ... I do appreciate the heads up ...
As far as what kind ... I am not sure ... would definitely like to give it a wider stance ... not sure what I need for offset, obviously as far as the visual perspective, i would prefer a higher offset for the wider track on the ground
Otherwise ... not too picky yet about what I want - something shiney lol that's about it ... anything is a step up from the rusty ol steelies
I'll give Bob the evening to chime in with any possible response he may have ... if nothing by tomorrow I will PM him and see what he can tell me.

Thanks, though for the input ... i expected to have to sift thru the trolling to find a legit response :nut:

[derran.m]

Also ... another question to add ... how does increasing / decreasing offset affect the clearance in the wheel well? If I increase offset, do i take the risk of not having room to turn?

[tirebob]

Offset varies with width and there typically is a range you can run that will work fine. The lower the offset number, the more the set-up will push out to the fender, and the higher the number, the more it will tuck underneath towards the suspension. If you are going to run a 17 inch and you currently have 195/60R15, I would normally run a 205/45R17 to 215/45R17 to keep overall diameter accurate and get a tire that will not be too wide for the car. On a 17x7.0 wheel to a 17x7.5 wheel, you will run with an offset usually between an ET35 to ET45.

If you want to look at some options, please don't hesitate to xome by the shop!

Bob