[BrickPig]

I have never bought rims/tires and I'm new to sizes

This may help you:

• go to www.rimsntires.com
• on the left side, click on Shop Rims by Car
• on the new page, enter your vehicle data (year, make, model)
• the OEM tire size will show up as 205/55-16. Click on Compare Sizes
• the new page is a tire/wheel comparison tool, it shows the OEM tire/wheel combination on the left, and you input your proposed tire/wheel combination on the right. The tool is very helpful when shopping for new wheels/tires, especially when changing wheel sizes and/or tire widths.
• the tool comments about speedometer error and attempts to determine fender and suspension clearance.
• AFAIK the tool will not comment if tires are too narrow/wide for the wheel selected, nor does it comment about tire or wheel availability (ie you may inadvertantly specify a non-existing size)

Have fun shopping!

 

[BrickPig]

I want to keep the stock tires...I don't want to have to drop 700 dollars on a tire when I gotta replace one. Would love to go bigger, but gotta stay in the budget

Agree. Why I stayed with 16" tires and wheels:

• retain ride quality
• no worries about tire/fender clearance issues during heavy cornering, when car is heavily loaded, or even when car is lowered via lowering springs
• 16" wheels are cheaper than larger diameter wheels
• can buy 16" alloy wheels NOW, and sell the stock wheels, covers, and lugs for ca$h (I got my alloy wheels with only 160 miles on the odometer)
• can use the OEM tires on the new alloy wheels
• 16" tires are cheaper to replace than larger diameter tires
• come replacement time, can buy wider but lower 16" tires (ie 225/50-16) to visually "fill out" the wheels and fenders

In the end it all worked out well for me, and helped me stay within budget.

 

[BrickPig]

...an education>those 2 inches on my rim. Maybe after school is done.

Smart man. He has his priorities straight.

In the meantime, you can go for low-cost mods, such as painting or plasti-dipping your wheel covers, or removing the covers and painting the wheels and getting new center caps. Some members have replaced their wheel covers with other covers and painted them. Just some ideas...