Murbyrne

ok, so i finally decided on my rims/tires. These will fit on my xb, correct? Also, im not so sure about the tire thickness. is 40 too thin? Please feel free to give any advice or helpful hints or any extra things i should know before purchasing. Thanks in advance.

http://www.discounttiredirect.com/di...100&vid=008416

http://www.discounttiredirect.com/di...d=008416&ar=40

swartzautoman

iTrader: (3)

looks good to me.
i think you will be very happy with then.

one other thing you should consider is a set of 15mm or 20mm OTG rear hub shims. it depends on your drop if any.
they are fairly cheep and easy to install and will make your front and rear tires look even and add better controle in the rear.

aye87

there was $200 off 3 days ago.

Murbyrne

on what, the package of both, the rims, or the tires?

can you show me a link to some? BTW, i dont have a drop

Gardiner

Check with discount tires again, they have the $200 off wheels and tires again. Good in Georgia, but if you put in your zip code maybe there also.

http://www.discounttire.com/dtcs/georgiaCoupon.dos

jamesfg49

I know some people dont like it but before I got mine off Craigs list check Ebay. Dude in California was going to send me out a set with tires, lugs the whole deal for like $775.

You can pay via PP so you can get insurance for peace of mind.

I'm a bargain shopper so I look hard for great deals.

swartzautoman

iTrader: (3)

you can easialy run 20mm OTGs then, and down the raod it you do want to drop it, ive lowered mine 1.5" in the rear and its still ok with the 20 mm.
heres a few pics
http://www.precisionmuffler.com/id51.htm
if you want a set ask SL member KEOKI



befor


after

Dwestxb

Go with a 215/45/17 tire. You will get a better ride and it won't rub. My xB has a 2" drop and OTG Shims and I haven't had any problems for 3 years.

TerribleTed

The 215/40/17 tire you list is smaller than stock. I would highly recommend a 215/45/17 instead , which is the factory tire size for a 17" rim. They will be a little taller than what you list and will fill more wheel gap, as well as ride better. With the tires you link your speedo will read fast and rpms will be higher at all speeds (not a large amount of difference but why put smaller tires than stock??). I do not think you will need the smaller diameter for clearance issues?

Super-Stormtrooper07

considering your in MN , where the weather there can be crappy during fall/winter.. I'd give a much better consideration as to which tires to go with(even if they are $10-25 more per tire.... and alot of times w/tires you get what you pay for, in terms of grip + durability).

I'd go with a Hankook Ventus, Radial, or even the Falken 912 tire for good "all season " tire, w/great reviews. Again.. they are "all season" tires, so they wont perform super-great in mainly wet/snow/ice conditions .... but should suffice in dry/summer applications. Or for mainly dry(would prob. do decent in wet), go with the Falken FK-452 @ $102 per tire... thats a great tire.

If you wanted a better winter tire.. I'd consider - 225/45 , Hankook tire.. either the iPike or W300 .... great pics.

notice how the 215/45 tires tend to be slightly more $ vs. the 215/40 tire... its mainly due to having more/better complience/comfort you get out of the tire

Murbyrne

under this page, it shows tire sizes for the xb. 215/45/17 isnt on there. The only ones for 17" are 205/45-17 and 215/40-17

http://www.discounttiredirect.com/di...008416&yr=2006

Super-Stormtrooper07

that is just a guide to go by.... not an absolute.

if you really want/need 17's , then it is possible to still go with a 215/45/17. Either way, since your going to a 17" wheel, your gonna have to put on rear hub spacers = $70 to do it right (you should be able to do the install, as long as you have a floor jack/jack stands, and standard tools).

Murbyrne

Alright, im a bit confused. Would the 205/45/17 wheels work out well? Also, would these be the rear hub spacers you are talking about?

http://www.precisionmuffler.com/id51.htm

TerribleTed

the 205/45/17 would be more the correct diameter than the 40 series. the 205/40 is 3.4% too small, the 205/45 is 1.4% large. The 205/45 would ride better and fill more wheel gap as well as induce less speedo innacuracy. My tire on my xB are 3.8% large, I would not recommend going bigger than about 4% large I personally would not recommend going smaller at all.

If you search discount tires site by tire size it comes up with 2 pages of choices:
http://www.discounttiredirect.com/di...15&ar=45&rd=17


I do not know why Discount lists sizes that are not the most correct when you search by vehicle at a +2 17" size. Makes no sense to me . I assume the original tire size data they have is flawed resulting in them posting the slightly wrong replacement sizes.

Murbyrne

so it sounds like the 215/40 < 205/45 ? If so, this would be my final buy. Is this everything i will need? I know im asking a lot of questions, but i dont want to buy the wrong thing. Thanks


http://www.discounttiredirect.com/di...100&vid=008416

http://www.discounttiredirect.com/di...d=008416&ar=45

http://www.precisionmuffler.com/id51.htm

Murbyrne

I just have a question. Is it safe to keep these rims on durring the winter? At first, my thought was take them off and run the stocks durring winter, but now if its safe i was thinking of just running the 17" year round with all season tires? Hmmmm......

Dwestxb

Put the stocks on for winter, it will handle a lot better in the snow and it won't ruin your nice new 17's.


P.S. I live in Wisconsin, and that is what I do......

Murbyrne

In that case, do you think the 125/40s would be good if they are only run durring the summer? Also, will there be any issues with the rear hub spacers if im switching back and forth between the two?

Dwestxb

215/45 is a littke thicker of a tire than a 215/40. Either one will work fine. You wont have any problems with the hub spacers by switching wheels.

Murbyrne

Thanks for the info. It helps a lot. I was just wondering why the hub spacers are needed. What is their function?

Im also wondering, if im only going to be running the tires in summer, should i get 215/40s or 205/45s? Is there a big difference in performance and is it worth the extra $100 for the 205/45s?