Discussion
You don't "need" narrower wheels to fit winter tyres, or narrower tyres. OEM's recommend narrower wheels where the maximum width wheel has been fitted such that there is insufficient clearance to fit conventional snow chains (ie those that fit over the shoulder of the tyre). If you don't intend to fit chains, or are intending to use ladder chains (which attach to the face of the tyre only) then you don't need to change wheel size at all.
Narrower tyres give better traction in deep snow, but you can usually fit a narrower tyre on the same wheel, and if your standard tyre size is not ridiculously wide, you don't even need to bother doing that.
Narrower tyres give better traction in deep snow, but you can usually fit a narrower tyre on the same wheel, and if your standard tyre size is not ridiculously wide, you don't even need to bother doing that.
Bluebarge said:
You don't "need" narrower wheels to fit winter tyres, or narrower tyres. OEM's recommend narrower wheels where the maximum width wheel has been fitted such that there is insufficient clearance to fit conventional snow chains (ie those that fit over the shoulder of the tyre). If you don't intend to fit chains, or are intending to use ladder chains (which attach to the face of the tyre only) then you don't need to change wheel size at all.
Narrower tyres give better traction in deep snow, but you can usually fit a narrower tyre on the same wheel, and if your standard tyre size is not ridiculously wide, you don't even need to bother doing that.
It also depends on where you're intending to take your car tbh.Narrower tyres give better traction in deep snow, but you can usually fit a narrower tyre on the same wheel, and if your standard tyre size is not ridiculously wide, you don't even need to bother doing that.
The clearance issue also affects calliper clearance when you're driving in snow as it's possible, likely even, that you'll get a build up of snow between the rear of your wheels and the callipers which can prevent the wheels from turning. This doesn't necessarily mean narrower wheels, but it does mean the offset has to remain the same or lower to ensure the clearance you need. In practice, this means that the wheel will be narrower too so they don't stick too far out of the car.
As it happens, for me in the UK, while we've had pretty bad snow in the past, it's not been deep by the time I've got to major roads, so it's not been a worry. And on trips to the Alps, they clear the roads regularly so, again, not a problem.
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