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One thing I really don't understand that is annoying is how come Subaru decides that touring models to all come with 18inch tires. Seems purely for looks as larger wheels severely compromises ride quality especially if going up a bump or driveway at a 45 degree angle. Resulting in a hard side to side jolt.
Now that its due for a tire change I would like to ask how can I swap the wheels for a 17inch and what are some of the must knows?
Should I pay more for new wheels or buy wheels that are lightly used? Any risks? And would I have trouble finding shops that would install them?
I know Subarus have tire monitoring systems would those have to be professionally reprogrammed or even moved to the new wheels?
Apparently a Subaru shop that doesn't do tires say people do this all the time without issues, but Costco recommends against even buying their new 17inch wheels as they are afraid the car might run into issues.
What matters is tire diameter. I run stock 18” wheels on my Outback in the summer and 17” snow tires in the winter. The tire diameter is the same. Feed the 17” and 18” tire specs into a tire calculator. That will tell you the diameter. The 17” wheels are closeout cheap alloys from Tire Rack that came with the right spacers installed and TPMS senders.
In this case…you are right that going down an inch or two with more sidewall on the tire is beneficial for ride quality and may not even affect handling as adversely as some people might expect, with the better compliance over bumps resulting in less traction loss over mid-corner bumps overcoming the tendency for taller sidewalls to fold under and scrub.
Quick rule of thumb is to go one size up on aspect ratio as you step down a size in wheel diameter. A 225/45/R18 should be within spitting distance of a 225/55R17 diameter, or often within the margin of error already expected of a speedometer.
It also leaves wheels less prone to being bent if they strike a deep pothole or a curb. The big wheel trend is really for looks more than real-world practicality.
Thanks,
Interesting the issue is that while the suspension system usually absorbs the bumps well on a normal ride however if going over bumps or driveways at a 45 angle which overwhelms shock absorbors the side by side motion is very great cannot imagine for someone who have neck problems. I would be curious how well would 17 inch wheels improve ride quality for those with 17 inch wheels on their Foresters.
I found some 17 inch OEM subaru wheels with almost new tires on them for less than $1000 all together I be curious whether I should take the deal. Are buying slightly used wheels risky? I heard one need to make sure they are not dented or unbalanced but I would have discount tyres look over them before they install them and adjust the TPAS and other adjustments. Does it make it less risky?
I also have a Forester Touring. The wheels are 18-inches, yes, but the tires have plenty of sidewall, at 225-55-18, the sidewall should be roughly 4.75in high, so these aren't some super low profile tires that you're normally hitting the rims on. To make it ride softer, one thing you can try that will be free is just to run the existing tires at a little lower pressure - go down 6psi for example. Maybe you're running them at 36psi now - try running them at 30psi then. I wouldn't go below 30psi, as inflation pressure does affect handling, plus if they're *too* soft you can still hit the rims, but it will be easy and free to try that. The tire sidewall can act like a spring on bumps, and lower the air pressure, and you'll soften that spring - that's the idea.
Last edited by OutdoorLover; 02-14-2023 at 12:41 PM..
This is a common problem with all car makers that they've decided that 18-20" wheels are the norm and doesn't matter if it's impractical but it helps sell wheels when they get dented by potholes.
I made sure to up the air pressure on my tires to 40psi when the recommendation is 36 just to avoid getting dents.
This is a common problem with all car makers that they've decided that 18-20" wheels are the norm and doesn't matter if it's impractical but it helps sell wheels when they get dented by potholes.
I made sure to up the air pressure on my tires to 40psi when the recommendation is 36 just to avoid getting dents.
I don't want anything less than a 50-series tire, as we have a lot of serious potholes in northern Massachusetts with the salt and frost heaves - you can blow out the tire and even crack the rim on a deep pothole with a sharp edge, if there isn't enough cushion in the tire to absorb sharp impacts.
The people who have sports cars and performance oriented sedans with those 35-45 series tires, have a good deal of trouble with them up here. My Subaru with the 55-series has been fine.
This is a common problem with all car makers that they've decided that 18-20" wheels are the norm and doesn't matter if it's impractical but it helps sell wheels when they get dented by potholes.
I made sure to up the air pressure on my tires to 40psi when the recommendation is 36 just to avoid getting dents.
I always thinking whether the fuel economy pressure has automakers doing everything possible to get their numbers up. Based on my experience riding a bike obviously a larger wheel means less power needed to go the distance as the wheel would travel farther per revolution. Thats why auto makers chose this method too.
Interestingly the biggest issue is when one wheel immeidately following by the next goes up a bump or imperfection on the road. Over a drainage ditch, speed bump at a sideways angle or up a driveway. In that case it feels like someone with weak neck is going to get whiplashed. Apparently the shocks and suspension gets overwhelmed as opposed to only one wheel or both wheels at the same time hitting the bump. It rides fairly comfortably on a freeway and soaks up the expansion joint rattles well.
However one else in the extended family has a more basic Subaru Crosstrek with smaller wheels and the difference is between night and day as it doesn't shake when going up the same bumps or driveways, I always curious whether changing to 17 inch wheels would make this touring Forester ride like a Crosstrek. Thus worth the experiment, some people say its the wheelbase thus wheel size won't make much a difference however I highly doubt the Crosstrek has bigger wheelbase than the Forester.
I always thinking whether the fuel economy pressure has automakers doing everything possible to get their numbers up. Based on my experience riding a bike obviously a larger wheel means less power needed to go the distance as the wheel would travel farther per revolution. Thats why auto makers chose this method too.
Interestingly the biggest issue is when one wheel immeidately following by the next goes up a bump or imperfection on the road. Over a drainage ditch, speed bump at a sideways angle or up a driveway. In that case it feels like someone with weak neck is going to get whiplashed. Apparently the shocks and suspension gets overwhelmed as opposed to only one wheel or both wheels at the same time hitting the bump. It rides fairly comfortably on a freeway and soaks up the expansion joint rattles well.
However one else in the extended family has a more basic Subaru Crosstrek with smaller wheels and the difference is between night and day as it doesn't shake when going up the same bumps or driveways, I always curious whether changing to 17 inch wheels would make this touring Forester ride like a Crosstrek. Thus worth the experiment, some people say its the wheelbase thus wheel size won't make much a difference however I highly doubt the Crosstrek has bigger wheelbase than the Forester.
I think your bicycle example is for bicycles with different tire diameter - when there is a different wheel diameter. For a given make and model of car, when the manufacturer offers several wheel and tire packages, the tires' outer diameter is nearly identical. As you go from the smallest wheel to the largest being offered for that model, the inner diameter is getting larger, but the outer diameter is nearly the same, and it's the sidewall height that's really changing in lockstep with the wheel diameter. The sidewall height is proportional to the "series" of the tire, e.g. in a 225-55-18 tire, that's a 55-series tire, and the sidewall height is 55% of the tire width - nominally 225mm in this example.
Last edited by OutdoorLover; 02-18-2023 at 06:07 AM..
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