Hello All, I'm new here so I hope this message posts.
I have an 09 STX which came with 18 in rims. The tires on these rims look small and do not fill up the wheel-wells to my liking. I can't seem to find an 18 in. tire that's not low profile and will look small and goofy. My question is - can I buy 17 in rims with taller tires without throwing off my speedometer, or other sensors? How would I size a different rim and tire to look better, but still keep accurate speed?
Thanks for all of you help!

GO FORD!!

 

You can definitely size tires and rims so that the overall tire height/diameter will be the same and not impact the speedo. There are several calculators on the web for this (I think Tirerack has one). I run my stock 22s in the summer and 18s off an FX4 for the winter. Tires are both the same height and do not impact my speedo at all. The only thing I would check on is if 17s would clear the calipers.

 

Here is a tire calculator:

http://www.discounttire.com/dtcs/infoTireMath.do


17" rims will fit, but that is the smallest you can go and clear the calipers.

 

What size tire is currently on your truck?

 

The truck currently has 18 in stock rims. Would like to get rims and tires that don't look so small in the wheel-wells.

Thank you for taking the time to respond. It is very helpful

 

Never thought of checking for that. Great suggestion and thanks for the info on tire size.

 

What size tires (not rims) came on the truck?

Is it a 4x4 or 4x2?

These are important details to help with your decision.

 

If your truck is a 4x4, then it most likely came with 275/65r18

A comparable size in a 17" rim would be a 275/70r17

It will essentially fill the wheel well the same amount, but have more sidewall.

Now, if you want to up size, a 285/70r17 is about 5/8" taller and 3/8" wider.

It will have minimal effect on your speedo (about 1 mph at 65) and help fill in the wheel well.