Hi everyone:
Now that the car is on its way to NYC, I have to start considering new rims for the winter since my bbs wheels WILL NOT be riding that climate (nevermind Manhattan) past November.
My girlfriend and I really like this rim but it is a 17" as well. (see bottom pic)
Is this a problem? Can you guys offer any options if this doesnt seem like the right wheel for the winter? I am willing to sacrifice this second set and planning to spend a max of $180 per wheel.
Thanks for the help guys.

 

come on guys. I know its late and we are on west coast time right . But there must be someone able to offer some help.
(maybe I should wait till tomorrow

 

This tread moved to Tires forum from Performance Mods: Drivetrain.

fdavid,
Seems everyone else is out partying up all night.
Best person to ask is Alex@tirerack about options for snow tires in various sizes.

You selected Kazera KZ-A Black with Machined Lip 17x7.5" $159 each
+45mm offset 20 pounds. A pretty nice rim for winter tires! Makes me wish I had a winter to justify buying another set of wheels.
http://www.tirerack.com/a.jsp?a=EZ3&url=/servlet/CallJsp&target=wheelSearchCloseUp&wheelIndex=26&si zeIndex=0&showRear=no&setIndex=5&filterSize=17&fil terFinish=&filterSpecial=Pricing

For a performance winter tire (runflat) that fits the 17x7.5" rim-
Pirelli Winter 240 Snow Sport $142 each in 205/45-17
http://www.tirerack.com/a.jsp?a=EZ3&url=/tires/tires.jsp&tireMake=Pirelli&tireModel=Winter+240+Sn owSport&vehicleSearch=true&partnum=045R7240SNOWSPR F&fromCompare1=yes
Or a really good snow tire-
In 215/45-17 the Bridgestone Blizzak WS-50 $124 each
http://www.tirerack.com/a.jsp?a=EZ3&url=/tires/Sizes.jsp&make=Bridgestone&model=Blizzak+WS-50&vehicleSearch=true&fromCompare1=yes&partnum=05R 6BZWS50

If you are willing to consider 15" or 16" wheels then check out
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ad.php?t=30473
I think the ASA JS1 in 15" or 16" looks pretty nice and might cost less.

 

You would be better off going with 16" wheels and using a narrower tire if handling in the snow is of foremost importance. A 15" or 16" wheel/tire combo will perform much better as it will allow the car a better chance of cutting/pushing through the snow rather than riding up on top of it.

Personally I stuck with my standard 16"wheel (R84's-i think is the code) and purchased Dunlop M3 in 195/55/16 with runflat as I was willing to make a compromise in ride quality to have some flexibility in dealing with a tire repair in cold nasty weather. These currently are no longer on Tire Rack's site but may return once we get a little closer to the season. I've been very happy with them as they've provide good dry handling and done well in the snow. If you're more serious about snow stuff then Blizzaks are probably the choice but you pay for it in dry performance. I also have used Pirelli Snowsport 210s on my old GTI VR-6 and 1990 535i with very good results as well, again these give up a bit in snow to perform alright in dry weather.

So back to your original question... if you don't have a big brake kit(and need a bigger wheel to clear the calipers) and aren't totally fixated on going with a 17" wheel for style sake, my recommendation would to be to go smaller which will also save you a little bit of money and widen your choices of snow tires by a bit, and as mentioned above give better performance in the snow. You can probably also find OEM wheels here or on e-bay fairly cheap.

Hope this helps...