Do I need winter wheels with my winter tires?
- Date added:
- Tuesday, 18 October 2011
- Last revised:
- never
Answer
With the rapid advancement of today's vehicles in not only performance and horse power, it is often wise to remove the expensive original alloys and replace them with either steel wheels or aftermarket alloys. This can often be done at a cheaper price by doing a "down size" in wheels and tires. For example a 2005 Jetta that comes with P205/55R16 can be downsized to a P195/65R15 winter tire package. By reducing from 16" to 15" the package price will be more reasonable, even when factoring in the 15" steel wheel. (Note: this does not affect ABS, speedometer or odometer readings, because outside rolling diameter has not been affected.)
Another plus for wheels is reducing maintenance of the alloys over the years. Wheels that remain mounted and kept clean and dry over the winter months will require far less maintenance such as "grind and reseals", or refinishing the face due to wear caused salt and corrosion.




