[BJG86]

Going to be driving my BRZ year round. Midwest winters and snow mean appropriate tires.

I’ll be buying wheels for the winter tires so the question is: is there any reason not to use steel rims, and are there any sizing concerns to be aware of?

 

[Ritter]

I'm a bit of a novice when it comes to wheel-swapping, but I have a similar application. I'm getting a Limited, so I will need 18" rims mounted with winter tires. I don't really want to ruin the looks of the car, so I'm thinking of getting another set of alloy rims for winter. I was wondering if any prior generation FRS / 86 / BRZ had compatible 18" wheels?

 

[BJG86]

The Limited can still take a 17” wheel and from what shopping I’ve done it’ll be much MUCH easier to find winters in that size. I think the RC base model GR 86 is going to ship with 16” steelies. If it has the same brakes, 16” may be the way to go, but the sizing there is a real mystery!

 

[Ritter]

That's a brilliant observation, @BJG86! 16" or 17" would also allow a taller profile tire to better absorb winter/spring potholes and rough roads.

 

[kwikfivo]

Yep, I second the smaller wheel argument. I run 15" steel wheels + Continental Viking Contact 7 tires on my Fiesta ST for the winter. Driving experience is the trade off, but amazing snow performance and safety are the gains. It still corners well, but grip is nowhere near the P Zero Neros. It makes the transition to summer tires a lot of fun each year, it's like getting a new car (for a week, then I'm used to it again).

-Bob

 

[TundraGr86]

20222 gr86/bro anybody can conform front brembo big brake kit will fit on 17 volk te37 sl super lap?

 

[DQ Tiny]

The problems only arise when you’re getting other brakes. Take Michelin Cross Climate 2. It’s supposed to be even better then the previous Cross Climate and that one was amazing. Especially since it doesn’t ruin dry weather driving so much as a typical winter tyre does. And really good wet driving.

 

[SwiftBRZ]

If you don't care about the looks there's no reason not to get steelies. And, based on my previous research, you should be able to go down to a 16" wheel should you wish to.

 

[AidanS]

I am getting a set of 2018 BRZ performance wheels on Michelin X-ice from a fellow BRZ owner for a reasonable price. No one want the OEM wheels so they are quite a bargain, also gen1 wheels doesn't ruin the look of the car nearly as much as steelies. Paid $30 extra per wheel for the 2018 BRZ performance wheels compare to steelies.

 

[imLawZ]

I second getting 16" steelies for the new gen. I personally am getting my BRZ delivered in a few weeks with 205/55/R16 Michelin X-Ice's on it as it's probably gonna be way cold here by then.

 

[Ritter]

I am getting a set of 2018 BRZ performance wheels on Michelin X-ice from a fellow BRZ owner for a reasonable price. No one want the OEM wheels so they are quite a bargain, also gen1 wheels doesn't ruin the look of the car nearly as much as steelies. Paid $30 extra per wheel for the 2018 BRZ performance wheels compare to steelies.

So the Gen1 OEM wheels will properly fit the 2022 as far as you know?

 

[BJG86]

I second getting 16" steelies for the new gen. I personally am getting my BRZ delivered in a few weeks with 205/55/R16 Michelin X-Ice's on it as it's probably gonna be way cold here by then.

What width and offset are you going with?

 

[AidanS]

So the Gen1 OEM wheels will properly fit the 2022 as far as you know?

As far as I know the bolt pattern are the same. I think one guy on here already put aftermarket wheels on and confirmed. As to breaks and suspension clearance, there are less info but I can't think of any reason why the gen 1 OEM wheels (at least the 2018 performance wheels) won't clear everything.

 

[imLawZ]

What width and offset are you going with?

Not sure yet. I ordered straight from the dealer as I couldn't figure out what would fit when I was trying to buy elsewhere and didn't wanna risk buying wheels that wouldn't fit. I'll update here hopefully next week if my car comes in time

 

[funk-n-stein]

I was planning on using a set of 17" Enkei's that I already have for my 2nd set of wheels for my WRX (2010). From what I've read, they should work, but I'm no expert on wheel fitments/offsets/etc.

 

[kevinieung]

I bought a set of used winter tires on steelies. The tire size I have is 205/55R17. If you have the higher trim that comes with the 18 inch tires, you can downsize to 215/50R17 and this size will give you a lot of choice. From my research, the only winter tire that comes in 215/45R18 is the Pirelli Sottozero 3 which cost a lot.

 

[LanceLane174]

But the soto zero is an awesome tire. Just fyi.

 

[kevinieung]

But the soto zero is an awesome tire. Just fyi.

I know that. If my car is a 911, that'll be my choice. For the BRZ, I don't think I want to spend that much on the winter tires lol.

 

[Ritter]

I bought a set of used winter tires on steelies. The tire size I have is 205/55R17. If you have the higher trim that comes with the 18 inch tires, you can downsize to 215/50R17 and this size will give you a lot of choice. From my research, the only winter tire that comes in 215/45R18 is the Pirelli Sottozero 3 which cost a lot.

This is great info, thank you! I'm a bit new to the idea of wheel/tire swapping. If starting off with 18" rims and 215/40R18, I'm curious how the ultimate outside diameter matches up to 17" rims with 215/50R17 (thinking about speedometer / odometer accuracy).

Thoughts on TPMS in the winter tire scenario?

 

[marwfb]

Not sure yet. I ordered straight from the dealer as I couldn't figure out what would fit when I was trying to buy elsewhere and didn't wanna risk buying wheels that wouldn't fit. I'll update here hopefully next week if my car comes in time

How did your 205/55/R16 Michelin X-Ice's work out? What width and offset were the wheels?