Like-For-Like Or Be Free?

[Major Eazy]

I am not looking for pros vs cons of having summer tyres and winter tyres, I don't mind if I have to change wheels 8 times every year when I have to change them between summer and winter. I'm just thinking about buying four alloys and have them fitten with winter tyres, while I keep the summer tyres on the current alloys on my car. I just want to be clear on buying alloys, correct me if I'm wrong...

Do I have to buy alloys on a like-for-like bias as what I already have on my car? For example, if my alloys on my car is say 15", do I have to buy 15" alloys?

Or if my alloys on my car is 15", and I want extra alloys (to be fitten with winter tyres) can I just go for different sizes, like 14" or 16", or can I decide to opt for steel wheels instead of alloys?

Of course, my question do take into allowance the number of nuts needed, therefore I'm sure I need to match number of nuts on the new alloys/steel to same as my car, so just wondering if the whole wheel have to be match on like-for-like or can I change to different?

[georgen]

You can play around with rim size if you compensate with tyre size, to explain tyre sizes. say its a 225/55/17 tyre, that means the tyre tread width is 225mm wide, the 55 is the sidewall height from road to rim so it would be 55% of the 225mm width and the 17 is the rim size, you can put steels on and for winter you would be better off with steels as salt kills alloys, personally if you were running 17" alloys I would go for 16" steel rims as winter tyres are not normally low profile like your summer tyres and the higher tyre wall gives you a bit of protection from kerbs and pot holes. here is a link to work out sizes, you want to keep rolling diameter as close as possible to original.

http://www.kouki.co.uk/utilities/visual-tyre-size-calculator

If going for another makes rims, you have wheel size, width, ET, pcd and number of studs to take into consideration. try these.

http://www.westerntowing.co.uk/acatalog/PCD_Calculation.html

http://www.wheelfitment.net/ford

http://www.1010tires.com/Tools/Wheel-Offset-Calculator

[BOF]

I would say that the easiest thing to do would be to stick to wheel and tyre combinations that are used by some model of your car. That is, you might have a titanium but you could consider the wheel and tyre sizes used on, eg, a zetec. Or, vice versa.

Now, the first thing that you have to notice is that winter tyres, which you mention, do get expensive quite quickly in the larger sizes, so that might moderate your enthusiasm for large wheels/tyres. Secondly, you should try to respect the offset (ET) dimension, and not move too far from the standard fitment.

Obviously, if you do go for sizes not fitted as OE, you have to concern yourself with the possibility of fouling on bodywork, speedo change, etc. It is easy enough to get this right, but you have to do it, because the manufacturer hasn't done it for you. Oh, and I nearly forgot, the load rating as well....