wheel/tire finish/combo for the mid west

[~MRVIBE2006~]

Hey there! I'm new to the forum and had a couple of questions. Since I live in the salt belt (central Indiana), I want to get a finish on my new rims that will be relatively low maintanance. I don't mind doing the occassional cleaning, but don't want to spend hours polishing. Any suggestions? BTW, I have a '06 base Abyss Vibe with 16" alloy rims. I was thinking about going to a 17" or 18" rim with a 235/45 or 245/45 tire. Any suggestions on a good all season tire? Thanks for all the help!

[~MRVIBE2006~]

Are there no suggestions out there? Just thought that there would be.

[BlueCrush]

I didn't see this thread earlier, but I would have suggested a powdercoat finish: silver, gunmetal or black - w/ or w/o a polished lip.

[~MRVIBE2006~]

what about a good all season tire? and would it be worth going up to a 17" or 18"? Then, what size tire? Still want to keep some ride quality if possible. Thanks for all the input.

[BlueCrush]

I wouldn't go with 18" if you still want some ride quality. Go with 17". 215/45/27 or 225/45/17 should both work depending on your wheel width.Tires that quite a few people have been getting lately are the Goodyear Assurance TripleTread. They can be a little spendy but have a good warranty. The Falken Ziex ZE-512 is another tire I recommend. It is cheap but only comes with a 30,000 mile warranty. I had it on mine last winter and they did great in the snow (although my AWD helped too. ).

[~MRVIBE2006~]

If I go up beyond 225/45/17, will there be a rubbing issue? I was wanting to go up to 235 or maybe 245. Is that possible of would the rubbing isue come in? Thanks for all the advice.

[BlueCrush]

There may be a rubbing issue if you go above 235 but that also depends on your rim width and how much you are lowered. Going to 235 may require a drop from 45/17 to 40/17 to ensure staying close to the overall oem wheel/tire diameter. You just need to make sure your overall diameter stays within 3% of oem. Do a search here on genvibe and you will find links to rim/tire calculators. Good Luck!