Hello, i have a 2012 subaru outback AWD. Can i replace all 4 17in OEM wheels/all-season tires with 4 15in wheels/snow tires?
i ask because i have the 15in wheels/snow tires already from another car. can these be used or should i just get
17in wheels/snow tires for my subaru? thanks! Steve
What’s the other car? 15" is pretty small these days, even if the bolt pattern and offset are correct they might interfere with the brakes.
What kind of car are the 15" wheel/tire combinations from?
What exactly are the relative tire specs?
The considerations are
bolt pattern
offset
brake caliper clearance
overall circumference
speed rating(s)
and type of tire
tire width and aspect ration matter too, as a large difference can adversely affect your car’s handling even if the overall circumference is the same.
My guess is that a 15" rim won’t clear your brake calipers.
Here’s a site where you can see if the tires are the same outer diameter. If they aren’t VERY close, then forget about all the other issues:
http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html
Check tirerack.com what they actually sell as downsizes winter packages. Occasionally you see 15" but mostly 16" winter tires.
The thing that matters is clearing your front brake calipers, bolt pattern/offset and close enough ratio.
Subbys have 5x100 bp. Pretty small. Sure other wheels might be same. Uh, put one on car and see if it fits.
According to Tire Rack, 15" tires will not fit on a 2012 Subaru Outback.
And BTW, since we can be sure that Tire Rack checks these things, I would suggest that we point people in that direction for help instead of trying to guess. Discount Tire also maintains a web site where you can look such things up.
News flash! He has another set. He can TRY! Might take 15 min?
… @CapriRacer is right that Tire Rack specializes enough to know for sure. Yes, you should get rims and tires for your car if you can, but I would check those from the basic Legacy and standard steel from the Forester as well.
My 4Runner came with 17 alloys but 16 steel for snows from the Tundra fit perfectly. But, 16 is listed as an alternate size for this truck. Subaru may list no alternate size. Outbacks are a pain finding alternate steel rims. I personally know of no one who has and the Subbie is our state car.
A couple of thoughts - mainly directed at StoveGuyy:
First, why didn’t the OP try fitting the tires and wheels BEFORE posting in this website? That would seem like the obvious thing to do, so why ask a bunch of strangers?
Second, it isn’t always obvious if a tire and wheel combination will fit. Not only can the bolt pattern be off ever so slightly - enough to cause issues - but the tire could rub. So unless careful measurements are taken - which would include those when the suspension is fully compressed and the steering fully turned - the OP might not be able to determine even if he attempts a fitment.
And lastly, I suspect that like so many people nowadays, they just don’t have the expertise (or the tools) to do the job - which is why the OP posted here.
That’s what makes Tire Rack such a valuable resource. They have done all that work - and share it with the world. The only thing they don’t do is “Oversize” - that is, tires larger in diameter than 3% (which would change the speedometer accuracy).
Tire Rack does list 16" after market steel wheels you can use as a winter package of tire and rims. They are $58 each which seems very reasonable which is the direction I would go. Go to VIP or where ever and get some plastic hubcaps and you’re good to go. The winter tires will have to be taller and higher profile then standard to get the overall diameter the same, but IMO, that’s the safest and cheapest way to go.
Can i replace all 4 17in OEM wheels/all-season tires with 4 15in wheels/snow tires?
I would estimate the odds of this turning out well at roughly 10 to 1 against.