I bought a 2015 ATS Sedan, 2.0 Performance, RWD Black Raven last month, and I hate the stock 17" wheels and rims. So, I am doing a lot of reading before I launch into the process of buying some after market wheels and rims which has been like learning a whole new language. Of course I want it to look better which means going up in size, but I am very concerned about getting a "true" fit and avoiding vibrations due to spacers, or adapters, or fitments, or whatever they are called..... .
I love the way my new car handles right now, and am scared to death that will get messed up. I am hoping I can improve the appearance without sacrificing the ride. (I live in Texas where we have several 85 mph highways, which means I can get my with routinely driving 90 mph +. )
Any and all comments and recommendations will be greatly appreciated! I went to a rim shop to look around and they tried to sell me some rims that didn't even have the right bolt pattern. I'm scared!!!
Unless you want to deal with the speedometer and odometer being slightly off, stick with 17" wheels. Otherwise, you will need a custom recalibration to your PCM. I agree that the stock wheels are rather bleh. I bought a replacement set from Discount Tire and have been happy with them. NTB is another source you could use, but I find their service and knowledge rather lacking. Of course there are lots of other wheel choices that you will need a second mortgage on your house to afford, if that is what you want.
Totally wrong, as long as you size your tires to match the same diameter of the current, your speedo will not be affected. Use the many available tire calculators online to figure this out.
I know what you're saying, but for me going to a lower aspect ratio tire to be able to put larger diameter wheels on these cars is absolutely not acceptable. A 45 series tire (which come with the 17" wheel) is as low as I will go and still accept the ride quality. Even though it's a sports sedan, it's still supposed to be a Cadillac, not a Mustang (which I have had). The OP also stated that he is concerned with ride quality.
Ride quality on my 13 was greatly improved going from the 17" runflats to 18" 40 series non run-flats. Many others did the same and were much happier. Didn't lose anything in the handling and had a ride that didn't feel like every little bump was a pothole.
If you truly have no idea how wheel/tire fitment works, I suggest starting here - http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/tiretech.jsp?tab=Tires. Look at "Tire Size Guide", "Tire Specs Explained", "Selecting the Right Tires", and "Plus Size Wheels & Tires". Then go to http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/tiretech.jsp?tab=Wheels and read "How We Know What Fits", "Why Shop for Wheels by First Selecting a Vehicle?", and any others that catch your eye. Feel free to ask questions here about any of the stuff you read there.
Once you've educated yourself a bit on wheel/tire fitment, you can start looking at wheel options online so you can find wheels you like. Nowadays a number of sites, like tirerack.com and discounttiredirect.com, have virtual fitment displays that will let you "see" the wheels on the car, so you have a better idea of how they'll look in addition to confirming that they'll actually fit the car correctly. You can also look here in the ATS Appearance Mods forum, where you'll find a thread full of pictures of wheels that people have already put on their ATSs. If you're looking at a site that doesn't have one of those handy wheel configurators, you can use one of a number of online fitment calculators that will show you have the new wheel/tire combo will fit compared to the stock combo. (Your stock setup has 17x8" wheels with +42mm offset, and 225/45-17 tires.) www.willtheyfit.com and www.rimsntires.com/specspro.jsp are a couple of good examples.
I know what you're saying, but for me going to a lower aspect ratio tire to be able to put larger diameter wheels on these cars is absolutely not acceptable. A 45 series tire (which come with the 17" wheel) is as low as I will go and still accept the ride quality.
That may be what you were thinking, but it doesn't change the fact that (as myATS said) your initial statement was completely incorrect. And honestly, even your clarification is incorrect, since "a 45 series tire" doesn't really mean anything without also specifying a section width. A 255/40 has the same sidewall height as your stock 225/45. And a 225/45 run-flat tire is going to ride more firmly than a 225/45 max performance summer tire which is going to ride more firmly than a 225/45 ultra high performance all-season tire which is going to ride more firmly than a 225/45 grand touring all-season tire. Aspect ratio is just one of a number of factors that affect ride quality.
^^^^ She's a woman? Oh, Hi Michelle I just want to say a woman that likes rims on a car and knows the difference between a hubcap and a rim does a lot for me. I won't get into all that but:worship:. Then you want to put nice wheels on your car also? You wouldn't happen to ride a sport bike also? I'll loose it. Sorry I just don't hear stuff like that where I live.They just want new shoes and go get their hair did. Yes I said hair did:highfive:
Hi Michelle!!
Another girl here who feels your pain on learning the language of tires and wheels. For whatever reason buying this car has brought out this totally new interest for me. I feel like I have so much to learn. But I'm having fun with it. My husband thinks I've gone off the deep end with all my car talk and questions lol.
I'm in the very early stages of my wheel research so I may check back with you and pick your brain in a bit and see what you've learned.
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