Best tire size for square setup on stock 19" (staggered) wheels

[Guzman]

I am sorry if this question has been answered before. I have found a lot of posts about square setup on winter or new wheels.
When my stock Michelin tires wear out I am thinking I might want to go with a square setup. The choices for a staggered one seem to be somewhat limited. I am wanting to go with an all-season tire, not summer.
If I did go square on the stock 19" rims, I would want a 40 side profile. Would 225/40/19 work? The rear would be a bit stretched, or would 235/40/19 be better. I think the widest I could go in front is 245/40/19. All three of those sizes I believe would be within the 3% overall diameter of the stock wheels/tires.

Thanks in advance for your advice.

 

[MerlintheMad]

Well, A/S square on staggered OEM wheels, is a subject that does come up quite a bit. The skinny is that thinner tires grip better in snow. So, if you are dealing with that (Canada? go figure) then the 225/40 is probably the best over all solution. If you don't care for maximized grip (which you apparently do not, because you are talking about A/S in the GWN), and appearances are important, as well as dry road handling, then you could just go square with the rear OE size of 255/35. I'm sure they'll fit the half inch narrower front wheels just fine. I run a "summer" rim that is 8.5" wide in front, so producing the "stretch" in front, rather than in back. It all works well. The Nitto Motivo A/S UHP tires I use this time of the year are actually wider than the Michelin OE tires, by a good half inch or more, and I've got no issues whatsoever. They are good in the snow too (for an A/S).

 

[Guzman]

Thanks for the reply. I have a separate set of winter tires and wheels (225/45/18). Want to go all season because snow can be somewhat unpredictable for certain months in Canada and the summers are terrible in cold/snow. Odd that I can find more 245/40/19 options than either 225/40/19 or 235/40/19.

 

[Gtecko]

I have 225/40/19 on factory rims for my winter set, it does stretch a bit on the rear but this is the set up that is recommended for winter months as you want a skinnier tires for the snow/slush

I would not use A/S for our winter months here in Canada, get yourself a good A/S or summer tires and a winter set separately

 

[Guzman]

Thanks for the reply. The A/S are not for snow. I have a dedicated set of wheels and tires for winter (225/45/18). I want an all-season set for more tread life and better traction if we get the surprise snow storms in September/October or March/April.

 

[eflyguy]

Whatever tire you decide on, just go to the manufacturer site and download the specs to see what width rim can be used for your chosen size (or use that to find the best based on that..)

You'll also need to make sure your wheels don't ever get rotated front-rear if you take your car anywhere for "service"..

 

[Gtecko]

for my summer set, I have chosen 19x 8.5 all around and I will wrap in 255/35/19 Firehindy 500, since I will have a square rim and tire set up, I can swap them all around and hopefully keep the longevity of the tire.

since you are going to keep the factory rims on, 255/35 on the front on 8inch rim is not ideal ...

 

[MAXGTS]

Gtecko, on your 19x8.5 are you running the same offset front and back. My set is all 30mm offset and it looks like the 255 might rub the outside wheel well.

 

[MerlintheMad]

Whatever tire you decide on, just go to the manufacturer site and download the specs to see what width rim can be used for your chosen size (or use that to find the best based on that..)

You'll also need to make sure your wheels don't ever get rotated front-rear if you take your car anywhere for "service"..

Question: would having a wheel c. one pound heavier (and half an inch wider) in front than the same side rear wheel, be a problem when the tires are exactly alike (square)? When you rotate the rear wheels to the front, you end up with a slightly stretched sidewall in front is all. Maybe if you drive the car near its limit, you'd discover some handling oddities that you'd have to adjust for. Anything else to consider as a potential negative?

 

[Waynerm002]

The stock staggered wheel setup should not be used for a squared tire usage. While people can fit tires that are sized the same all around, keep in mind that you will still be in the same situation of not being able to rotate the tires as the rear wheels weren’t designed for use up front, in their stock size.

 

[Gtecko]

Gtecko, on your 19x8.5 are you running the same offset front and back. My set is all 30mm offset and it looks like the 255 might rub the outside wheel well.

I have not installed the summer rims yet however it is 19x8.5 all around with the 30mm offset. 255/35 sits pretty good on that wheel. I read that as long as the offset is 30-40, then you are clear.

The stock staggered wheel setup should not be used for a squared tire usage. While people can fit tires that are sized the same all around, keep in mind that you will still be in the same situation of not being able to rotate the tires as the rear wheels weren’t designed for use up front, in their stock size.

the only thing accurate that you wrote is that cannot rotate the wheel as the rims are wider on the rear HOWEVER you can run 19x8.5 on the front, it is just really not ideal to run a wider rim on the front and narrower on the back even while having the same tires all around.
Kia recommended to go 225/45 all around for my winter tires on my staggered rims

 

[Guzman]

I understand that it isn’t ideal to put same size tires on the stock staggered wheels, and I know I can’t rotate them. There are more all season options that have a longer tread life. I would think that for 99% of my driving using 235/40/19 all around would perform the same at the stock staggered sizes.
Locally the one staggered choice I have that has a decent price and tread life is the Nitto Motivo (about $1300 for the set). If I go 235/40/19 all around I have more options that are a bit cheaper.

 

[Royalstorm]

I have 225/40/19 on factory rims for my winter set, it does stretch a bit on the rear but this is the set up that is recommended for winter months as you want a skinnier tires for the snow/slush

I would not use A/S for our winter months here in Canada, get yourself a good A/S or summer tires and a winter set separately

Also curious about best setup for winter. So these will work with the 8.5’s in the rear?

 

[MerlintheMad]

Also curious about best setup for winter. So these will work with the 8.5’s in the rear?

They will, but you won't be able to rotate the staggered OEM setup; the offset of the 8.5 rear wheels is 46.5 and will not clear in the front (you wouldn't want to run wider wheels in front anyway). Get a winter set of wheels with an offset that works on all four corners.

 

[Royalstorm]

Thanks for the info. I actually bought a staggered wheel setup for my previous stinger that had square 18 setup but then traded it. So now unfortunately I only have staggered setup to work with. That said, I’ll probably just have to stretch them and bite the bullet for decreased tire life.