Hi,

I know most people here have recommended the stock tire sizes for winter tires. However, I did so on stock AP1 rims, and I'm finding that the 225 in the rear just isn't gripping enough (couldn't find 245's).

My fronts are 205, so that's ok, and i've seen people putting 195's on the front.

Is is possible to go any more narrower on stock AP1 rims? there wouldn't be much high way driving and I couldn't see myself driving faster than 120kph (i'm in Vancouver, Canada) on any highway/freeway in winter conditions, so I'm not too worried about sacrificing the handling of the car'. As long as it can get me from point A to B safely in snow, that's all that matters.

So my question is:

What are the narrowest tire to fit on the stock AP1 rims? (front and rear). Also, it might be a good idea to get somebody's old AP1 fronts and use them for the rear as well...

 

No particular need for narrower-than-stock-AP1 sizes in Winter any more than there's a need for 245's in back in warmer weather.

Just run the stock sizes.

If you were to go narrower for better snow performance, you might go up in aspect ratio as well to prevent slightly lowering the car. i.e., 195/60-16 with 215/55-16 would be a better choice for snow than 195/55-16 with 215/50-16, IMO...

if you really want to know what tire size will fit AP1 rim sizes, check the tire Rack website. They give the recommended rim width range for all tires in the specs. AP1 rims are 16x6.5 front and 16x7.5 rear.

Getting the best tire appropriate for your usage is infinitely more important than whether they're a size or two over- or under-sized vs. stock sizes.

 

Just run the 205/55R16 all the way around. Don't go with anything narrower than that. If I can help let me know.