Is it possible to go with smaller wheels on the CX-9 2017?

[omarh93]

I currently have 18" wheels on my cx9 but I'm sick of trying to find affordable tires at that size, and would prefer 17 "..
is it possible to get 17" wheels for the cx9 ? I only hear people going up in size but never see anyone going the other way.

 

[sm1ke]

I believe you can go as low at 17", provided you have enough backspacing to clear the brake calipers. I believe the OEM temporary spare is a 17" donut.

 

[PTguy]

I'm using 17" Kia wheels on mine for snow tires. Works fine. The size range in 18" is limited. For 17" there are no tires with the same diameter as original, but you can get slightly smaller or slightly larger O.D. which works fine.

 

[gphin]

This is a 42-4300 lb vehicle where the manufacturer offers 18 and 20 " wheels as standard. Is there any concern about vehicle handling putting on smaller tires and wheels on a vehicle this size?

 

[Z31]

This is a 42-4300 lb vehicle where the manufacturer offers 18 and 20 " wheels as standard. Is there any concern about vehicle handling putting on smaller tires and wheels on a vehicle this size?

Only concern is looking a little goofy, but it will ride like a dream!

 

[sm1ke]

This is a 42-4300 lb vehicle where the manufacturer offers 18 and 20 " wheels as standard. Is there any concern about vehicle handling putting on smaller tires and wheels on a vehicle this size?

As long as the overall diameter of the new wheel and tire combo is about the same diameter as the original setup, there's nothing to worry about.

 

[PTguy]

And if the weight rating of the tires is suitable, and the wheel offset the same or very close to original, nothing to worry about.

 

[gphin]

I hear you guys and understand a 17" wheel will "work". But, putting a 17" wheel which will probably be 7" wide and use probably at max a 225 tire, OP should notice an appreciable decline in handling over his current 18" wheel that is 8" wide using a 255 tire. And choices for 255/65/17 tires for use with a wider 17" wheel are minimal. One of the reasons for buying a CX9 is the better handling over other competitors which is partly due to its oem 255 wide tires and 8-8.5" wide wheels. Seems a shame to lose this handling for a few extra bucks spent only every 30-40k miles. Personally, I can see for short term snow tire use but wouldn.t do it for entire year driving ....but to each his own.

 

[PTguy]

19" wheels could also be considered.

 

[DustyB]

I currently have 18" wheels on my cx9 but I'm sick of trying to find affordable tires at that size, and would prefer 17 "..
is it possible to get 17" wheels for the cx9 ? I only hear people going up in size but never see anyone going the other way.

went to 18" for my toyo winters

 

[youri]

Dealers here are installing 17” steel rims for winter tires. That’s probably the smallest you can go.

 

[FlogDolfinG]

FYI, Ford Fusion 2008-2012 17” wheels have center bore 67.1mm, 5X114.3 bolt pattern, 7.5” width with 44mm back space, literally identical to the CX9 18” rims other than the backspace 1mm higher(45mm) for the Mazda wheels, almost negligible. A 245/65R17 tire is also almost the same diameter as the stock tires.

The Fusion is a quite a bit lighter vehicle than the CX9, so I’m not sure about the weight rating of the Fusion wheels. I got a set for winter tires, so I’ll report if a wheel breaks next winter.

I should clarify that this is for 2008-2015 CX-9s…I believe the wheels are wider on 2016- models, but still may work?

 

[hw4ng3r]

Dealers here are installing 17” steel rims for winter tires. That’s probably the smallest you can go.

Confirmed. Running 17x7 steelies with 245/70R17 Blizzaks for winters on my 2022 CX9 GT

 

[gphin]

You might want to reconsider this choice. Just about every wheel/tire chart I've seen indicates a 245 tire is too wide for a 7" wheel. A 225 appears to maximum width for a 7 inch wheel. FYI.

Tire Width Minimum, Maximum, and Ideal Size Chart by Wheel Width

How to properly measure wheel width to determine proper tire width plus minimum, maximum and ideal tire width chart...

m.roadkillcustoms.com

 

[hw4ng3r]

You might want to reconsider this choice. Just about every wheel/tire chart I've seen indicates a 245 tire is too wide for a 7" wheel. A 225 appears to maximum width for a 7 inch wheel. FYI.

Tire Width Minimum, Maximum, and Ideal Size Chart by Wheel Width

How to properly measure wheel width to determine proper tire width plus minimum, maximum and ideal tire width chart...

m.roadkillcustoms.com

Interesting. I guess it depends on the source of the information? 1010tires.com has Rim width range of 6.5" - 8" for the 245/70R17 tires. I got the package from a well known tire shop where I live so I'm not too concerned about it. That and I don't go autoX on these guys.

 

[sm1ke]

It can also vary with manufacturer, and maybe also vary with tire model. General recommendations seem to follow what's detailed in gphin's link, but there have been some exceptions.