[kollman]

Looking to possibly downsize from 17" to 15" for a winter wheel setup. (Not ideal, but the opportunity presented itself)

I came across a beautiful set of 15x7 +40mm Motegi rims on new 205/70R15 snow tires.

I currently run stock 17x7.5 on 225/50R17 tires.

The 15" rims, because the tires are beefier, would increase my total wheel diameter by about 0.5'" (~1.5%) which I've read shouldn't be an issue.

My main concern is clearing the caliper and avoiding any rubbing issues. Does anyone know if this will fit?

 

[DerekN]

Nope, won't clear the brakes. The smallest would possibly be a 16-inch.

 

[kollman]

Sounds good, thanks a lot! Been looking for a definitive answer for a while now.

 

[sequoiasoon]

You would need to check if even 16" fit. Somewhere on the forum it was covered as the higher trims have larger brakes and the 16" like on my LX won't clear either.

 

[shintony]

For your particular trim, 16 will fit with plenty of space. I used 215/60R16 winter tires, another option would be 205/65R16. 225 is a bit difficult to find, I didn’t try searching anything narrower as in that width it’s a safety risk for a mid-sized car.
I spend like CA$900+tax with rims+tires combined online, used some promotional rebate, all installed and balanced for free when purchasing a rim+tire combo. Just find the right time to buy the right brand of tire and I’m very happy with my setup.
Currently running on 235/45R18 in summer. Car comes with 18 inch rim and haven’t found a guy willing to swap a OEM 17 set with me yet. If I have such opportunity I will, there’s still plenty of good performance tires in 235 or 225/50R17 size.

 

[sequoiasoon]

Sounds good, thanks a lot! Been looking for a definitive answer for a while now.

Update your profile to show location when you hover over the flag. Maybe a member close with 16" is willing to help. Maybe a tire/rim shop locally, maybe a junkyard.

There were other discussions as you probably saw and 16" will not fit all the trim levels.

I have the lowest trim LX. It came with 205-65-16. Multiple tire choices available in that size IF the rims clear. I was kind of shocked when multiple members with higher trims said they tried 16" and it didn't clear the calipers.

If you find a set locally maybe at least try it before you buy if seller lets you. If they don't, move on.

You can also look for rims from other vehicles. Honda, Hyundai, Nissan have the same bolt pattern but different center bore. Hyundai and Nissan are larger than Honda so will fit over it. You can get a small hub spacer if you want. I run 17" Hyundai rims for summer with a 3mm spacer. The tapered lugs make them lug-centric.

SIDE NOTE - if you get other rims, the Accord and I think other Honda's have a BALL/RADIUS taper(rounded), others have a CONICAL taper (straight angle). I bought new 19mm conical ones for my summer Hyundai rims, the Hyundai ones I had were 21mm so my factory lug wrench would not fit. I also keep 5 of the ball seat by my spare tire just in case.