Q: Downsizing for winter tires
Hello there, I am getting a great deal on Michelin X-Ice i3 winter tires for 800 everything included. But the problem is that the original all season tires are sized 225/45R17 although the winter tires are 205/55R16. The mechanic told me its completely fine to change the sizes a bit and he said it’s even better to have smaller ( thinner ) tires in snow to get better traction. I am still concerned, can I install that size snow tires on my car! Plz help! The mechanic does the installation and everything for me but said he doesn’t do alignment. What is allignment? Is it mandatory? What happens if I don’t allign my tires and I experience no problems? Does YourMechanic do allignment services alone? And how much does it cost? Thx so much for your time and help!! I would really appreciate it!! Cheers from NYC!
Snow tire dimensions: 205/55R16
Original all-season dimensions: 225/45R17
Even though the rims are different sizes the two tires are very close in size for height and width and will not cause any issues using them. You do not need to have an alignment since this is for the suspension and as long as tires are balanced you will be ok.
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