I just bought a 2018 Crosstrek. It has OEM tires on 18 inch wheels. I will be doing a lot of desert travel so I want a quality tire that I can safely deflate for extended miles. I have been doing some research and to get the right kind of tire I need smaller wheels. There is a number on any tire that describes the sidewall height as a percentage of the width of the tire. The stock tires are 55, The off road tires are a 75.
So my understanding is one needs smaller wheels to accommodate the higher sidewall, else there will be rubbing issues as the tire will be to big to fit in the wheel well.
I see wheels online 17" 17.5" 16.5" etc. What size wheel do I need? If the answer is depends, what does it depend on?
Tire suggestions appreciated.
Also Am I going to need to get speedometer recalibrated? And if you have done this have you ran into any major problems? The vehicle will be lifted if that makes a difference.
Update:
So I bought Wheels from Method, A rallitek 2' lift, after market coil springs and General AT 215/75 R15.
A little problem with the tires, while they are fine, they went out of production just months after purchase, I wasted one and the replacement is now the spare.
I got a little lucky at the tire store, one of the clerks was a Subaru owner and fan, and was aware of clearance issues. He was able to get the sales guy and installer on the right track, with the right wheels.
The total lift on the vehicle might be 3 inches. The heavier coils are supposed to add an inch. However at the shop the installer was not sure, or did not think so, although on the web site the coils are advertised to give a 1 inch lift.
Anyway, everything is great. The ride is very solid on highway, and lovely on dirt. I have had no clearance issues and I feel very comfortable with the setup.
The difference between stock and these modifications is night and day. For those of you in southern Nevada I made it over Wheeler pass, with only slight damage to the skid plate, Easy sledge hammer repair. The gas mileage suffered, about 3-4 MPG.