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Winter Tire and rim size

5398 Views 19 Replies 10 Participants Last post by  Jarlaxle, 
RtFrazier
Hello, first post here and I’m hoping to get some help. I know I need winter tires (Iowa winters) for my 2016 RT Plus and think I would like to get 18 steel rims.

Can I just get rims off a junkyard charger?

What tire should I go with so I don’t have to tune my speedo?
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A Guy
Welcome to Challengertalk ;) I've only heard of winter, so can't help, but sure some of the others will have suggestions

A Guy
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B
Go to Tirerack.com and put in your vehicle to find the appropriate 18” tire sizes.
For tires there are a number of great winter tires available. I am running Blizzack 18” tires on Sport Edition aluminum rims. Purchased as a complete package from Tirerack mounted balanced and with TPMS.
Makes for easy swap between summer and winter tires.
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RtFrazier
@BW2011 thanks for the tip, will I need to tune the speedo with that configuration?
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B
No need to tune anything. These cars come stock with 18s and 20s but the tire diameter is about the same for each.
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Slidd
Yes, junkyard police steel wheels will work.

Or at the Tire Rack, they offer this 18" wheel with tires already mounted, the KV5 wheel.


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MEKrunner
BW2011 said:
No need to tune anything. These cars come stock with 18s and 20s but the tire diameter is about the same for each.
Click to expand...
I totally agree with that. I used to have some ugly 18" winter beater wheels, and they were the same diameter as my 20" wheels because the tires were taller.

As to the OP, any 18" wheel from a Charger or Chrysler 300 would work for you.
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jzink0883
BW2011 said:
Go to Tirerack.com and put in your vehicle to find the appropriate 18” tire sizes.
For tires there are a number of great winter tires available. I am running Blizzack 18” tires on Sport Edition aluminum rims. Purchased as a complete package from Tirerack mounted balanced and with TPMS.
Makes for easy swap between summer and winter tires.
Click to expand...
BW2011,

Do the aftermarket wheels use the same lug nuts as the OEM wheels?
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ckaram
Slidd said:
Yes, junkyard police steel wheels will work.

Or at the Tire Rack, they offer this 18" wheel with tires already mounted, the KV5 wheel.


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Second this. Have had them on my 16 Scat for 4 winters.
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S
RtFrazier said:
Hello, first post here and I’m hoping to get some help. I know I need winter tires (Iowa winters) for my 2016 RT Plus and think I would like to get 18 steel rims.

Can I just get rims off a junkyard charger?

What tire should I go with so I don’t have to tune my speedo?
Click to expand...
Yo,
I’ve got a 2012 R/T and I’ve run the stock 20” for the summer and stock 18” for the winter for years— it truly is the way to go. Yes, these cars came with each is true, but you need to decide on what TIRE size you want (google a tire-size Comparison calculator to help you). For what it’s worth, I run 225/60R18 for my winters, but 245/55R18 is pretty much the same total diameter it’s just wider. Clearing your calipers and the offset are the only concerns you have with selecting a wheel. My car has the STP brakes, but it’s really no different than non-STP, so 18” clears by a mile. Pretty sure if you had 4-piston Brembos (which you likely do not) the same would be true. Only with 6-piston Brembos do you start to have issues with clearance. Offset comes into play here not only for the calipers but also clearing suspension components. I found a killer deal on stock 18” rims that I got powder coated, so none of that was an issue for me. So for a true guarantee it’ll fit, look for stock 18” for 2015+, or find out the offset for those and then find your aftermarket of choice. TPMS will calibrate automatically once they’re on the car and rolling.
Good luck!

I will add that having good winter tires doesn’t mean you are unstoppable (obviously). This is a high torque car, so you do need to modify your behavior a bit. Defeating anti-sleep is sometimes necessary if you are on a really slippery surface. My car is a 6-speed, so frequently I’ll start rolling in 2nd to get a good soft start. I will say that with my winter tires I absolutely LOVE driving my car in bad weather and have no reservations whatsoever (unless the snow is so deep clearance is the issue). I personally GREATLY prefer RWD over FWD (and even some AWD) because you can use the throttle to steer effectively and understeer is greatly reduced on bad corners. Here in Colorado, I’m usually the one (safely) blasting by all the other idiots with AWD and all-seasons when the weather gets rough — and I don’t even have the extreme snow/ice tires like Blizzaks.
Lastly, consider mud flaps and a front clear bra application — these are low-profile cars and they get grenaded by debris on the front fascia, mirrors, and windshield.
j
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MEKrunner
jzink0883 said:
BW2011,

Do the aftermarket wheels use the same lug nuts as the OEM wheels?
Click to expand...
In the past I bought a set of aftermarket wheels from Tirerack. They had to use different lug nuts, but their website will point that out to you. They can sell you lug nuts that work.
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jzink0883
I just checked, and I could not find any online tire retailer that lists steel wheels as an option for Chargers or Challengers. I do remember that when they were available, steel wheels were about the same price as the least expensive aluminum wheels.

Discount Tire (no affiliation) has cast aluminum wheels (e.g., 20“ x 9” 20mm offset, starting at about $150) that they list as fitting Challengers with 6-piston Brembos. They’re not forged like some of the OEM wheels, but is forged necessary in non-racing, snow-tire, and spare-tire applications? (See screenshot at bottom of this post.)

Part numbers for OEM steel wheels on the Dodge Charger Pursuit models
  • Black Police Wheel, RWD, 18x7.5 18mm offset: 04895425AE
  • Black Police Wheel, AWD, 18x7.5 49mm offset: 68206561AA
  • Lug Nut: 4895430AB
  • Center Cap: 4895432AA
I emailed FCA Fleet to get the offset numbers for the steel police wheels.

My understanding is that the lug nut in the list is only needed if you want to use the ”dog dish” police hub caps.

Text Font Line Logo Parallel

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jzink0883 said:
I just checked, and I could not find any online tire retailer that lists steel wheels as an option for Chargers or Challengers. I do remember that when they were available, steel wheels were about the same price as the least expensive aluminum wheels.

Discount Tire (no affiliation) has cast aluminum wheels (e.g., 20“ x 9” 20mm offset, starting at about $150) that they list as fitting Challengers with 6-piston Brembos. They’re not forged like some of the OEM wheels, but is forged necessary in non-racing, snow-tire, and spare-tire applications? (See screenshot at bottom of this post.)

Part numbers for OEM steel wheels on the Dodge Charger Pursuit models
  • Black Police Wheel, RWD, 18x7.5 18mm offset: 04895425AE
  • Black Police Wheel, AWD, 18x7.5 49mm offset: 68206561AA
  • Lug Nut: 4895430AB
  • Center Cap: 4895432AA
I emailed FCA Fleet to get the offset numbers for the steel police wheels.

My understanding is that the lug nut in the list is only needed if you want to use the ”dog dish” police hub caps.

View attachment 1000617
Click to expand...
Personally, I’d stick to 18” for the winters— better, cheaper tire options and more sidewall for impacts. I tried finding the police wheels, too, but they were more expensive in the long run than buying used 18”. FWIW, I found great condition used 18” wheels for the set of four for... $150! A used car dealer was flipping an R/T and they put on 20s to try and sell it. I saved so much money, I got them powder coated black, and I just used my factory lug nuts.
j
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boostedwagon
I've got the 18 X 8 Moda rims (tire rack has them) with Blizzaks. Works great in Chicago winters. They also clear the 4 piston Brembos without issue.
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jzink0883
SmakAttak said:
Personally, I’d stick to 18” for the winters— better, cheaper tire options and more sidewall for impacts. I tried finding the police wheels, too, but they were more expensive in the long run than buying used 18”. FWIW, I found great condition used 18” wheels for the set of four for... $150! A used car dealer was flipping an R/T and they put on 20s to try and sell it. I saved so much money, I got them powder coated black, and I just used my factory lug nuts.
j
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My SP has the Dynamics Package with 6-piston Brembos. 18” wheels are not an option for me.
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jzink0883
boostedwagon said:
I've got the 18 X 8 Moda rims (tire rack has them) with Blizzaks. Works great in Chicago winters. They also clear the 4 piston Brembos without issue.
Click to expand...
I’m in Elgin. Like to learn about what it takes to make RWD work in Chicago winters. The last RWD car that was good in winter was my ‘70 Road Runner with 3.91 limited-slip and G60x15 studded snows in the back.

Which Blizzaks do you have? What size?

My ‘18 SP has the Dynamics Package with 6-piston Brembos, so 18” wheels are not an option for me.
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boostedwagon
Blizzak WS90 I believe. 225/60R/18. Sorry, you're right the Moda's won't fit. If you have to go with 20's I would go with 245's. If you can go 20 X 8's then 225. Narrower is better that wider I've found in the snow here. Full tank of gas helps put more weight on the back end. Lighter touch on the gas and keep it out of Sport mode. That's worked for 5 years for me around here without any issues. I would stick with the Blizzaks and not skimp on any budget winter tires you might find that may offer less handling.

The Challenger handles well in the snow with winter tires. You can get sideways and have some fun if you want too. Might want to try that a bit in a controlled environment (parking lot, empty road,etc.) just to see how the car handles and how far you can push things. Good luck.
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J
FWIW, I recall Tire Rack recommends 235/55R18 snows for my car-OE size 245/45R20. 225/60 would work (was OE on older LX cars), but 235/55 seems to have a better tire selection. I'm doing the same on my Core...either the Tire Rack wheels posted here, or a set of stockers from a junkyard.
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Slidd
jzink0883 said:
My SP has the Dynamics Package with 6-piston Brembos. 18” wheels are not an option for me.
Click to expand...
Gonna be tough, those Tire Rack 18's will clear the 4's but not the 6.


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J
Yeah...even with spacers (which scare me), I don't think that will work. Those calipers are HUGE.
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