After searching this website about winter tires and steel rims for my 2009 Fit Sport it seems the going belief is to reduce my 16" OEM rim and tire to a 15".

The OEM tire is 185/55R 16 so the suggestions have been to reduce for better traction to the 15" version or 185/60R 15.

Question is Rims. I have found out through this site that the rims are a 4X100mm bolt pattern with a 56.1mm hub. The Rim's offset seems to be an answer somewhat harder to get a consensus on

So I have three questions;
(1) Does anyone know the Rim's offset for my OEM 16" 2009 Honda Fit Sport?
(2) Common sense tells me the offset would not change if I reduce to 15". Thoughts on this yes or no?
(3) Do people have opinions on the research I have done into a set of Winter tires for this Honda Sport. (IE) downsizing, the suggested tire size,etc

Thanks in advance for the help

 

Offset is an important concern, and seems to be the most difficult spec to get on OEM or replacement rims. It is particularly important as on my 2008 Fit Sport Honda went with 55 offset wheels; they are stamped visibly on the OEM wheels that are manufactured by Enkei; "55 offset" appears right on the rim. 55 offset is quite unusual; it was used on at least one Accord and the original NSX. When I bought my car in 2007, Tire Rack had some nice Sport Edition wheels on sale that had 55 offset and I bought them for dedicated winter use. Thank God, because I cannot find ANY 55 offset 4 X 100 replacement rims for my car today. When I needed to replace a wheel I had to get an OEM from eBay. I searched the forums and members said the 2010 had a 53 offset. Ask your dealer, but they may not have the answer; offset is the least known and discussed spec on wheels. I tried some 45 offset custom wheels on my Fit, one size wider and every time the car hit a bad bump they hit the wheel well. I decided I just cannot use ANY custom wheels with other than 55 offset for my Fit any more.

 

Thanks

Now that is an answer. I agree offset is something alot of people do not pay attention to when getting a good price on new or used, winter or summer Rims. I know I didn't, but after researching a bit it my understanding besides hitting bumps and having tires foul on wheel wells, the offset can wear out wheel bearings faster and possibly cause suspension issues as well. However perhaps using the tire for a short period, like winter, may not cause significant loss of wear life on these other components that it would be noticeable.

Just a thought as you are right finding this offset in aftermarket arenas has been difficult, bolt pattern not a problem, hub dia yes, all three including offset, not so much