No matter how you try to justify your wider is better in the winter theory ......it's not true. Maybe you can get away with it in INDY but where people get alot of snow , wider tires will get you wrecked . It's like hydro plaining in water ... only worse . Narrow is better for snow's.

 

Just like those old trucks from the 50's and 60's. Narrow nobby tires... those things were beasts!

 

I just got a Cobalt SS and I live in upstate NY - snow belt. So I need new tires on the car. Is it ok to put all-season radials on the stock rims? Is so, doesn't that change the diameter of the wheels and throw the speedometer and odometer off?

 

nah, it doesn't. not if you keep your existing rims. it's so minor it doesn't matter. like a 1/2 a mile an hr difference? if that.

 

What's the model number and offset for those BSA rims? I'm thinking about buying an 09 SS but I want to be sure I can get a decent snow tire setup at a reasonable price first.

 

They're BSA Models 264s... As for the offset, couldn't tell you for sure. With a 3mm spacer on the front they have tons of clearance. I'm going to try them without spacers this year, but let's be honest, there's no issue with a tiny little 3mm.

The beauty of them is you can mount 17" tires, which are MUCH cheaper than finding 18s.

 

I haven't seen snow in 15 years.