Is it better to have tires a bit wide for the wheel or the wheel a bit wide for the tire?

225 is 8 7/8 inches wide.

245 is 9 5/8 inches wide.

225 on an 8 inch rim leaves the tread zone extending 7/16 (lets call it a half inch) on either side of the rim, whereas on an 8 1/2 inch rim, that's only 1/8 inch. A nearly straight sidewall.

Whereas the 245 on an 8 inch rim will give you 13/16 inches (close to an inch) of tread extending beyond the rim (on each side). On an 8 1/2 inch rim, you'll have about a half inch of tread beyond the rim.

Personally, I think a wide rim with a narrow tread looks a bit odd. It accentuates the narrowness of the tire (tread) whereas having tread extend beyond the face of the rim looks a bit better - IN MY OPINION. But having too much tread width to rim size puts the sidewall at an odd profile and can make the car less stable in corners.

8 7/8 (tire) on 8" (rim) = 7/8 total overhang (or 7/16 each side)

8 7/8 on 8 1/2 = 3/8 overhang (3/16 each side)

9 5/8 (tire) on 8" (rim) = 1 5/8 overhang (or 13/16 each side)

9 5/8 on 8 1/2 = 1 1/8 overhang (or 9/16)

Looking at those numbers, personally I'd go with the 8 1/2" wide rim. Provided it doesn't run into clearance issues with the inner fender or the wheel well. Offset needs to be considered too. Sorry, on that subject I have no experience. And I'm sure offset depends on the vehicle itself.

The only problem I'd be concerned about is that many vehicles with staggered wheels have a clearance problem with the brake calipers if you don't use the same wheels.

None of the above. It is better to have the optimum width tire on the optimum width wheel. Everything else is not optimal.

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