I just picked up an 07 HHR LS for my dad. Going to be a surprise for him for Christmas. Last night I stumbled upon a set of MINT 06 18" G6 GTP wheels & tires for a hell of a deal so I bought them. They are 18x7 with a 41 mm offset from everything I've read.

My questions is whether the 225/50/18 tires they came with will cause a problem on the HHR? I think the 225/40/18 tires that are recommended for an 18" wheel on an HHR look tiny . . . even with a drop. My plan is to go with Eibach or Goldline springs.

Anyone have pics of this exact set-up too?

 

The 215/55R16 is 25.31" tall.

The 225/40R18 is 25.08" tall.

The 225/50R18 is 26.85" tall.

The strut is your biggest enemy here. It will be close.

 

How will the strut be close when the offset is only 1mm different than stock?

 

The bottom spring retainer plate on the strut actually hangs over the tire. If you go too large with the tires, it will rub on the bottom of the spring plate.
EDIT: heres a pic from another member, these are 25.78", so it looks like anything over 26" wont fit at all. It also depends on what your driving conditions are. Being in the snowy north, I would keep a good clearance.

 

unless you cut all the tread off of the inside of the tire i doubt it will work. tires werent too much for mine and iff the old ones are in decent shape they may be worth something.

 

DOH! Thats a bummer. These tires and wheels have less than 5,000 miles on them. I paid $460 for all 4 wheels & tires last night.

 

And I really think the 225/40/18's look way too small on the HHR and was hoping these 225/50/18's would fill the gap nicely.

 

I'm running the 225/40 right now. When I need tires I'll jump to either a 225/45 or a 235/40. But if you wanting more sidewall, 18's might not be the way to go. As you can see by the measurements above, mine are almost the same height at the stock 16's.

 

Try using a 1/4'' spacer-I have used them on my 49 WILLYS and 26 FORD for years and have had no problems. Should look very sharp.

 

Now why didn't I think of that!? So would a 1/4" spacer allow the wheels to clear the bottom spring retainer on the strut?