The new wheels I am looking at are rim width 8.5". Wondering if that would be too wide a wheel. Specs say it will fit Cobalt's and HHR'S - 5x110 pattern.
They are Menzari 04M Sport wheels. "Moon"

 

Some of the Foose wheels were 18x8.5 so they should work. I think they were 18x8.5 with a 35 mm offset.

 

The width should be fine. I run 8". The thing to pay attention to is the offset. Stock is 42 mm. Less than that will move the tire / wheel assembly outward.

The usual problem is that, depending upon tire size, you can run into clearance probems with some combinations.

For example: My rims are 18 x 8 with a 40 mm offset. Tires are 235/40-18. I had an issue on the rear with the body lip hitting the edge of the tread on bumps. Had to get the fender rolled. My car is an '06. At some point in time GM changed the body stampings in that area to give more tolerance, but not sure just when that took place.

Something to understand and keep in mind is that it's the offset that determines where the tire tread sits in the fenderwell, not the rim width. For example, take two rims with the same offset. One is 6" and the other is 8" wide. The tread will be in the exact same spot on both.

Hope this helps some people understand.

 

Hey! I'm not an HHR owner but I'm looking at a set of Brembo brakes for my brothers 08 HHR SS (NON Brembo). Question! Will his STOCK NON Brembo SS wheels fit over the Brembos? I'm about to buy them for his birthday but I can't afford a new set of wheels to go with them.

I AM a 09 Cobalt SS owner and convinced him to buy into the SS. He carries a big dog so needed the HHR but he's happier than a pig in **** with it.