Hi, I am wondering if going from 18 to 17 black steelies is possible with brembos in the way...

Any thoughts?

 

17's will fit, however, haven't found a steel wheel in that size which fits. Just alloy.

 

I used Dunlop winter sport M3s on my 2004 and 2006 coupe with 17" wheels for 3 winters (purchased from tire rack) and they were the best I've ever used.

When I got a G37S 6MT in 2007, there wasn't an 18" wheel available at the time to fit over the brakes, so I bought 19" setup with Blizzak LM-25s (tire rack also). In that application the Blizzaks were horrible. Not sure if it was due to the 19" vs 17" setup I had previously, but I would not recommend them. Detroit area had pretty bad snow last year and I was white knuckle driving for 3 months.

Now that I have 08 sedan, I am looking into dropping down to 17" setup and looking at Dunlop 3D or Michelin Primacy PA3s, pretty much the same price. Although the Michelins are rated top on Tire Rack, I have a feeling that the Dunlop will serve me better.

Good luck this winter. I highly recommend getting a dedicated snow tire vs all season, even if in Maryland with light snow. Better safe than stuck upside down in ditch.