What sort of widths do you guys run with aftermarket alloys?

I was looking at a set of Dotz 17" 8J, but older brother and family mechanic, says that he thinks 8J is too wide.

So I wont be rolling with dish any time soon it seems.

8J too wide? lol

It's not the width of the wheel so much as the width of the tyre combined with the offset. I run 8J ET35 with 215 width tyres very low and there is no problem. I could run 9.5J on the rear with enough stretch and a high enough offset.

Im running 8,5x19 et45 and 9,5x19 et48 with stretch and good lowering on coils, no problem what offset do the rims have?

Its these wheels : http://www.wheelbasealloys.com/17_Inch_Dotz_Mugello_BP_Alloy_Wheels__1069

Offset is 32 to 35

Not keen on the stretched look myself, but as a Scout owner that's probably no surprise. In fact the Scouts 225 tyres are at the recommended limit of the width of its Proteus wheels giving a protective bulge.

www.tyres-pneusonline.co.uk has a useful reference section for min and max tyre width versus wheel width.

I've run 245 width tyre on my Scout using wheels with virtually the same offset as the originals. That doesn't mean that lower cars can accomodate them though...