Topic: I have 17x7.5 Rims, can anyone tell me how wide of a tire I can get?

[JesseB]

I currently have 225/50/17 winter tires on the rim now. I am looking at getting the Contenintal ExtremContact DWS for non winter months, and was wondering how wide I can go? I had 245/45/18 on my stock rims, would I be able to run 245/45/17 on my 17x7.5 rims?

[Critterman]

Stock rims are 18x8.  I have 18x8.5 and can run 255's.   With a 7.5 rim I would think you should run 235's for a proper fit,

[Sting Ya]

Depending on  the aspect ratio of the tire and backspacing of the rim you should be able to run a 245 or 255 tire with no problems but why would you want to run a rim that's smaller and narrower then came stock on our cars 

[POS VETT]

Well, it should be 225/55/17 to match the OD of the stock 245/45/18. It is within tire manufacturer recommendation to mount a 225/55/17 on a 7.5" wide wheel. The 225/50/17 winter tires used on your car is quite a bit shorter than the stock size; reducing ground clearance prefered in winter driving.

As a reference, you can check the specifications of a tire of certain size at the tire manufacturer website or at Tire Rack website.

Can you elaborate why you asked the question?

[JesseB]

Thank you guys for the answers!
The reason I'm asking is because im going to keep my winter rims (17x7.5) and am now looking for Continental ExtremeContact DWS for non winter months. I want the tire a little more aggressive than my winters. I found a great price on 235/45/17 , would this throw off the OD or anything else too much?

[Sly Bob]

To find out how the tires will fit on those rims, put your sizes in this site and you'll find out how a different size will affect the speedometer and such.

http://www.willtheyfit.com

[JesseB]

Only problem is I don't know the offset.

[JesseB]

I found them same price in 225 55 17 , would there be a big performance difference from a 225 width to a 235 width?

[Sly Bob]

Offset isn't that critical if you are staying with the same rims or are only concerned with the diameter and not going to a massively different size. Just use the offset for the stock rims for both in the willtheyfit site.

You won't have to worry about rubbing the fenders with either rim.

[Sly Bob]

You might find this chart useful.

http://www.lvvta.org.nz/documents/infosheets/LVVTA_Info_01-2009_V2_Tyre_Size_to_Wheel_Size_Compatibility_Guide.pdf

[JesseB]

thank you! I think I landed on 235/55/17 ...at 60mph its very negligible difference in actual speed (and its lower anyway, so thats good for me)

[Sting Ya]

Why not spend the couple of extra bucks and go with a 18 " tire and mount them on your stock rims if you don't like the chrome sell them or have them powder coated black my guy does them for  $ 350 a set cheaper then new rims if that's what you are concerned about .   

[JesseB]

I don't like the look of the stock rims anymore StingYa...and I already have 17" wheels that I like now. So in the future I may find an 18" rim that Id like, but for now, I just sold my stock chrome and am using the $ to buy my tires

[JesseB]

I should rephrase that, I do like the look of the stock rims, but I have become bored with them I guess is how I could explain it

[POS VETT]

Jesse, I have to say that your intention is very rare in the world of sports/sporty cars.  Usually an upgrade is considered as a move to a larger-diameter wheel. I have only found truck people going with smaller-diameter wheels.

[Sol Asylum]

I don't think he ever called it an upgrade.  Just sayin.

[JesseB]

Jesse, I have to say that your intention is very rare in the world of sports/sporty cars.  Usually an upgrade is considered as a move to a larger-diameter wheel. I have only found truck people going with smaller-diameter wheels.

Well, I understand what everyone is saying. I am not considering it an upgrade (although the 17" wheels and tires weigh less than the 18s, so yes it is a bit of an upgrade *performance wise*) It is just a convenience and budget factor for me. I was bored of the stock chrome rims, and already had these 17" rims with my winter tires. I really like the look of the 17" rim, so I sold my stock chrome rims, and used some of the money to buy all season tires for my 17" rim.

I actually ended up going with 245/50/17 ...it has very little impact on the speedo and is just as wide as my 18" tires were!