Tire Help...... 215 vs 205..... 45 vs 40.

deep1ca · Post by **deep1ca** » Sun Jul 29, 2007 2:20 am

I have 17x7 motegi mr4 rims. Currently they have 205/40/17s on them.

I need new tires and Im just wondering what the difference is between 205/40/17s and 215/40/17s. And would the 215s fit?

That...and I've ordered Kazera Springs that Will drop 1.5 in the front and 1.4 in the back, if i go with tires that are 45 sidewall, will it rub?

Should I stick to 40? Yes the 40 sidewall does look better, only reason im considering 45 is because im a new driver, still need experience, and 45 has that much more cushion for the wheel. Don't wanna end up damaging the rim somehow.

Thanks.

OB · Post by OB » Sun Jul 29, 2007 2:49 am

Alright, I made some calculations to help you in making your decision.

>The overall height of the stock 15" wheel and tire combo is 603mm

205/40/17 (your current tires) - 595.8mm (close enough)
205/45/17 - 616.3mm (about 1/2" larger than stock)
215/40/17 - 603.8mm (very close; ideal)
215/45/17 - 625.3mm (Nearly an inch taller than stock)

As you can see, the 215/40 is the closest to stock you can run. The wider tire should clear the strut perch, but it really depends on what brand you go with. Manufacturers have been known to make measurement claims on tires that were several mm off, so it is wise to find someone who already runs that given tire with a similar setup before buying. The taller 215/45 will not only throw your speedometer off noticeably, it has a much better chance of rubbing the strut perch.

Good luck;)

deep1ca · Post by **deep1ca** » Sun Jul 29, 2007 3:05 am

First of all thanks for your help, thanks for doing the calculations and stuff.

Secondly....
would 215 fit on my 17'' x 7'' wheel without any problems??

Do you think I would have any rubbing if I go with the 215/40/17s and then drop the car with kazera springs. 1.5'' in the front and 1.4'' in the rear?

OB · Post by OB » Sun Jul 29, 2007 3:10 am

The tires will fit fine, and they arent wide enough to the point where you'll have issues with fender rubbing. The only possibility is that they may come close to the strut perch. What offset are your wheels? Since they are wider than stock, if they have the same offset as the stock wheels you may have an issue with the wider tires. How much clearance do you have between the top inner tire tread and the strut perches?

deep1ca · Post by **deep1ca** » Sun Jul 29, 2007 7:42 pm

OB wrote:The tires will fit fine, and they arent wide enough to the point where you'll have issues with fender rubbing. The only possibility is that they may come close to the strut perch. What offset are your wheels? Since they are wider than stock, if they have the same offset as the stock wheels you may have an issue with the wider tires. How much clearance do you have between the top inner tire tread and the strut perches?

Im too newbie for your questions lol. So how do do I found out my offset for the wheels?

At the moment with 205/40/17s mounted on the wheels, I have pretty much same clearance as stock.

pyro · Post by **pyro** » Sun Jul 29, 2007 10:35 pm

I have 215/45/17 on 17x7 enkei rs6's, offset unknown. No issues with rubbing, but they are close to the perch, especially when new. I've got kuhmos on now, but I think i had yoko 45 series es100's before. I put some 40 series paradas on one time, they were pretty nice too.

The speedo isn't a big deal to me, I drive slow where the cops are anyway

The biggest difference is, acceleration isn't as good. The tall tire kills mechanical leverage, giving a higher(lower numerically) final drive. Car seems more stable at high speed though.

I think they fill the wheelwell better, but that's partially because my car is still stock height.

If they rub a little on the tread shoulder, they will quickly clearance themselves anyway, heheh.

OB · Post by OB » Mon Jul 30, 2007 2:53 am

Offset is usually stamped somewhere on the wheel, or you can get it from the manufacturers site. If you have close to stock clearance you should be just fine. Lowering the car wont have any effect on strut clearance, and as I said, the 215's arent large enough to have any issues with the fender, unless the wheels have a strange offset, in which case they might be closer to the fender as it is. That might also explain the close to stock clearance at the perches.

deep1ca · Post by **deep1ca** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 3:19 am

My wheels have a +40mm offset.

lilolneon · Post by **lilolneon** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 5:48 am

i think thats the stock offset for neons (someone correct me if im wrong)

half_twisted · Post by **half_twisted** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 12:18 pm

im running 215-45-17 and so far I think this is the best size to run if ride comfort and is a concern.. tires do look a little to bulky at the first 2 weeks but then even out after..