# How wide can I go with new tire on this car?



## rmedure (Mar 15, 2004)

'97 528i
Currently 225/60 R15

Changing wheel to 16" cross spoke (about 8" wide)
Upgrading suspension to MSport suspension VERY soon
I already know about keeping the tire DIA same


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## humanoid (Mar 31, 2002)

rmedure said:


> '97 528i
> Currently 225/60 R15
> 
> Changing wheel to 16" cross spoke (about 8" wide)
> ...


I'm running 10" wide on my 5er with the fenders rolled 275/30/19.

Some are running 285 but that has to be super tight :thumbup:


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## DZeckhausen (Mar 11, 2003)

rmedure said:


> '97 528i
> Currently 225/60 R15
> 
> Changing wheel to 16" cross spoke (about 8" wide)
> ...


You can use either 225/60-15 or 225/55-16 tires on those wheels. Going wider is simply going to hurt your handling by bowing the sidewall and reducing effective sidewall stiffness.

What's your goal? Are you trying to go for the widest look? Or are you trying to improve the car's handling? If it's the latter, I suggest you stick with 225/55-16 and pick up some Goodyear Eagle F1 GSD3 tires. They are on special at Tire Rack for just $134 each. The ride quality of these tires is outstanding and will help offset going to a lower sidewall height. And the grip will improve your cornering and braking.

If it's the former, you could install 15mm spacers in the back.


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## KCLARK (Jul 2, 2003)

If your hard pressed for the 285's, I can tell you from experience DO NOT GET Bridgestone S-03's in this size (and find another brand). The Stone's sizing run wider than they appear to be than is indicated. They are at least 2-3mm wider than stated. I measured it. I have my fenders rolled and have M5 liners, and the 285's will rub down towards the inner front of your rear fenders whereas not so much of the center-top of the fender where it most likely LOOKS where rubbing would be. I swapped them for 275's (which look just as wide) and had no rubbing at all. Just recently I got a set of the Goodyear F1's and can tell you that they have just as good grip in wet or dry and have harder sidewall which (to me) provides a quicker turn-in reponse, the wear has been great thus far and outlasting my S03's by a long shot!! I have put about 5k miles on them and they show no signs of wear compared to my S03 fronts whose corner blocks were smoothly rounded by this time. I agree with D.Zeck's advice on the tires.


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## rmedure (Mar 15, 2004)

*Other Things*

I was really thinking 245 vs 225.

Dave Z's post makes the most sense to me. I can see how cornering stiffness would be degraded.

In order of importance: Ride, did I say Ride?, Performance with soon to upgraded suspension, and then tread life.

Wouldn't the Bridgestone RE750 be good?


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## tsaros (Nov 24, 2003)

Im borrowing this thread a while 
Im currently tunning 235/45-17 and 255/40-17 on my car, i am in need of new tires all around.

As i was inspecting my rims i noticed that they are all 8" wide, my mechanic says that i should not run as wide tires in the rear, this seems to make sense since they do look way to wide for the rim.

My question is this, 
Should i run 235/45-17 on all four wheels or can i run 245/40-17 all around ?
I would prefer to run 245/40-17 because then i could run PS2 

The tires in considdering and in order are: 

Michelin Pilot Sport2 245/40-17 on all four.
Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3 235/45-17 on all four
Michelin Pilot Sport 235/45-17 on all four.

Any input on this would be helpful.


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## 540 M-Sport (Apr 23, 2004)

rmedure said:


> Wouldn't the Bridgestone RE750 be good?


Check the feedback (owner surveys) on www.tirerack.com...I used the previous version (RE730) on another car, and they got very noisy and hummed on the freeway...from what I see on tirerack, the RE750 appears to do the same thing...


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## 540 M-Sport (Apr 23, 2004)

tsaros said:


> My question is this,
> Should i run 235/45-17 on all four wheels or can i run 245/40-17 all around ?
> I would prefer to run 245/40-17 because then i could run PS2
> 
> .


If you look on the tirerack site, you'll see that Michelin specs for the 245/40/17 a recommended rim width of 8" to 9.5" with 8.5" as the width they use for taking all the measurements they show in their spec sheets (height, width, etc). So you should be okay, but you are at the minimum recommendation.

FWIW


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## tsaros (Nov 24, 2003)

I did that and i just want a second or third opinion.
Im wondering how the fact that im at the minimum width will affect handling etc.



540 M-Sport said:


> If you look on the tirerack site, you'll see that Michelin specs for the 245/40/17 a recommended rim width of 8" to 9.5" with 8.5" as the width they use for taking all the measurements they show in their spec sheets (height, width, etc). So you should be okay, but you are at the minimum recommendation.
> 
> FWIW


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## DZeckhausen (Mar 11, 2003)

tsaros said:


> I did that and i just want a second or third opinion.
> Im wondering how the fact that im at the minimum width will affect handling etc.


I think the difference would be very subtle. It's not like you are grossly oversizing the tire for the rim. I went with 245/40-18 in the front of my car, instead of 235/40-18, in order to reduce understeer. I like the results and the tire looks just fine. Nothing wrong with the PS2 in 245 width if you don't miind paying $250 more than the Goodyear Eagle F1 GSD3 in 235 width.


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## tsaros (Nov 24, 2003)

Thank you.


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## 540 M-Sport (Apr 23, 2004)

Well, as long as we are on the subject, what is the widest one could practically go with on a 540 with the 17x9 rear wheel? Best to stick with the stock size 255/40/17?

Okay, answered my own question....sounds like unless I want an understeering pig, I better not go wider on the back tires....


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