Hello everyone I know this is something that probably has been talked about before but i wanted to make sure first before i buy. I am currently looking for new tires and i would like to put a wider tire on my 2004 r53 with 17" wheels whats the wides tire i can put on these stock tires?

 

Not sure, but I know lots of folks with 17" rims go with a 215 tire as opposed to the oem size of 205.

 

I've run 215/45-17 with stock suspension without any issues.
The tire choices in 215/45-17 size are significantly more numerous, better, and priced lower than stock 205/45-17.

There aren't a lot of 225mm wide tire choices with our rolling diameter (225/45-17 will be a bit too tall). There are a lot of choices in 235mm sizes (235/40-17 and 235/45-17), but they will likely be too wide and will end up rubbing.

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thanks a bunch

 

I used 215/40-17 with no issues on the 7" stock wheel. Tire Rack does not suggest wider on 7" wheel.
I like the 40 series instead of 45 to keep the tire diameter smaller rather than larger. The 215/40 (3.39") does have slightly less sidewall than the stock 205/45 (3.63"). The 215/45 sidewall is 3.81". The tire diameters are 205/45 (24.26"), 215/40 (23.77"), and 215/45 (24.62").

 

This is where theoretical rolling diameter calculation intersects with the reality of what's available in the marketplace. From tirerack.com:
Size # of choices (non-R comp)
215/45-17 ...9
205/40-17 ...84

Only 1 tire for comparison between 2 sizes (Dunlop Direzza ZII Star Spec)
215/40-17 costs: $153.00
205/40-17 costs: $145.00


a

 

Why do you think you want a wider tire on the OEM 17x7" rim?

For looks, for handling, for track or autocrossing, just to do it?

typically as mentioned the most common sizes are-
205/45-17 which is OEM and a good place to start for most people
215/45-17 which is a little taller than OEM, gives a little more cushion for daily driving comfort and has good selection of tires in various tire classes. This is likely your best bet for wider than OEM tires on OEM rim.
215/40-17 which is a little smaller in tire diameter than OEM, good when you have lowered suspension and want more clearance, or if you want a shorter sidewall for firm ride and more responsive on handling but not recommended for any bad roads.

If you are trying to use wide tires for looks or a car show then in Yokohama S.Drive Ultra High Performance Summer tire,
215/35-17 fits rims 7-8.5" wide, perfect for 7.5" wide rim, XL load rated, 22.9" tire diameter is almost 1.5" smaller than OEM
225/35-17 fits rims 7.5-9" wide, perfect for 8" wide rim, XL load rated, 23.1" tire diameter is 1.3" smaller than OEM.

If you have stock suspension then wheel gap will be increased with any tire size that is smaller than OEM 24.4".