245s on an 8-in rim?
 

I've read and searched and scratched my head for months, and am no closer to a clear decision. But now my outgoing tires are about shot, so I gotta decide, ready or not.

I'm buying a set of these this week, in 17x8 et35:

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/08...rogressive.jpg

Volks are sweet, but the money tree I planted out back never grew leaves, so replicas it is.

Anyway I'm currently running a 225/45 on the stock 17x7s. I like the extra cush for our shitty roads, and the rim protection. They are a bit squishy over mid-corner bumps, but I can deal with it.

I could run the same size on a 17x8, with a teensy bit of stretch, or I could go to a 245/40, which is what I'd prefer. I think. But I can't find a lot of examples of anybody on here doing it, which gives me pause.

235s are out because of the diameter differences.

So am I an idiot for wanting the 245s? Is the car gonna handle like it's riding on marshmallows?

Also, is there anything to choose between the Conti DWS06+ and the Michelin PS4A/S?

Depending on the tire, 225 will not be stretched on that rim. I ran 215/45/17 DWS06 on 17x8 and they had no stretch like the Primacies in the same size did. They seemed a little wide in fact.

I run 225/45/17 on a 17x8. Michelin Pilot Sport 4s. It's good.

- Andrew

The squishy handling feel is likely mostly due to running all seasons compared to a high performance summer tire. With a softer sidewall I'd be concerned about making the issue worse by pinching the sidewall on a 17x8.

I don't see tire stretch on 225 on 17x8. I did notice a small stretch on my last set of PS4S 215/45 on the same wheel.

225s
https://i.imgur.com/wKyNooZ.jpeg

215s
https://i.imgur.com/3WzsI1S.jpeg

Look at Conti Extreme Contact Sport rather than DWS06 (All-Season)
The ECS are just a hair behind PS4 in the Tire Rack ratings and significantly less expensive.
I have 245 ECS on 7.5” wheels and they’re great on street. Of course I don’t winter my FRS.
Also running 245 A052 on 8” wheels for track. Some say 8” is too narrow but until I find some 9” or 9.5” used I like they’ll do just fine for track days.

I have 245/40 on my 17x8 wheels and its honestly feels pretty great. I have not noticed any detrimental effects on handling and its the closest size to stock tires. The lowest wheel width for a 245/40 is 8" so it'll be fine. I have seen a lot of talk on here saying the handling suffers tremendously going with a 245/40 on an 17x8 wheel, but honestly it all seems over blown and subjective. Also, I can still kick the back out if I really wanted to it.

8" is within the range of manufacturer recommended wheel widths for most 245's, so you should be fine. As for how it looks, this post shows a BRZ with 245/40R17 on 17x8" ET35's - looks pretty good to me!

FWIW, I currently run 225/45R17's on my 17x8" ET35's, and even with the Pirelli P-Zero All Season's rounder shoulders I wouldn't say it looks "stretched". When I used to run Michelin Pilot Sport AS3's with their squarer shoulders on the same wheels on my previous car, they looked perfect.

That said, when it's time to replace the Pirelli's, I'm going to a 245/40R17 Michelin Pilot Sport All Season. ;)

Depends on the tires. I have Indy Firehawks on 8" wheels for my summer set in a 245 and they look to have a pretty square shoulder. Steering is a little 'mushier' feeling (extra width plus possibly a little heavier) but it's not significant or detrimental to the actual grip.

On a previous car I had 255 on 8.5" wheels (10 mm extra tire width but 12.7 mm extra wheel width) but they were RE-71R's so they ran a 'little wider' than a standard 255. They were definitely squished a little (at minimum recommended wheel width) and you could really feel it in handling and turn in.

Conti DWS06+ and the Michelin PS4A/S aren't 200 tw or 'cheater tires' so I doubt they would run wide like the Re-71R's do. They should look good as 245 on an 8" wheel.

For DD 245s on 8 wide rims will be fine.

Sent from my Pixel 5a using Tapatalk

LMAO always nice when someone else posts your car for you! :party0030:


I saw this thread and came to comment because of prior experience, that picture is 245 wide BFG Rivals which give a very meaty look on an 8 inch wheel. A standard UHP summer tire will run a bit thinner but should still give a nice meaty look if that's what you're after. That said, I'd just recommend running 225 instead to save the money, they look and feel fine on an 8 inch wide.

It looks good, what can I say...LOL!

That pic was one of the ones that helped me make the decision to go with my 17x8 ET35 wheel choice, so thanks for that. ;)

I have 245 45 17" on my 7.5" Enkei rims. I like the size for that rim.

A lot comes down to the tire choice. It's well known now that many 200TW tires are "wider" than their section width states. Falken RT660's run wide, so a 225 in that vs some other all season 225's are almost going to look like two different sizes on the same wheel.

With that being said, I run 225 "wide" RT660's on 7.5" and they're exactly square with the wheel. They're not stretched and not bulged out - but they do fill out the wheel completely. It's common for autocross purposes to cram the widest tire on a given wheel to remain within the rule set, so there are people running 245's on even 7.5" to make it work and this does tend to be fasted when you're looking at lap times.

Keep in mind tire weight. 245's are going to heavier than 225, given the same tire. Yes, you want grip which means added width, but balance weight too.

If it's me and not going for every 10th of a second for lap times... aka fun track days and street driving, I'm going with 225 on an 8" wheel and calling it a day. SSC (solo spec coupe) run this on an 8" and it works great.

Nothing wrong with 245s on an 8" rim. If the car handles like it's on marshmallows, it's not because of the wheel/tire combo. There's more slop in your control arm/strut/steering rack/subframe bushings than what you'll get from a 245 on an 8" wheel..