Larger tires on stock SE rims?

[SuperGoop]

Has anyone upsized their tires on the stock SE 17"x7" rims. When it is time to replace my tires, I will consider:

225/55/17 (diameter 1.6% bigger)
225/50/17 (diameter 1.8% smaller)
235/50/17 (diameter same)

225/55/17 should be fine, but what about 235/50/17 (stock rim width is only 7"). Will the 235 look too "fat" w/ the stock SE rims? Will there be any rubbing on the inside with the 235? I'm aware speedo may be off slightly, and mileage may decrease.

What do you think? Better yet, has anyone installed different size tires on their stock SE rims already?

This would be a nice way to upgrade the footprint, performance and appearance without having to spend money on a new set of rims.

[Camread]

i'd go with 225/50R17. looks better with slightly lower sidewall, helps acceleration and mileage too.

[moky-tron]

i have 225/50/17 on my 17" SE rims right now. looks and handles better than the stock 215/55/17 plus sidewall looks great

[onefiend]

Originally Posted by moky

i have 225/50/17 on my 17" SE rims right now. looks and handles better than the stock 215/55/17 plus sidewall looks great

can you post a pic? I want to see how good that setup looks on the stock 17's.

[grumbles]

I'd go with 225/55/17. I wouldn't try to fit 235s on a 17x7 wheel, they would bulge out too much and it wouldn't really look great at all. I think some members are running 245s or 255s with no rubbing issues.

Honestly I would reccomend getting some new wheels if you want some more rubber. You could easily pick up a set of 18x8 wheels and 235/50R18 Z rated tires for around $1100.

[Camread]

yeah if u want a taller sidewall , go with 225/55

[SuperGoop]

Originally Posted by Camread

yeah if u want a taller sidewall , go with 225/55

Sure, shorter sidewall is better, but your suggested size (225/50) means a smaller tire and bigger gap

I am not planning to lower the car.

[SuperGoop]

BTW Camread, not offence intended. I do appreciate your post and in fact, I am also considering 225/50 as I noted in the first post. 1.6% bigger, or 1.8% smaller... it is a small difference either way.

I'll be another 2-4 years before I need to change my tires (I have winter tires also), so it is still a long way out for me. Others may find this info useful now.

I just read that pillpusher84 has 245 on 18"x8" OFFSET 45! That is good news, because that means there is lots of clearance on the inside.

[Camread]

Originally Posted by SuperGoop

Sure, shorter sidewall is better, but your suggested size (225/50) means a smaller tire and bigger gap

I am not planning to lower the car.

The 225/50 is not that of a significant of a change that you must lower your car. It will hardly be any noticeable compare to the stock size 215/55.