Different tyre sizes on the same car?
Discussion
Was just putting some air in the tyres and struggled to locate the actual size on the sticker at the a-pillar of the car.
It's only when i looked all around, i saw that i have the following:
Both Front tyres - 215/45/18
Both Rear tyres - 255/35/18
I forgot to check the speed rating. Is this dangerous and/or illegal and will it affect me in any way? Vehicle is an E46 320.
It's only when i looked all around, i saw that i have the following:
Both Front tyres - 215/45/18
Both Rear tyres - 255/35/18
I forgot to check the speed rating. Is this dangerous and/or illegal and will it affect me in any way? Vehicle is an E46 320.
fjord said:
Was just putting some air in the tyres and struggled to locate the actual size on the sticker at the a-pillar of the car.
It's only when i looked all around, i saw that i have the following:
Both Front tyres - 215/45/18
Both Rear tyres - 255/35/18
I forgot to check the speed rating. Is
this dangerous and/or illegal and will it affect me in any way? Vehicle is an E46 320.
You have different sized wheels because it's rear wheel drive. Most BMWs are like this. It's only when i looked all around, i saw that i have the following:
Both Front tyres - 215/45/18
Both Rear tyres - 255/35/18
I forgot to check the speed rating. Is
this dangerous and/or illegal and will it affect me in any way? Vehicle is an E46 320.
http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html
It's not usually a problem, many cars do come with different tyre sizes but in your case there is a bit of a "gap" between them
I guess the front tyre was meant to be a 225/40/18 and someone has either been sold the wrong type, or just went for something cheap.
It's not usually a problem, many cars do come with different tyre sizes but in your case there is a bit of a "gap" between them
I guess the front tyre was meant to be a 225/40/18 and someone has either been sold the wrong type, or just went for something cheap.
jackh707 said:
You have different sized wheels because it's rear wheel drive. Most BMWs are like this.
Cars don't have to be RWD to have different sized wheels front to rear. 
The numbers above look pretty standard for a "sporty" 3-series to me, although I'm surprised there's so much difference in a 320.
kambites said:
jackh707 said:
You have different sized wheels because it's rear wheel drive. Most BMWs are like this.
Cars don't have to be RWD to have different sized wheels front to rear. The numbers above look pretty standard for a "sporty" 3-series to me, although I'm surprised there's so much difference in a 320.
doogz said:
I'm struggling to think of any FWD cars with different sized tyres front and rear.
Rear wheels have very little work to do on an FWD under normal circumstances, so same size wheels are mainly fitted for convenience and to enable rotation. One of the main advantages of proper 4-channel aBS is to prevent early rear-wheel lock-up.You will often see tiny disc brakes (much smaller than the front) or even good old-fashioned brake drums on the back of an FWD car.
kambites said:
In fact (possibly asking the same question) is the RS3 the only car that's had wider tyres on the front than the rear?
I once saw a mk2 MR2 for sale at a back street dealer where they had swaped the front and rear wheels over. Both wheels looked the same, but the front was a 15x7 with a 225 tyre and the rear was a 15x6 with a 195 tyre. They were shut at the time so I couldn't let them know they'd been stupid.I can't think of any FWD cars that use wider tyres on the front.
The Lotus Esprit came with different fronts and rears, I originally had 275s all round on my Mustang but have reduced the fronts to 255s.
The main issue is keeping the same rolling radius as the original fitment by playing with profiles otherwise the spare wheel will be the wrong size. As mine is, the spacesaver is still the right size front and rear although stwing the 275 is an issue as it tends to fill the boot.
The main issue is keeping the same rolling radius as the original fitment by playing with profiles otherwise the spare wheel will be the wrong size. As mine is, the spacesaver is still the right size front and rear although stwing the 275 is an issue as it tends to fill the boot.
Edited by LuS1fer on Tuesday 11th December 14:29
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