Tyres which fit wheels
Discussion
Numpty question...
AFAIK, there are several tyre sizes (widths and profiles) which will fit any given wheel. (Happy to stand corrected at this point though!)
If the above is true, though, how do you know what the range of tyres which will fit is and, given a set of wheels without tyres, how can you work out what will fit?
It also depends on the car. Every tyre will have a range of rim width that it will fit onto (for example a tyre may fit 8J - 10J without issue) and you'd have to pretty much look up the technical data for an individual tyre to see if it can be mounted onto a particular rim. As an example on my 6J rims on my westfield I can easily fit anything from a 185 to 205 width tyre.
However thats only a small part of the story, as you need to figure out what width and profile of tyre you can fit to a particular car without it rubbing or fouling - which is really down to a bit of trial and error.
To make it a bit more complicated, manufacturers are sometimes inconsistent in the way they measure the width, so a tyre which seems to be the same size or narrowed can end up significantly wider.
However thats only a small part of the story, as you need to figure out what width and profile of tyre you can fit to a particular car without it rubbing or fouling - which is really down to a bit of trial and error.
To make it a bit more complicated, manufacturers are sometimes inconsistent in the way they measure the width, so a tyre which seems to be the same size or narrowed can end up significantly wider.
You just need to know the original rolling radius and keep within +-2.5% to avoid speedo issues.
Ideally rims need to be roughly 90% the width of the tyre +-1/2in for the correct side wall angle.
Armed with that you shouldn't go wrong.
Or just use this:
http://www.alloywheels.com/tyrecalc.asp
Ideally rims need to be roughly 90% the width of the tyre +-1/2in for the correct side wall angle.
Armed with that you shouldn't go wrong.
Or just use this:
http://www.alloywheels.com/tyrecalc.asp
OK. So the standard E46 BMW wheels run 205/55 16 tyres and the calculator says that's within a gnat's whisker of 245/45 16.
Does that mean it's definitely ok to go ahead and order the latter tyres? Or does some 'common sense' come into play at some point because the tyre simply won't fit the wheel properly?
And is it ok - when fitted to my E36 - to have the fronts at the first size and the rears at the second?
Does that mean it's definitely ok to go ahead and order the latter tyres? Or does some 'common sense' come into play at some point because the tyre simply won't fit the wheel properly?
And is it ok - when fitted to my E36 - to have the fronts at the first size and the rears at the second?
V8mate said:
Does that mean it's definitely ok to go ahead and order the latter tyres? Or does some 'common sense' come into play at some point because the tyre simply won't fit the wheel properly?
You answered your own question 
Without knowing the wheel width, it's difficult to say for sure, but I would imagine the 245's would not sit comfortably on the allow you have.Gassing Station | General Gassing [Archive] | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff