[Ham09]

So I eventually picked up some cheap 17" winter rims on eBay, 188 Style's which I think look ok for the size

F - 17 x 8J currently fitted with 225/45R17 Runflats
R - 17 x 8.5J currently fitted with 255/40R17 Runflats

I've pretty much decided on the Vredestein Wintrac Xtreme's tyres and picked the following sizes:

F -225/45 R 17 91 V
R -255/40 R 17 98 W XL

Is this the best size for the rear wheels, considering I'm getting a winter tyre?
I see they also make these other sizes which I guess will be cheaper too, but I don't know if they will fit?

-235/45 R 17 97 V XL
-245/45 R 17 99 V XL

Any thoughts?

Thanks.

[willhollin]

Go with stock sizes.

[Ham09]

Originally Posted by willhollin

Go with stock sizes.

I was thinking the same. However, looking at the sticker in the door area of my car there is a configuration of '225/45 R 17 91 H M+S' not specifying 'front' or 'rear' like the rest of the configurations do for normal tyres. There is no mention in the handbook.

I've found this handy web page that lets you test different tyre/rim configurations and it looks like a 225mm (8.9") tyre width is closer to the 8.5" rim width than a 255mm tyre which is 10" wide.

http://www.wheelsmaster.com/rt_specs.jsp

Help, now I'm more confused

[E92Fan]

For an 8.5J wheel, you should go for either 245 or 255 on the rear tyres. The 225 section tyre, although mathematically suggest it fits, is too narrow and will be too stretched on the wheel.

There is a configuration for 225/45/17 all the way round, and that assumes that you have 8J x 17" wheels for both front and rear. If this is so, then sure go for the 225/45 option. However if the fronts are 8J but the rears are 8.5J, then 225/45 for the front, and 255/40 for the rear.

[Ham09]

Had a look at the winter tyre sticky in the General E90 section (rather than U.K. region) and found this in the FAQ section from 'Gary@TireRack'

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=304965

I'm just going to mount tires on my factory 18" Sport wheels because I have aftermarket wheels for summer or just don't want to buy another set of wheels. Can I use 225/40R18 on all four wheels even though the rear is now 255/35R18?

Yes, you can use 225/40R18 on both the front 8" wheels and the rear 8.5" OE wheels with no problem. This is actually very common to do. Eliminating the stagger in this way works very well for winter and results in better winter traction.

Thanks 'E92Fan' just seen your post after I posted this! Cheers :-)