245 width on the front

urbanite · 04-20-2008, 09:29 PM

I have a 2006 Canadian 323i with Premium and Sport packages. The stock tires are 225/50/16 run-flats on the 155 wheel. This past winter I put winter tires on the stock rims and put the run-flats in storage. For the summer I decided to get new 17" rims with new tires. Here's the story:

My tire guy found some used 17x8 BMW rims (these are spoke type, like a style 160, and I think they were originally on an e46 ... not sure how to find out the exact style). The new rims look awesome!

I did a lot of research on tire sizes and eventually decided that I wanted something that was a bit wider than stock. The 245/40/17 size is almost exactly the same circumference as my stock tire, so I decided to try it. My tire guy wasn't too comfortable with it because of the width, but he gave in and I ordered that size in the Kumho Ecsta ASX (these are all-seasons but will only be used in spring / summer / fall --- I'm not comfortable using summer tires since we can get frost as late as June and as early as September).

They let me in the garage while the car was on the hoist. The guys were quite concerned that the tire was too wide for the front end and they only mounted one on the rim and tried it out. No problem at all!

There's a good amount of clearance even with the wider tire. They mounted all four of them up and I spent some time in the parking lot doing tight U-turns without any issue.

The new wheels + tires have made a nice change to overall driving feel. My car is no speed demon, and it's definitely a tiny bit slower now; although braking doesn't seem to be adversely affected. However, I didn't think it would be possible for the cornering to get any better! There is a very noticeable improvement on the twisty roads; these tires feel like they'll never break away!

Anyway, I thought some of you might find this interesting. I haven't seen much mention of this wide a tire on the front, and was curious about trying it. Seems to work great!

ModBargains.com · 04-21-2008, 12:35 AM

Thanks for the info urbanite

Please keep us updated on any issues that may occur in the future

04-20-2008, 09:29 PM	#1
urbanite Private 1 Rep 83 Posts Drives: 2006 323i ZPP ZSP 6MT (TiAg) Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Toronto iTrader: (0)	245 width on the front I have a 2006 Canadian 323i with Premium and Sport packages. The stock tires are 225/50/16 run-flats on the 155 wheel. This past winter I put winter tires on the stock rims and put the run-flats in storage. For the summer I decided to get new 17" rims with new tires. Here's the story: My tire guy found some used 17x8 BMW rims (these are spoke type, like a style 160, and I think they were originally on an e46 ... not sure how to find out the exact style). The new rims look awesome! I did a lot of research on tire sizes and eventually decided that I wanted something that was a bit wider than stock. The 245/40/17 size is almost exactly the same circumference as my stock tire, so I decided to try it. My tire guy wasn't too comfortable with it because of the width, but he gave in and I ordered that size in the Kumho Ecsta ASX (these are all-seasons but will only be used in spring / summer / fall --- I'm not comfortable using summer tires since we can get frost as late as June and as early as September). They let me in the garage while the car was on the hoist. The guys were quite concerned that the tire was too wide for the front end and they only mounted one on the rim and tried it out. No problem at all! There's a good amount of clearance even with the wider tire. They mounted all four of them up and I spent some time in the parking lot doing tight U-turns without any issue. The new wheels + tires have made a nice change to overall driving feel. My car is no speed demon, and it's definitely a tiny bit slower now; although braking doesn't seem to be adversely affected. However, I didn't think it would be possible for the cornering to get any better! There is a very noticeable improvement on the twisty roads; these tires feel like they'll never break away! Anyway, I thought some of you might find this interesting. I haven't seen much mention of this wide a tire on the front, and was curious about trying it. Seems to work great! __________________
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04-21-2008, 12:35 AM	#2
ModBargains.com Banned 475 Rep 13,583 Posts Drives: JB E92 335i Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: 1721 E. Lambert Rd #C, La Habra, CA 90631 iTrader: (51)	Thanks for the info urbanite Please keep us updated on any issues that may occur in the future
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