what is the smallest width tire i can run on a 17x8.5? i dont know if my fears about a 215/45/17 being "too narrow to hold air" on a 8.5 rim to be correct...performance is not the issue, so 215/45/17 on my 300e will be perfectly fine...i know it's a 10mm differece between a 225 and a 215, so will the 215 work safely and hold air, or does rim width and tire width have no correlation, as long as its wihin reasonable limits? also, i am looking between the dunlop sp9000's, the pirelli 7000 ssp's, and the yokohama avs intermediates for the 17x8.5 on my 300e...which do u guys recommend as far as comfort, treadwear, and mild performance is concerned? thanks alot, and it seems that my rims will FINALLY be on my car/...i'll update the ebay post to let everyone know how it went...thanks...

ben

225/45-17 is the narrowest tire you should put on an 8.5" wide rim. The 215/45 will not sit properly and may be a safety issue. Good luck.

the Dunlop Sport 9000 215/45-17 maximum wheel width is 8.5". The tire would have to stretch to the wheel width but, will work "ok"

Thanks, Luke


------------------
Luke Pavlick
Performance Specialist (ASE Certified Master Tech)
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Hi Luke,

Can I put 205mm wide tires on a 8" rim? Specifically, I want to put 205/60/16 on a 8"x16" rim. Is this ok and safe to do?

Thanks.