Wider tires, same wheels?
August 24, 2022 2:52 PM   Subscribe

My car currently has 17" rims and 215/50 ZR17 tires. The tires are getting worn and it's time to get new ones, and this time around I'm considering getting slightly wider 235/45 ZR17 tires, but I'm inexperienced and can't figure out if I can do that without also changing the wheels too.

My reason to get wider tires is to maximize the tire surface touching the road, for better grip and safety. Assuming no other issues exist (e.g., in terms of spacing away from the car's suspension components), is it in general possible to fit slightly wider tires on the same rims? Online tire selection tools let me select both sizes for R17 wheels, implying that yes, it's possible.

The car is a 2013 Volvo S60 FWD, in case that makes a difference. I only need summer tires.
posted by StrawberryPie to Grab Bag (5 answers total)
 
Best answer: Based on my brief research, the stock rims should be 7.5" wide. [double check!] A 235 section tire is the maximum width for a rim that wide, which implies that it's wider than optimum for a rim that width. https://www.tiresandco.ca/tire-equivalence-advice.html.
The good news is that your substitute tire size is a good match circumference wise to your existing size.

Wider tires with a lower aspect ratio will have worse ride quality, be more prone to hydroplaning and more easily damaged by potholes- which is not to say that they're not right for you- but it's not all positives.
posted by Larry David Syndrome at 3:55 PM on August 24, 2022


I would look at online Volvo enthusiast forums too. Likely someone has tried this already. I do recall the 2002 Volvo S60 did not handle wider than original specified tires well. The extra width resulted in interference/rubbing of the tire sidewall with the inner fender liners when turning before reaching full lock. (and that particular car had a large turning radius at the best of times.) Good luck.
posted by coppertop at 6:45 PM on August 24, 2022


Assuming the 215/50 tyres are the same size as those originally fitted, moving to a 20mm wider tyre should be no problem. Going to a wider but lower tyre will minimise any impact on speedo accuracy or gearing etc. As already pointed out, very low profile tyres (below 50) can have very harsh ride qualities, are slightly more easily damaged and have slightly more likelihood of damaging rims by hitting potholes etc.

Check clearance on the bodywork before going ahead, though.
posted by dg at 6:46 PM on August 24, 2022


Best answer: you say safety is a concern: wider tires hydroplane more easily. they have more grip on dry, clean road surface, but that's rarely noticeable outside of high-performance driving. you probably won't be able to tell much difference without a track and a stopwatch.

you might find the video in this webpage informative and interesting: Do wider tyres give you more grip?
posted by glonous keming at 7:50 PM on August 24, 2022


Response by poster: Thanks, everyone, for the informative answers and pointers. I'm leaning towards staying with the original sizes after all.
posted by StrawberryPie at 12:46 PM on October 8, 2022


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