Max width rim to mount 215?

What would be the maximum width rim one could install a 215 width tire on (specifically a 215/45/17)?

I've acquired some gently worn Michelins for DD purposes on my E36 M3. Stock is 225/45/17 and 245/40/17/ This will be strictly for commuting purposes.

I would like to avoid the stretched look . . .

It is going to look somewhat stretched. I have 205/50s on an 8" front and 8.5" wide rear rim on my e30. I have a little bit more sidewall and it still stretches. Some pics:

[URL=http://s1295.photobucket.com/user/hpdem3/media/e30/IMG_3545-Copy_zpsc4aa678b.jpg.html][/URL]

[URL=http://s1295.photobucket.com/user/hpdem3/media/e30/IMG_2477-Copy_zpsa25f4d8f.jpg.html][/URL]

[URL=http://s1295.photobucket.com/user/hpdem3/media/e30/image1_zps5d38a41c.jpeg.html][/URL]

If you ask the stance tards, they'll tell you a 195 will fit. I've seen a 215 on a 8" and it doesn't look terrible, but that's about as far as i'd go.

8" max.

Go to tire rack and look up the specs for compatible rim width for your particular tire. If they don't have your make/model you can find something similar. Most of the time tires of a given size have similar width requirements, but sometimes they will differ by a 1/2" or so.

per what I learned today, you CAN get a 225 on a 9.5" wheel

mndsm wrote: If you ask the stance tards, they'll tell you a 195 will fit. I've seen a 215 on a 8" and it doesn't look terrible, but that's about as far as i'd go.

I have seen, and mounted smaller than 195 on an 8" wheel. Worse prolapse ever.

corytate wrote: per what I learned today, you CAN get a 225 on a 9.5" wheel

Not surprising. 225 works best on a 9".

I'm going to go with 6.5" but I don't like to have my tread width narrower than my wheel width.

For no stretch on a 215/45/17 go with 7.5" max.

That's the setup on the front of this car:

You can see it's right between "stretch" and "squeeze."

Same setup again on an FRS:

I had no idea Enkei did the color scheme of the old RP01 Special Editions on the RPF1.

That's HOT.

GameboyRMH wrote:

I was like "Damn.....1.53 for gas?", then noticed it was in liters

I don't have an answer to your question, but I do know that the MINIMUM is 5" ;)

I wouldn't go much wider than 8"

Even that will start to be a stretch if it's a particularly narrow tire.

Anti-stance wrote:

mndsm wrote: If you ask the stance tards, they'll tell you a 195 will fit. I've seen a 215 on a 8" and it doesn't look terrible, but that's about as far as i'd go.

I have seen, and mounted smaller than 195 on an 8" wheel. Worse prolapse ever.

Lol glad I'm not the only one that thinks a super stretched tire looks like that.

Rule of thumb that I use is that a tire should be somewhere between 100% and 125% the width of the wheel, ideally somewhere between 110-120%. Factory sizing on Mustangs, for instance, is right around 120% (225 on a 7" 245 on an 8", 275 on a 9").

So, assuming that the tire is dimensionally accurate, the largest wheel I'd put a 215 on would be an 8.5", though that will certainly have a stretched look to it.