You can answer this yourself by looking at strut (archive)

As rabmw said to you in reply to your first post, you should be fine and you indicate this yourself when you mention your test. Is 2.5mm enough? Not to be a smart-aleck, but I'll ask you: well, is it enough? Are there any rub marks from your test drive? If not, you know the tires will clear fine. If there's a bit of rubbing, do as rabmw says and get a 3mm or 5mm spacer, but in case that's necessary, the 2.5mm clearance you mention means you really would only need a 3mm spacer, which would give you almost �" clearance. Heck, if you really want the peace of mind, go ahead and put the 3mm spacer on anyhow. No matter what, it appears the 235/45-17s will be fine.

-Shawn D.

I'm reposting this today to get a little more feedback before buying two additional tires. Just bought (4) 17" E39 wheels with 20mm offset and (2) Dunlop sp5000 tires 235/45/17 (the package came with 4 wheels and 2 tires).

The 235/45/17 seem to fit in both the front and rear. HOWEVER, the clearance in the front is only about 2.5mm from the strut. I drove to work this morning with these tires in the front and everything seems ok, except my steering is shaking more than it used to. So...since I have to buy two tires still, should I go with 235/45/17 in the front too, or should I go with something smaller, like a 235/40, or a 225/???/17? Is 2.5mm clearance in the front enough? If I go with a 235/40, I'd have to go with a different brand tire since Dunlop sp5000s aren't made in this size.

Just looking for some advice since I might be using these tires for a few years.

As a note, I will not be racing this car or lowering it.

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