Re: tire sizing on 17x8 rims (archive)

Heres my story. I have a new set of Yoko A520's on 4/ 17x8 MilleMiglia rims. The size is 235/40/zr17 on all 4 wheels. The problem is - - I have a noticeable amount of Trammeling/Steering wheel shimmy, and I have been told by the BMW dealer that to run 17" wheels, the correct tire size would be 225/45/zr17. I was ready to go out and purchase 2 new A52O's in that size, however they are not available. The next size is 215/45/zr17, smaller than what stock is. I DO NOT want to have to buy 4 new tires, but I need to do something. Can I put 215's on or should I get a different brand of tire (need suggestions) just for the fronts in the correct size of 225/45/17?
Any input helpful!!
97 z3 1.9

From my personal experience, the vibration is most likely the result of incorrect balancing when your tires were mounted. My 235/45/17 + 255/40/17 on my M coupe had noticable vibration @65mph+ when first mounted. I had all the tires rebalanced (which were ALL out of balance) and now vibration is gone. Wider tires do tend to pick up more road irregularities, as my car seems "dartier" now than with the stock combo. You MAY have an out-of-round tire or even a bent rim, but definitely have your shop confirm that they have been correctly balanced before you buy another set. For your dealer to say that 225/45/17 is the ONLY size that will run correctly AND eliminate vibration, that's unfounded.

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