Will 245/40/17 tires fit front?

[wtmeyer]

Car is a 1997 M3 sedan with stock suspension. I have a set of 17x8.5 Fikse FM10s that used to have 235/40/17 all around. This tire size is getting harder to find, but there are many more choices in 245/40/17s.

I am also planning to upgrade the suspension to bilstein B8 sport shocks/struts on H&R sport springs. This will lower the car about 0.5". Will I run into any problems with the 245/40/17s in the front once the car is lowered?

Thanks in advance for your advice and comments.

[TheJordanWhitte]

You should be ok, what's the offset?

I ran a square setup 17x8.5 et42 245/40 for about 2 months with a little rubbing in the front but I'm lowered 2"

[rajicase]

245/40/17 should fit no problem with your ride height.

[wtmeyer]

Thanks Jordan. I believe the offset is 37.5, but I can't find the exact offset in the documentation with the wheels. It is the standard Fikse Fm10 offset for the E36 M3 from what I can tell. These were not custom ordered and I am the original owner. I think I will try to measure it to be sure.

[TostitoBandito]

Pretty much any 245/40-17 will be fine in front on stock (rear) 8.5 inch wheels which are a 41 offset. No spacers should be required for suspension clearance unless your strut is monstrous or you run crazy camber.

Your wheels are a 37.5 offset, which means they are pushed out towards the fenders more. In the front this makes fitment easier since the limiting factor there is usually your strut and not the fender lip. That's why spacers are common in the front for people running 9+ inch wheels with 245-255 tires.

Your setup will actually probably be tighter in the rear with that offset putting a 245 pretty close to the fender lip, depending on ride height. I guess you can look at your current rear wheels and figure another 5 mm or so of tire sticking out towards the fender, which will be lower than it is now. Dialing in a little more camber can also help when you have trouble dealing with fat tires and fender lips.

[wtmeyer]

Thanks, Tostito;

Yep, I measured the offset last night and came up with ~37mm. I have the stock rear 8.5x17 wheels with 245/40/17 tires on the car right now, so rear should not be an issue with the small drop in rear ride height.

Thanks everyone for your replies. I am going to go for the 245/40/17 square setup. Just got the car repainted and the wheels refinished, so hopefully this ends up looking as good as new!