Hey guys, I'm wondering if anyone can teach me how to calculate the maximum tire size one can put on a rim.
For example, I have a 17x7.5 rim... now what is the max tire size I can put on there?

 

It all depends on how high your sidewall is. For example on my 'Cuda I have a 275/75R15 on an 8 inch wide rim. That only fits because the sidewall is so damn high. Check www.Tirerack.com They should have many sizes there that you can choose from to fit your rim.

 

so you're saying i can make a 255/45/17 fit on my 17x7.5 provided I have clearance? hum.. that sounds freaky to me...

 

I didn't say that. I'm bad at figuring that stuff out in my head. How did you arrive at that conclusion?

 

haha, silly me then... yeah, I was reading how you said it all depended on how high my sidewall is... sorry about that...

 

Go to the Tire Rack site (http://www.tirerack.com/) and look at the spec sheet for the model of tire you want. The spec sheet will include the minimum, recommended, and maximum rim width sizes. They are usually pretty similar between different tire models for the same size, but there is some slight variation, so you should check out a few different tire models you are interested in.

Here is an example, the Bridgestone Potenza S-03:
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/Spec.j...+Pole+Position

For this tire, it seems like 225/45-17 or 235/45-17 might be your best bet. You want to keep the diameter below 25.3" or so to reduce your chances of rubbing.

-Max