Sponsored by The Tire Rack

[Thunderguts]

I really had my doubts this would work, but I'm very happy to report that I was able to fit 245/40/17 in the front with no rubbing...so far. I did some aggressive street driving and didn't rub once. That's not to say you couldn't rub on a rough track, but you could always roll the fenders.

Important fitment FAQs

1) Tires are Michelin Pilot Sport 4S 245/40/17. Specs are 9.6" section width, 8.3" tread width, and 24.7" diameter. I really don't know how Tire Rack measured the tread width. Based on specs, these have some of the narrowest tread width for their size. That doesn't seem right. They have a very square shoulder in my opinion, much more square than the Continental ExtremeContact Sport which supposedly have a wider tread width in the same size. Regardless, they don't taper much.

2) Wheels are 17x8 OZ Leggera HLT with 45 mm offset. Many wheels are going to be 17x8.5 which adds around .2" to the section width. My 8" wheels are the minimum width for a 245 tire. The 45 mm offset also brings them pretty close to the strut. Ideally for an 8" wheel, I would have preferred something like a 48 mm offset just to give me a little more fender clearance.

3) I have M3 arms and pulled pins, giving me -1.2° camber in the front. I'm riding on T1 BMWP springs in the front with BMWP struts. I made no modifications to the fenders.

[$iriu$black]

Well done, Thunderguts , well done mate!

Cheers!!

[$iriu$black]

More pics, we demand more pics! Side profiles and all that!

[Thunderguts]

More importantly, I need to upgrade the rears now. My rear tires should get here Monday. I feel silly driving with 245 in the front and 225 in the rear.

I need to wash the car and re-clearcoat my center caps. Then she'll be ready for full body pictures.

[PcarDefector]

Originally Posted by Thunderguts

I really had my doubts this would work, but I'm very happy to report that I was able to fit 245/40/17 in the front with no rubbing...so far. I did some aggressive street driving and didn't rub once. That's not to say you couldn't rub on a rough track, but you could always roll the fenders.

.

Thanks for posting your 245 test fit. Surprised to see that 245's fit on the front without rolling lips.

I'm beginning to rethink my choice of 8" / 40mm offset wheels. The plan was to use either Falken or Nexen UTQG 200 tires in 235 but fallback to 225 if the 235's rubbed.

I'm limited by some classification rules and won't be allowed to add the camber goodies. Strangely enough, the rulebook allows upgrading bushings and rolling fender lips.

[MightyMouseTech]

Just FYI, the M3 arms actually reduce clearance at the fender, even though they are increasing camber. To improve fender clearance, you have to move the top of the strut inwards, such as removing the pins, or adding camber plates.

[PcarDefector]

Originally Posted by MightyMouseTech

Just FYI, the M3 arms actually reduce clearance at the fender, even though they are increasing camber. To improve fender clearance, you have to move the top of the strut inwards, such as removing the pins, or adding camber plates.

Thanks for the clarification about the M3 arms!

[$iriu$black]

Originally Posted by MightyMouseTech

Just FYI, the M3 arms actually reduce clearance at the fender, even though they are increasing camber. To improve fender clearance, you have to move the top of the strut inwards, such as removing the pins, or adding camber plates.

And what if you had both the M3 arms and plates? Pardon my ignorance about this.

[MightyMouseTech]

Originally Posted by $iriu$black

And what if you had both the M3 arms and plates? Pardon my ignorance about this.

That is what I have. The camber plates increase clearance at the fender quite a bit, the M3 arms reduce fender clearance only a slight amount. I am easily able to run a 245 on the front of my own car without any kind of rubbing. Camber sits at around -2.2 in the front which is enough to greatly increase front end grip, but not too much to negatively affect tire wear. I keep my car perfectly aligned, being an alignment tech I can align it at any time, normally 3-4 times a year.

[PcarDefector]

Originally Posted by Thunderguts

More importantly, I need to upgrade the rears now. My rear tires should get here Monday. I feel silly driving with 245 in the front and 225 in the rear.

I need to wash the car and re-clearcoat my center caps. Then she'll be ready for full body pictures.

Thunderguts any updates on your rears?

[Thunderguts]

Originally Posted by PcarDefector

Thunderguts any updates on your rears?

Oh yeah, I put them on a week later. No issues at all. I haven't rubbed once in the 3 months I've had them. Oddly enough, the grip of the PS4S doesn't seem as impressive when the temperatures warmed up. They simply annihilate the Contis in cold weather, but much less so above 80 degrees. I'll need to check tire pressures though. The warmer temperatures could be causing too much pressure and lowering my grip.

[PleaseFix]

Hey, I am looking at running a similar set-up. Only thing is that mine is fully stock.

Wheels:Front and Rear - FAST FC04 17x8" ET45
Tires:(Potentially) Firestone Indy 500 245/40/17
Suspension and Mods:Totally stock with M-Sport suspension.

What are your thoughts? Would appreciate any recommendations on suspension or tires. Thanks!

[mad_hatter]

Originally Posted by PleaseFix

Hey, I am looking at running a similar set-up. Only thing is that mine is fully stock.

Wheels:Front and Rear - FAST FC04 17x8" ET45
Tires:(Potentially) Firestone Indy 500 245/40/17
Suspension and Mods:Totally stock with M-Sport suspension.

What are your thoughts? Would appreciate any recommendations on suspension or tires. Thanks!

Based on the OP specs and findings, you should be fine in the rear. The front, you may need to pull the alignment pins to get the negative camber required to clear.

Alternatively, roll the fenders? I see you're in Toronto - the guys at Automatrix are great.

[Thunderguts]

Originally Posted by PleaseFix

Hey, I am looking at running a similar set-up. Only thing is that mine is fully stock.

Wheels:Front and Rear - FAST FC04 17x8" ET45
Tires:(Potentially) Firestone Indy 500 245/40/17
Suspension and Mods:Totally stock with M-Sport suspension.

What are your thoughts? Would appreciate any recommendations on suspension or tires. Thanks!

Your wheel offset should be good. The Indys have exactly the same tread width and section width as the PS4S so you shouldn't have any problem there either. Indy's are a great tire for the money. I ran them on another car and liked them.

If you're perfectly stock, you should be able to fit that setup without any issue. I don't think you'd even need much negative camber at stock ride height. If you lower it, you'll need to make some camber adjustments.

[Luftmeister]

Originally Posted by Thunderguts

Your wheel offset should be good. The Indys have exactly the same tread width and section width as the PS4S so you shouldn't have any problem there either. Indy's are a great tire for the money. I ran them on another car and liked them.

If you're perfectly stock, you should be able to fit that setup without any issue. I don't think you'd even need much negative camber at stock ride height. If you lower it, you'll need to make some camber adjustments.

These look great. Great weight too! Probably a dum question, but can/are the Fast FC04 legal in US?

[Luftmeister]

Originally Posted by PleaseFix

Hey, I am looking at running a similar set-up. Only thing is that mine is fully stock.

Wheels:Front and Rear - FAST FC04 17x8" ET45
Tires:(Potentially) Firestone Indy 500 245/40/17
Suspension and Mods:Totally stock with M-Sport suspension.

What are your thoughts? Would appreciate any recommendations on suspension or tires. Thanks!

Did you buy these wheels? Very good price and light! Wonder how the quality is.

[PleaseFix]

Originally Posted by Luftmeister

These look great. Great weight too! Probably a dum question, but can/are the Fast FC04 legal in US?

I doubt they are illegal. They are no different from other aftermarket rims.

Originally Posted by Luftmeister

Did you buy these wheels? Very good price and light! Wonder how the quality is.

I did and they are a great price! Just need to put some rubber on and enjoy them this summer. Fast is great, Canadian brand, lots of people have them here.

I am thinking of going 235/45/17 now, rather than 245/40/17. May go wider in the future when I decide to upgrade my suspension and have more adjustment options.

[Thunderguts]

Originally Posted by PleaseFix

I am thinking of going 235/45/17 now, rather than 245/40/17. May go wider in the future when I decide to upgrade my suspension and have more adjustment options.

235 mm turns out to be a fairly odd size. I found very few good 235 tires. That's why I went with 245. You can find almost any tire in 245.

[$iriu$black]

Mate, did you ever get a chance to get a side profile pic w the 245s?

[sibanez]

Originally Posted by PleaseFix

I doubt they are illegal. They are no different from other aftermarket rims.



I did and they are a great price! Just need to put some rubber on and enjoy them this summer. Fast is great, Canadian brand, lots of people have them here.

I am thinking of going 235/45/17 now, rather than 245/40/17. May go wider in the future when I decide to upgrade my suspension and have more adjustment options.

235/45R17 is a tall tire, you are going to lose a lot of gearing. Unless you have a 135i, you'll want to go 225/45R17, 235/40R17 or 245/40R17. the 225/45 is the same height as a 255/40R17, but not as wide. 235/40R17 will make the car feel quicker due to the shorter profile.

[chris82]

Nice work. I am struggling to fit a 235 RS4 in the back, that tire must be wide

[chris82]

Originally Posted by sibanez

235/45R17 is a tall tire, you are going to lose a lot of gearing. Unless you have a 135i, you'll want to go 225/45R17, 235/40R17 or 245/40R17. the 225/45 is the same height as a 255/40R17, but not as wide. 235/40R17 will make the car feel quicker due to the shorter profile.

I think I'm going 235/40/17 next time vs. 45 sidewall. The 45 rubs in the back on my 17x8.5" et40 rim even with -2.8 degrees camber