235/45-17 on a 7" wide rim...
 

I know this has been discussed many times, I went looking for the threads, but found nothing.

A buddy of mine wants to buy some Vault wheels only available in 17"x7" sizing. He wants to know if it will be safe to run 235/45-17 on these wheels, since many manufacturer's say its for 7.5"-9". I know many people on the .Org here run this size on 7" wide wheels. I'm hoping they will chime in with their experience.
Thanks,
-Cyrus

Here's a thread to start you off with.

http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=180710

and another

http://forums.maxima.org/showthread....5&pagenumber=2

Thanks for the links bud! I'll let him know tomorrow that it should be ok to run that size tire. Wish I could change his mind about the Vaults :slant:
Thanks,
-Cyrus

No prob. I've seen you help many others out, including myself, so it was my pleasure.

Regardless of what width tire you can make fit on a rim, the tire manufacturers have a point. When you run a wide tire on a skinny rim, you get more sidewall flex, less treadwidth meeting the ground, and contact patch distortion. If you're doing this simply for looks or to protect rims from curbs and don't care about performance ....... go right ahead. If you want the best performance, use a properly sized tire for the rim to get best results.

But do you think the .5" limit is more indicative of a safety precaution? I understand what you're saying, and I want to make sure my friend puts the right stuff on (so he won't yell at me for years lol), but I was under the impression that .5" of extra width is not enough to cause significant sidewall flex. It is more so a precaution the manufacturer's set to be less liable for accidents? Just curious.
Thanks,
-Cyrus

I really don't think it's a safety issue. Many places will actually recommend it. They're more liable than the manufacturer in my eyes because they're the first in line for a lawsuit.

235's on a 7.5" wheel is fine. The thread is about putting 235's on a 7" wheel. Many guys have that very setup. Its a on-going debate, just like "Which intake is the best"