pabound

Just ordered 245/45/17's (stock 235/45/17) to put on my OEM rims...have heard differing opinions on yes/know regarding rub...

I have no suspension changes, Ferman Acura seems to think it will be OK...as well as the guys at tires.com ...any opinions?

Is there anyone else out there that has done this?

I am installing them tomorrow, so I'll let you know.

Crossing my fingers.

ZQQM

I have the A-Spec suspension installed and have no problems w/ 245/45/17's on stock wheels ( 17"x8" ).

No worries.....

ImaTLguy

I just installed the 245s on my 05 TL - with no rubbing whatsoever.

10mm is only about 1/3 of an inch - nothing to worry about.

(they do help to fill out the wheel wells much better)

mbwmn

245/45-17 Bridgestone s-03's here. 2004 6mt w/ a-spec suspension + oe wheels, no problems. good rim protection now....recommended.

pabound

Thanks, guys, installed them yesterday.

It feels as if I have a NEW car!
OhmyGod, what a difference...it tracks straight, quiet to 120+ (I know, I know), and hits the bumps a little "quiter" as it is...

Thanks for the input; I looked up the answers to this thread immediately before I gave the installer the "OK" at the shop, so this just goes to show you that there is a definite usefull utility to this forum...

-L8R

TampaMike

What tires did you settle on?

BTW, The CSM at Ferman, Brian is my neighbor...good guy.

TBone2004

What PSI are you using?
32/32 or higher?

Flippie

I purchased new Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 245/45/17 on stock rims. Have to agree....rides like a new car. Didn't reliaze how bad my EL42's had gotten. Any who I cannot get the 245's to rub at all.

Flippie

I also contacted Michelin for the recommended tire pressure for the 245/45/17. Michelin recommends 32 psi cold.

yendor

Just wondering. Any problems with cars equiped with factory navi with the accuracy for the GPS that relies on some inertial navigation for feedback?

mbwmn

i believe the oe navi unit would get it's info thru the antenna from satellites; i don't believe tire diameter would be involved. in any case the increase (or decrease) in tire diameter because of a few psi change would be less than the difference between a worn tire and a new, or 2 tires from different manufacturer's (of the same size).

ChuckDu

The error introduced to the inertial navigation system because of the change in tire size from 235-45/17 to 245-45/17 is less than the error introduced between a new 235-45/17 tire and one at the end of its useful life:

New 235-45/17 circumference= 79.6"
New 245-45/17 circumference= 80.7"
Error introduced= 1.4%

New 235-45/17 circumference= 79.6" (11/32" tread depth)
Worn 235-45/17 circumference= 78.2" (3/32" tread depth)
Error introduced= 1.8%

In any case, the inertial navigation kicks in when the GPS receiver doesn't have a good view of 3 or more satellites like when you're driving through a tunnel, parking garage or city with tall buildings. Over the course of a mile the error due to tire size would only be about 75 feet.

(Yes, I am a math geek to take the time to figure this out.)

KJSmitty

Greetings all,
Thought I would chime in here... I just ordered a set of Michelin PS2's (245/45's) for my 04 5AT tonight - couldn't wait another mile.... I have less than 15K on the EL-42's and the flatspotting and vibration is just horrendous. I probably made "the bad" tires even worse by having my car in storage for several months due to being out of the country lately. I've been driving it at highway speeds/commute for a week now and the flatspots will not go away.

In all reality it just helped push me over the edge to order the Michelin's.
-- After checking the specs the 245/45 seemed like the way to go. Thanks all for the above info/peace of mind. I too am looking for a little extra tire width/rim protection, not to mention a smooth ride for a change..

Cheers

crxb

I am looking at replacing my oem 10k mile el42s.

What advantage to the 245 vs 235's give me?

Only more rubber on the road?

Do they do anything at all to better protect the wheel rim edges?

Do u think they are worth the few $s more as compared to the 235's?

thanks

mbwmn

>anytime. hope i helped.

crxb

thank u!

245's it is


answers like that are an example of what a great forum this is

xedap1998

Looking through the Specs of the EL42 tire compare to other tires and i notice something weird. 235/45/17 has 9.2 sect width (widest part of the tires ) and 7.2 for the treadwidth which is almost 2 inches smaller. No wonder why our rims scatch so easy. Compare to the new Firestone wide oval /RE750 with 9.4 sect width and 8.1 treadwidth..much more rubber given the same side of tires..The yoko avs 100 side wall seems to be the most straight so you get the most treadwidth on the road...Looking at the EL42 you can really tell the side wall curves in at the contacting surface..

stevelit

I went with kumho ecsta asx 245/45/17 tires. The larger size has better rim protection and the softer tire made a big difference in the ride - easier on the divider strips and bumps in the road and the handling is still just as responsive. They look the same from the side but have a wider, more muscular look from the front and rear. I would highly recommend them, especially in the 245 size.

stevelit

I know this has nothing to do with tires... but where did you get the chrome strips for your lower air intake grilles? It looks good on your red car and would look good on my black car.

crxb

I bought the Michelin Pilot A/S tires 245/45/17s

No rub, fill the wheel openings better.

As far as protecting the wheel more than the 235s - hard to tell at 1st glance - but at they appear to at least offer some protection for a slow "flush" w/ the curb brush.

I have driven on the new tires for only about 50 miles so far.

but the ride seems less harsh on rough roads.

Handling - where the el42s would squeal in protest on a fast turn - the Pilots just hang on.

The main reason I replaced the oem el42s was - they scared me in rain.

No rain yet to tell, but at wet intersections pulling away from a light that just turned green - the Pilots just pull where I know the el42s would just spin (even when new)

With the oem tires I could only enjoy the car when the roads were dry.

The sight of rain drops in the windshield would make me cringe b4

only wish the tires where orig equipment

TLTrance

Can anyone post side by side pictures of the stock 17" wheel, one with 245/45 and the other with 235/45?

It would help me decide on this as well...

ZQQM

Don't forget to check the weight of the tires before you purchase.

My 245/45/17 were listed as being .5 pounds less than the stock 235/45/17 EL42. Some of the 245' options were up to 5 lbs heavier ( each ) than stock. Thats alot of unsprung weight to add to each corner.

stevelit

I dont have before and after pics, but the 245 Kumhos are 25.7" diameter and the 235 el42s are 25.5" diameter. You can't tell the difference in height. However, the 245s are 9.6" treadwidth and the sidewalls bulge a little (better rim protection) vs 9.2" tread and no sidewall bulge so the 245s are noticeably wider and look more aggressive. The 245s are 3lbs heavier but I didn't notice any difference in driving, just a smoother ride.

KJSmitty

Ditto for me,

Just had my Michelin 245/45 Pilot Sport 2's installed. As Steve mentioned the width is the only "visible" difference (size wise), and it's for the better. Were not talking a huge difference either but about 1/4 of an inch of rubber past the rim.
The tire/size just looks right on the rim and within the fender. I wouldn't give a 235/45 another thought...

The best part, and a plug for Michelin,,,, The TL rides so much better with the PS-2's as it "may" with most tires besides the EL-42's. The PS-2's have absolutely no flatspotting and zero vibration (I've only driven to about 65mph thus far though).

My rims went from having 2.5 to 4 ounces of weight required to balance the Bridgestones PER TIRE to .25 - 1 ounce max on the PS-2's.
To put it bluntly: All 4 of the Michelin's combined took less weight than any one of my EL-42's!! Pretty obvious to me the quality control/construction process is much better on the Michelin's.