Comparison

225/45 R18 vs 225/55 R17

Going from 225/45 R18 to 225/55 R17 is a minus-1 setup that adds sidewall on a smaller 17-inch wheel. This tire combination shifts overall diameter slightly from OEM. Expect a slight but noticeable shift in indicated speed compared to the original tires. More sidewall typically improves comfort and curb protection, especially on city streets. Overall the swap sits inside the safe ±3% diameter window, so ABS, traction control and gearing behave normally.

TakePractical direction for winter wheels, chains, or rougher pavement where cushioning matters.

Quick math: 225/55 R17 is 19.6 mm taller than 225/45 R18, shifting the speedometer by +2.97%.

Current Tire

225/45R18

New Tire

225/55R17
225/45 R18
225/55 R17

Ground line · scaled comparison

Excellent Fit

Within ±3% — safe for daily driving

Diameter change

+19.6 mm

2.97%

Speedometer at 100

103.0 km/h

+2.97% error

Ground clearance

+9.8 mm

ride height delta

Sidewall change

+22.5 mm

revs/km: 468.6

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Detailed comparison

Metric225/45 R18225/55 R17Difference
Overall diameter659.7 mm679.3 mm+19.6 mm (+2.97%)
Sidewall height101.3 mm123.8 mm+22.5 mm
Circumference2.073 m2.134 m+61.6 mm
Revs / km482.5468.6-13.9
Ground clearancereference+9.8 mm+9.8 mm
Speedometer @ 100 km/h100.0 km/h103.0 km/h+2.97 km/h

Verdict: excellent

Within ±3% — speedometer, ABS and traction control should behave normally.

Speedometer impact

At a true 100 km/h, your dashboard will read 103.0 km/h after switching to 225/55 R17 — a +2.97% offset. Use the speedometer error calculator to recheck for other indicated speeds, and the speedometer error guide for the full background.

Ground clearance change

The new tire's half-diameter changes ride height by +9.8 mm. Small differences are absorbed by suspension travel, but anything beyond ±10 mm can affect headlight aim, fender clearance and bump-stop margin. See the plus-sizing guide before committing.

Back to

225/45 R18

Back to

225/55 R17

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