Comparison

245/35 R18 vs 245/45 R17

Switching from 245/35 R18 to 245/45 R17 steps down to a 17-inch wheel — a familiar move for winter and dedicated all-terrain sets. This setup noticeably changes overall diameter compared to OEM. Extra sidewall absorbs impacts more readily — a sensible bias for daily commuting and broken pavement.

The speedometer error is noticeable and may warrant a recalibration if you rely on indicated speed. The 3–5% diameter gap puts this in caution territory: doable on many cars, but verify clearance and consider recalibration.

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

Quick math: 245/45 R17 is 23.6 mm taller than 245/35 R18, shifting the speedometer by +3.75%.

Current Tire

245/35R18

New Tire

245/45R17
245/35 R18
245/45 R17

Ground line · scaled comparison

Slight Difference

Within ±5% — usable, recalibration recommended

Diameter change

+23.6 mm

3.75%

Speedometer at 100

103.8 km/h

+3.75% error

Ground clearance

+11.8 mm

ride height delta

Sidewall change

+24.5 mm

revs/km: 488.0

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Detailed comparison

Metric245/35 R18245/45 R17Difference
Overall diameter628.7 mm652.3 mm+23.6 mm (+3.75%)
Sidewall height85.8 mm110.3 mm+24.5 mm
Circumference1.975 m2.049 m+74.1 mm
Revs / km506.3488.0-18.3
Ground clearancereference+11.8 mm+11.8 mm
Speedometer @ 100 km/h100.0 km/h103.8 km/h+3.75 km/h

Verdict: warning

Between 3% and 5% — noticeable speedometer drift; recalibration may be advisable.

Speedometer impact

At a true 100 km/h, your dashboard will read 103.8 km/h after switching to 245/45 R17 — a +3.75% 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 +11.8 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

245/35 R18

Back to

245/45 R17

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Frequently asked questions