Comparison

245/40 R18 vs 255/40 R17

Going from 245/40 R18 to 255/40 R17 is a minus-1 setup that adds sidewall on a smaller 17-inch wheel. This wheel and tire pairing shifts overall diameter slightly from OEM. The wider section adds contact patch and lateral stability, while eating into fender and suspension clearance.

Expect a slight but noticeable shift in indicated speed compared to the original tires. Diameter change stays inside the conservative ±3% safety window — an OEM-safe fitment on most vehicles.

TakeTypical choice for a dedicated winter or off-road setup where extra sidewall pays off.

Quick math: 255/40 R17 is 17.4 mm shorter than 245/40 R18, shifting the speedometer by -2.66%.

Current Tire

245/40R18

New Tire

255/40R17
245/40 R18
255/40 R17

Ground line · scaled comparison

Excellent Fit

Within ±3% — safe for daily driving

Diameter change

-17.4 mm

-2.66%

Speedometer at 100

97.3 km/h

-2.66% error

Ground clearance

-8.7 mm

ride height delta

Sidewall change

+4.0 mm

revs/km: 500.6

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Detailed comparison

Metric245/40 R18255/40 R17Difference
Overall diameter653.2 mm635.8 mm-17.4 mm (-2.66%)
Sidewall height98.0 mm102.0 mm+4.0 mm
Circumference2.052 m1.997 m-54.7 mm
Revs / km487.3500.6+13.3
Ground clearancereference-8.7 mm-8.7 mm
Speedometer @ 100 km/h100.0 km/h97.3 km/h-2.66 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 97.3 km/h after switching to 255/40 R17 — a -2.66% 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 -8.7 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

245/40 R18

Back to

255/40 R17

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