Need help with tire stretch size!

[Drewcmk]

Hello! I am currently running 18x8.5 +45 wheels on my car, when I get new tires I want a bit of stretch. What tire size should I look for? I don't want too much just enough to where it looks good. Thanks guys, Im gay by the way.

 

[tmw2442]

the mk7 facebook group probably has lots of photos of what you are looking for...

 

[GTI Jake]

It’s subjective of course, but those aren’t really aggressive enough to justify stretch IMO.

235/40-18 would probably be max I’d recommend, especially if you’re not slammed on bags or coilovers stretch will just bring back whatever wheel gap you had before lowering it

 

[akimmel]

I have 225/40 PS4S on my 18x8.5s and it has an oem bmw kind of stretch. slightly angled sidewalls but still within michelins specs.

 

[Chogokin]

225 40 if you want some mild stretch. I don't recommend going beyond that is because the 8.5 isn't a super wide rim. The whole point of the Germans "stretching" tires back in the day is to get the tread inside the wheel arches on some really wide rims or aggressive offsets. You can run as narrow as a 205...but the side wall will be so thin...it'll look really bad on a Mk7. I had 215's on some 17x9 back in the late 90's.

Here are some 205's on my Corrado back in around 2000. I think the wheel was an 8.5...but the ET was around 20 after adding the wider lips. I had to roll and slightly pull the rear arch. Different brand tires also stretch different.

 

[Phur]