CarSpecsHQ

245/50R17 vs 245/45R18

245/45R18 is a safe swap for 245/50R17 by the usual ±3% rule: the diameter differs by +0.13%.

17" → 18"
245/50R17 26.65" · 245/45R18 26.68" · drawn to scale

Side by side

245/50R17245/45R18Difference
Overall diameter26.65"26.68"+0.04" (+0.13%)
Section width245 mm245 mm0 mm
Sidewall4.82"4.34"-0.48"
Rim17"18"+1"
Circumference83.7"83.8"+0.1"
Revs per mile757756-1
Ride height——+0.02"
Speedometer reads 60 mph60.060.1+0.1 mph

Speedometer and odometer

020406080100120 reads 60 · actual 60.1 mph

With 245/45R18 on a car calibrated for 245/50R17, the speedometer reads 59.9 mph when you're really doing 60, and the odometer under-counts by 0.1%.

Speedo showsActual speed
30 mph30.0 mph
45 mph45.1 mph
60 mph60.1 mph
70 mph70.1 mph
80 mph80.1 mph

Other sizes close to 245/50R17

Questions

Can I replace 245/50R17 with 245/45R18?

245/45R18 is a safe swap for 245/50R17 by the usual ±3% rule: the diameter differs by +0.13%.

What's the difference between 245/50R17 and 245/45R18?

245/45R18 is 0.04" taller and 0 mm wider; the sidewall is -0.48". At an indicated 60 mph you'd actually be doing 60.1 mph.

Will 245/45R18 fit on 245/50R17 wheels?

No — 245/50R17 needs a 17" wheel and 245/45R18 a 18" wheel. This is a plus/minus-size swap that changes wheels too.