Confirmed -- Brabus rears fit on the front

[Brabus]

I just learned that run-flats don't exist for the 15" wheels between 145/40-15 to 215/70-15, but they do for 17s.

At least on tire-rack. 15 run-flats may still exist?

So I'm considering run-flats for the 17s as well as getting run-flat snow tires.

Run Flat sizes for the front
205/45-17 is a very common run-flat size and even has SNOW tire run-flats in this size! So if I put that on the front then I'd definitely would need a wheel spacers and/or spring spacer.

And there are a ton of options for a run-flat for the rear in any width 225 and higher. IMO, the Brabus needs a wider rear tire than 215 because it's a 7.5" width rim.

So now back to the drawing board.

The difference between 215/35-17 and 205/45-17 is I wouldn't need a wheel spacer fear of hitting the spring perch as the tire width is 0.4" (10mm) narrower.

However, the sidewall is 0.6" taller (17mm). That means the tire will be 0.3" (8.5mm) closer to the spring, so the spring itself is going to be a problem. I could use a a combination of both wheel spacer and spring perch spacer to minimize a frontal lift and widening the wheel stance. Or I could pick just one and go more extreme on widening or lifting the vehicle.

hmmm, guess I need to see what a 205/45-17 on the wheel looks like installed on the Brabus's front.

[Brabus]

Okay, so after looking at the Brabus. A 205/45-17 tire would require a spacer between the spring and perch.

A wheel spacer would have to be 30mm in order for that size tire to clear the spring,which obviously goes without saying would look ridiculous. Using a wheel spacer would be pointless even in combination with a spring perch spacer.

So now the hunt for a suspension spacer. I'm guessimating 10mm is what I need.

I don't have a problem with raising the front to standard Smart height, better crash protection and road hazard protection (i.e. snow on the roads). However, I do love tbone28 dropped Smart but that is only practical in warmer climates.

[tbone28]

Brabus - when calculating various tire sizes, keep in mind that sizes are not standard across different manufacturers. Some are wider than others, and some have rounded sidewalls vs. square sidewalls.

[Brabus]

Originally Posted by tbone28

Brabus - when calculating various tire sizes, keep in mind that sizes are not standard across different manufacturers. Some are wider than others, and some have rounded sidewalls vs. square sidewalls.

Yeah, I just read what you wrote in your wheel mod thread after writing this in this thread. After reading that, it appears I might need a combination of wheel and suspension spacers afterall.

Does anybody know who sells suspension spring spacers?