205/50 R17 Tyres Explained

205/50 R17 is a common tyre size for many family cars. And from tyres that provide a good mix of comfort, grip and precise handling. Ideal for everyday and motorway driving. The numbers tell you the tyre dimensions. 205 is the tread width in millimetres, and the 50 is the aspect ratio - so the sidewall height is 50% of 205mm (about 102.5mm). The R17 section of the size simply means the tyre fits a 17 inch wheel. You'll find this size on cars that need balanced ride quality and responsive steering. This size is available from premium brands like Michelin, Pirelli, and Goodyear. An example of this would be the Michelin CrossClimate 3. Or the Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance 2. For those looking for mid range choices, brands such as Hankook, Kumho and Yokohama make models in this size. Value options on the page include Westlake, Tomket and Mazzini. Confirm this is the right size by checking the tyre sidewall, the driver's door sticker or your vehicle handbook, or enter your registration for exact matches.

The numbers 205/50 R17 are 3 very important pieces of information in regards to a tyre's size. They tell you the width, profile and diameter of a tyre. For a tyre that is 205/50 R17 this information can be broken down into the following: 205 - the width in millimetres of the tyre. In this case 205mm wide. 50 - the height of the sidewall as a percentage of the width. For this tyre that is 50% R17 - the diameter, in inches, of the tyre's inner rim. Letting you know what size of wheel this tyre should be fitted to. For this size, that is a 17 inch wheel

If you are looking for the recommended tyre pressure for 205/50 R17 tyres, you will find that this will depend on the manufacturer and model. Each vehicle manufacturer has their own tyre pressure recommendation for their model, that will deliver an optimal performance for your vehicle. Check the following if you are unsure what the correct tyre pressure is for your 205/50 R17 tyres Tyre label - this is often the best place to find your tyre pressure information. It is located on the door jamb on the driver’s side of the vehicle. It is a small rectangular label that provides the driver with the recommended tyre pressure and tyre sizes. Vehicle handbook - Quite often the vehicle handbook with contain a section that relates to the technical details for the tyre. This should include the required tyre size, load rating, speed rating and recommended tyre pressure.

The sidewall height of a 205/50 R17 tyre is calculated by using the profile information of the tyre size. In this instance 50. This tells us that it is 50% of the tyre's cross-section width. When looking at a tyre, the sidewall height is the distance between the tread line of the tyre and the rim line. Given that this tyre size has a cross-section width which equals 205mm, we can work out that the sidewall height is 50% of 205 – this comes to 102.5mm.