I have a 1998 dodge neon. i want to put 17 inch rims on my car. i have a problem with the tires..the ones i have right now are 185/60/R14...........what i dont understand is what the 185 part means. if i get somthing like 205/40/R17 is that going to work? or i have to get 185/whatever...?????// i got the 17 inch rims but i need tires... can someone HELP ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

HEY MAN ALL THE 185 MEANS IS HOW WIDE YOUR TIRES ARE THE HIGHER THE NUMBER THE WIDER THEY ARE YOUR BEST BET IS TO GO TO A TIRE PLACE AND ASK WHATS THE WIDDEST YOUR CAR CAN HOLD WITHOUT RUBBING, THE SECOND NUMBER IS THE SIZE OF YOUR SIDE WALL :evillol:

lilblack is right. But, if you already have the 17" rims, then they are either going to be 17x7 or 17x7.5 205 or 215's fit on the 17x7's. for the 17x7.5's, i think the tire sizes would be 215 and 225's. Most likely you have 17x7 and I would go with 215/40/zr17. I am sure you would like to use z rated tires.

Tire rubbing is definitely bad but one other thing you're forgetting is the overall height. It determines whether or not your speedometer is acurate or not. For that you do need a tire dealer, and keep in mind that different tire brands, in the same advertised size can actually be different sizes. If the overal height is the same you shouldn't really have any problems. BTW the 205 or 215 or whatever is called section width it's not really a true measurement of the width of the tire, it's actually measured when it's mounted on the rim from the widest points in the sidewall. The middle number is called the aspect ratio and is a percent of the secton width. 215/40 is 40% sidewall height of the section width (215mm).

205/40-17 is the correct size...and with your 14" wheels you should have 185/65- or 195/60-14. For the 17" tires I recommend the BFGoodrich G-Force T/A KDW. Best tire for anything it fits.