Moi,
If you bought a new ones maybe it is better if you return them and get the right size.
Did you buy nokia with studs ? or other brand ?

 

Mike if you don't mind me asking where do you get the 25 inches? I'm currently trying to fit new wheels and tires and this new math intrigues me!

 

example. stock 205/55/16
205 = tire width in mm
55 = sidewall aspect ratio
16 = wheel height in inches
sidewall height = tire width * aspect ratio = 205 * .55 = 112.75mm = ~4.4 inches
tire height = wheel height + 2*sidewall height = 16 + 4.4 + 4.4 = 24.8"

op, it'll help if you give the width and offset of the wheels. a lot of people on here run oversized tires (I don't know why..) and you should be alright with just spacers since you're at stock height

 

I know what the math is to get the over all but why 25in? I know the stock is but WHY? lol why not 26?!

 

your car will sit higher and the speedo will be off

 

Ok it will be off on the speedo but WHY wont it fit?! I run 225/40-18's which = 25.1" now I want to pick up for the track maybe a 17x9 or 17x10 now I know ET matters but according to the whole 25" rule I should be fine with 275/35-17 = 24.6" or cutting close with a 265/40-17 = 25.3"

 

UPDATE

So wheels ET= 35

Luckily i noticed 2 of the tires are 225 for the front so i will be needing spacers only in the back but could use some advice on how wide spacers

Here's a picture demonstrating the problem quite well, chassis is touching the tire just and just at the very edge

 

Same issue I had with 235-35-19 tires combined with my wheel offset. Spacers fixed it. Don, most likely if a 25" height is the max that will fit, I bet if you measure from the center of the axle bolt out to the body, somewhere on that arch you'll find a distance of just over 12.5" (half of 25"). That means a radius of 12.5" (corresponding to a rolling diameter of 25") will be the largest that will fit.

 

Not trying to nitpick, but the width of a tire does not determine its traction.

The pressure under the contact patch is affected by the width of the tire. Narrower tires are beneficial in winter conditions because the tire has less snow to push; the smaller contact patch also works to compact the snow more effectively than a wider tire would.