18’s will rub unfortunately We can do the 17” with a 205/45/17 hankook K104 (correct size for your vehicle)

Ok if I have to go with 17" why 205/45/17 why not 215/40/17 or 215/45/17

If I only drop it 1" to 1"1/2 how bad will 18s rub

 

I have 18s and I don't rub.

 

I also have 18's with the trd springs and don't rub at all.

 

I should have said I don't want to run 35s on th e18s I want to run 40s

 

A 215/40/17 will be closer to your stock size than the 205/40/17. They might not want to go as wide because of your wheel choice. There may be too much tire bulge if you are choosing a pretty narrow wheel.

The one thing to keep in mind is to try and keep your overall diameter between 23.75" and 24.50". This is just a general rule of thumb to try and keep you speedometer accurate. You could actually get your 18s with a 215/40 and only be a 24.77". Probably close enough for most of us, and definitely small enough to work with a typical drop coil.

My bet is your tire guy is scared to do a fitment he has never done before. If you want a 40 series and 18s, I say go for it. Squirrel's box may be on 215/35/18s, but he is significantly lower than your typical 2" drop coil.