gun5l1ng3r

I was thinking about getting some 17" rims and tires, but if they are just mainly for looks, then I probably wont get them soon. I do want 265's too, but I am mainly looking for cornering capibilities.

Bad Blu Formula

iTrader: (3)

Get 275s because they fit better. 17s will allow you to run a lower profile tire which will help cornering.

APeteSS

I'm running the stock ZO6 setup with 17s in front and 18s in the rear. Upgrading to even 17s with 275s all around would definitley open up your tire oprions to some high performance summer treads. TIRES make a HUGE difference in handling and sticking to the pavement.

jimmyblue

iTrader: (11)

For the same ride height or outer diameter, you'll
always do better for handling if you have more
aluminum and less rubber. And the opposite for
drag launching, out back. The SS and other up-
optioned models came with 17" rims and 275/40
tires. You'll find the options get very thin if you
go to 265 or 285 on 17".

jRaskell

iTrader: (1)

Not true. A certain amount of sidewall rubber is desirable and necessary for traction. The best way to explain it is that the tire carcass needs to flex and stretch over the pavement to grip it better. The less sidewall your tire has, the less it's able to flex over the road surface, and consequently you end up with less potential traction.

Take a rubber band, and stretch a portion of it across your finger tip, then slowly let it unstretch. Performance/competition/racing tires all work on basically the same principle.

Look at the sidewalls on most race cars these days. Formula 1 cars in particular run very tall sidewalls. I've seen pics showing serious flex on those tires under hard cornering as well.

It is always a compromise, but it's also a system. More flex equals less steering response, less feel of the road and what the car is doing, but it also means less traction at some point as well. Formula 1 cars have suspension setups to match the tires and still provide excellent handling to complement the serious grip. They would not perform well at all with really low profile tires.

DONAIMIAN

iTrader: (18)

Thats because of the fact that most the time thoes things are on the other side of 200mph and need that extra sidewall to help dissapate the heat thoes things generate betwene the contact patch and the pavement. I know some flex is always desireable(sp) but im sure that if they didnt have to deal with that heat build up, they would run a lower profile.

jRaskell

iTrader: (1)

Except metals conduct heat far quicker than rubber. I also believe they have a higher thermal capacity than rubber (meaning it takes more btus to raise a certain mass of metal 1 degree in temp than the same mass of rubber).