What is the widest tire possible?
Thread Starter
TECH Regular
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 465
Likes: 1
From: Ottawa, Ontario
What is the widest tire possible? I have a set of magnesium C5 wheels. I am planning to install Nitto NT05 tires onto them in the next week or so.
The fronts are 17 x 8.5 and the rears are 18 x 9.5
The tire shop recommended 245.45.17 and 275.40.18
NT05's so not come in both of these sizes.
FRONTS: According to Nittos website, they come in 235.40.17 & 255.40.17 can i get away with the 255 on a 8.5 inch wheel??
REARS: According to Nittos website, they come in 275.40.18, 285.35.18, 295.35.18 & 295.45.18.
I plan to use the car fro AutoX and occasional street use, so I want the car to be as balanced as possible.
How wide can I get away with?
I am really committed to these tires specifically.
Thanks.
The fronts are 17 x 8.5 and the rears are 18 x 9.5
The tire shop recommended 245.45.17 and 275.40.18
NT05's so not come in both of these sizes.
FRONTS: According to Nittos website, they come in 235.40.17 & 255.40.17 can i get away with the 255 on a 8.5 inch wheel??
REARS: According to Nittos website, they come in 275.40.18, 285.35.18, 295.35.18 & 295.45.18.
I plan to use the car fro AutoX and occasional street use, so I want the car to be as balanced as possible.
How wide can I get away with?
I am really committed to these tires specifically.
Thanks.
Thread Starter
TECH Regular
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 465
Likes: 1
From: Ottawa, Ontario
Thanks Carlos64030,
I just spoke to the tire shop guy again.
He cautioned me againt the 295 rear, saying they are almost 2 inches taller than stock, and being that the car is lowered i may find they rub??
I agree fully on the 255/40/17 front, so that is a non-starter. My concern is with the rear. He suggested 285/35/18...
Any other thoughts??
I just spoke to the tire shop guy again.
He cautioned me againt the 295 rear, saying they are almost 2 inches taller than stock, and being that the car is lowered i may find they rub??
I agree fully on the 255/40/17 front, so that is a non-starter. My concern is with the rear. He suggested 285/35/18...
Any other thoughts??
315's on the rear for sure. I've been running 315 tires on my 17x9's for 10 years. They wear even and handle perfectly. And they stick like glue. They will just plant a little bit better because yours are .5" wider rims. It works perfect regardless of what the manufactures recommend....they only have size limits because of attorneys and liability from bogus lawsuits. There is NOTHING wrong with a 315 on a 17x9.5
Or spend $450.00 more and have them widened to 11.5-12"..... Then put 335's on them.
.
Or spend $450.00 more and have them widened to 11.5-12"..... Then put 335's on them.
.
TECH Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 5,798
Likes: 16
From: St.Charles MO
I have a set of magnesium C5 wheels. I am planning to install Nitto NT05 tires onto them in the next week or so.
The fronts are 17 x 8.5 and the rears are 18 x 9.5
The tire shop recommended 245.45.17 and 275.40.18
NT05's so not come in both of these sizes.
FRONTS: According to Nittos website, they come in 235.40.17 & 255.40.17 can i get away with the 255 on a 8.5 inch wheel??
REARS: According to Nittos website, they come in 275.40.18, 285.35.18, 295.35.18 & 295.45.18.
I plan to use the car fro AutoX and occasional street use, so I want the car to be as balanced as possible.
How wide can I get away with?
I am really committed to these tires specifically.
Thanks.
The fronts are 17 x 8.5 and the rears are 18 x 9.5
The tire shop recommended 245.45.17 and 275.40.18
NT05's so not come in both of these sizes.
FRONTS: According to Nittos website, they come in 235.40.17 & 255.40.17 can i get away with the 255 on a 8.5 inch wheel??
REARS: According to Nittos website, they come in 275.40.18, 285.35.18, 295.35.18 & 295.45.18.
I plan to use the car fro AutoX and occasional street use, so I want the car to be as balanced as possible.
How wide can I get away with?
I am really committed to these tires specifically.
Thanks.
If you want as close to a neutral balance as possible then you want tires as close to size as possible. Im not recommending stretching tires or running to narrow of a tire, but be mindful that the wider you go in the rear relative to the front the more understeer you are going to get on these cars.
Your rears will be almost 1" taller than the fronts. That's not good either.
The Vette was designed for around a 1" difference, but your car was not. You need to get closer to 26" overall height front and rear. The 255/40s are too short. The 285/35s would work if you could run a 255/45 or 245/45 up front. 275/40 is too tall. That would make it more than 1.5" difference front to rear.
Btw, I have the NT05s. They are great tires, but I'd consider some R888s if you're going to be tracking the car at all. I plan to run those once the Nittos are gone. They have more sizes and it's better in every conceivable way. And they don't cost much more.
The Vette was designed for around a 1" difference, but your car was not. You need to get closer to 26" overall height front and rear. The 255/40s are too short. The 285/35s would work if you could run a 255/45 or 245/45 up front. 275/40 is too tall. That would make it more than 1.5" difference front to rear.
Btw, I have the NT05s. They are great tires, but I'd consider some R888s if you're going to be tracking the car at all. I plan to run those once the Nittos are gone. They have more sizes and it's better in every conceivable way. And they don't cost much more.
Trending Topics
12 Second Club
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 4,273
Likes: 0
From: Bucks County, Pa.
I know you are set non these wheels and I do not blame you one bit as I also love the way they look, their rarity, and their light weight for a factory wheel. 
BUT, just so you know, the ideal for autocross/open tracking on these cars is NOT the oh so popular on here 'staggered look', but an even wheel/tire size at ALL corners (ultimately, a STICKY/stiff sidewalled 315/30 17, on a 17x11+ wheel, IF your budget and the rules you are running under allow that).
You then tune the suspension with various sway bar sizes, spring rates, shock valving, alignment, etc.
IF you plan on being competitive at all in a/x, you should go over to frrax.com, as they have tried ALL of the various wheel/tire combos (AND suspension components) in existence, and they know what works and does not when turning left and right and braking, and usually do not care what just "looks good".
BUT, just so you know, the ideal for autocross/open tracking on these cars is NOT the oh so popular on here 'staggered look', but an even wheel/tire size at ALL corners (ultimately, a STICKY/stiff sidewalled 315/30 17, on a 17x11+ wheel, IF your budget and the rules you are running under allow that).
You then tune the suspension with various sway bar sizes, spring rates, shock valving, alignment, etc.
IF you plan on being competitive at all in a/x, you should go over to frrax.com, as they have tried ALL of the various wheel/tire combos (AND suspension components) in existence, and they know what works and does not when turning left and right and braking, and usually do not care what just "looks good".
LS1 Tech Stories
The Best V8 Stories One Small Block at Time
6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them
Pouria Savadkouei
Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked
Pouria Savadkouei
Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!
Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP
Verdad Gallardo
Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes
Verdad Gallardo
Awesome K5 Blazer Restomod Comes With C7 Corvette Power
Verdad Gallardo
10 Camaros You Should Never Buy
