Searchneverend

Hey guys,

I have a 30th edition 97 camaro RS with 5 x 4.75 lug pattern. Right now I have 16" wheels with 235/55/R16, but I want to get 17's and have no idea what tires to get. I talk to the guys at belle tire and discount tire and they both told me different sizes so I'm not sure now. Guys at belle tire told me to go with 235/50/R17 but at discount tire they told me not to get 235/50 due to speedometer difference and told me to go with 245/55/R17. So if you guys could recommend the right size would be much appreciated. I wanna go the same size on all 4 tires. Can I go 18 or is that too much of a difference.

Thanks

Wheelman916

Tire size will also depend on wheel width. 17x??

For example: 275/40r17 fit great on 17x9.5... But would not fit so well on 17x7 or 17x13

Searchneverend

I don't know the width size but I like them to have more width than height. The one I have right now is actually made for BMW. What would you recommend? I would say 17 x 7 or 17 x 8.

Searchneverend

This is the pic of my current tires, it's a BFGoodrich Traction T/A

Wheelman916

Get 17x9 or 17x9.5.

If 17x9, 245/45r17 tires
If 17x9.5, 275/40r17 tires

You can run 255, 265, even 275 on the 17x9... But I personally would not.

If you step up to 18, you can run a 18x9 with 245/40r18... Or as wide as 265/35 or 275/35 if you want.

RPM WS6

iTrader: (3)

What is your reasoning for this?

The factory wheel/tire size for all '96+ Camaro SS and WS6 cars was 17x9", 275/40/17. A 275mm tire will fit perfectly on a 17x9" wheel without any issues or concerns at all.

67rally

iTrader: (5)

Agreed. A 275 looks great on a 9" wide wheel.

This really doesn't make any sense. The wheel widths you're talking about are only 1/2" different (9" vs 9.5"), but the tire widths are 30mm different (almost 1 1/4" different) between a 245 and a 275.

I'd say a 245 is better suited to an 8" wide wheel. A 275 is fine on a 9" or 9.5".

67rally

iTrader: (5)

Your current tire is 26.1" tall, so you want to find something similar to that ASSUMING that your speedometer is calibrated to the tires that you have on there right now. If your tires are not stock size and the speedo wasn't recalibrated, then you could be off already. IF this is your biggest consideration, then you need to know what size your speedo is calibrated for.

A 235/55/16 is almost the exact same diameter as a 235/50/17 (26.3"), so you would be ok with that, but it's still a narrow tire.

A 245/45/17 is 27.6" tall, so that's way off. At this point I'd probably stop listening to the guy at Discount Tire.

A 255/45/17 is 26.1" tall, so it's the exact same diameter as what you currently have, but almost an inch wider. You would probably want a 17x9 wheel for that. If you wanted to run an 18" diameter wheel, then a 255/40/18 would also work at 26" tall.

Searchneverend

Thanks guys and appreciate all your help, you guys have been great. I stopped by a few other places today and the tires at Firestone simply looks amazing.

It's a Bridgestone Potenza RE760 sport but its a 245/45/R17 for 146/piece unfortunately been performance tires you may get about only 20,000 miles out of it.

So so far this is what I have collected:

225/50/R17

235/50/R17

255/45/R17

Or

255/40/R18

All in 17 x 9

Wheelman916

No where did I say it wouldn't fit. I just wouldn't run a larger size like 275 on my hypothetical 17x9 wheels, for personal aesthetic reasons. I don't like a lot of sidewall bulge. 17x9.5, I'd go 275 all day. 17x9, I'd lean towards 245 or 255.

My last setup was 18x9/18x10 staggered, with 265/35 front 295/35 rear. I tried 275/35 front, and the sidewall bulge was not to my liking.

Flaring Afro

1010tires has a very detailed tire calculator. Not only will it tell you the difference in height between sizes, it also tells you the difference in mph your speedo will be off by.

Also, your last post makes it sound like you think a tire for a 18" wheel would go on a 17" one. If you actually thought that, you need to find out what the numbers actually mean. Basically the first is the width of the tire, the second is the height of the sidewall (percentage based on tire width, so a 245/55/17 tire has a shorter sidewall than a 275/55/17 tire), the third is the wheel diameter.

Searchneverend

You're right 255/40/R18 is for the 18" I was thinking about. It's a shame 5 x 4.75 is hard to come by.

I found a set of rims on Craigslist and the guy says its 4.72, so would a 5 x 4.72 fit a 97 camaro that usually accepts only 4.75. I don't wanna use adapters.

RPM WS6

iTrader: (3)

245/45/17 is actually 25.68" tall. I'm guessing that you meant to type that a 245/55/17 is 27.6" tall.

I agree with 67rally's math above; if you think 245 or 255 is perfect for a 17x9" wheel, then 275 being perfect on a 17x9.5" wheel doesn't make sense. As posted, "The wheel widths you're talking about are only 1/2" different (9" vs 9.5"), but the tire widths are 30mm different (almost 1 1/4" different) between a 245 and a 275."

Visually, a 245mm tire on a 9" wheels is going to appear more streched than a 275mm tire on a 9.5" wheel. A 255mm on a 9.5" would be more similar to a 245mm on a 9", in terms of amount of bulge, as 10mm is nearly half an inch.

Either way, I personally can't stand the streched tire look, so buldge is always welcome on mine. Having said that, I barely see any bulge at all with 275s on my 9" wheels. I guess this is a perception issue.

RPM WS6

iTrader: (3)

I would not recommend a 225 or 235mm tire for a 9" wide wheel. In fact, I think you'll find that most tire manufacturers list these tires as being for wheels 8.0" (225mm) or 8.5" (235mm) or narrower.

Wheelman916

Well these were my 265/35 Nittos on a x9 wheel... Hardly a "stretched" look at all. If anything, the bulge is just on the border of where I would want it. A 255/35 might have fit better.

RPM WS6

iTrader: (3)

That 265 looks OK, but I'd still prefer a 275. However, at 3/4" narrower, a 245mm on a 9" wheel looks undersized or slightly streched to me....just not a look that I appreciate.

I've seen the 245/45 front, 275/40 rear combo a few times on stock 17x9" wheels (since these two sizes are nearly the same height some will opt for the narrower front tire to reduce rolling resistance.) IMO, a 245mm tire doesn't properly fill out a 9" wide wheel.

Searchneverend

Luv the 265/35, is that track only?

67rally

iTrader: (5)

Yes, that was a typo.

Wheelman916

Nope, that was street setup.

265/35r18 on 18x9 front
295/35r18 on 18x10 rear



I think with everything stated in this thread, in your position, I'd probably go for 255/45r17 on a 17x9 wheel. That way, you would keep the overall wheel/tire diameter close to stock, and have a nice flat sidewall instead of the bulge.

You can of course, go 275/40r17 if you want the extra tire, and don't mind a little sidewall bulge.

This is a 275/40r17 on a 17x9.5" wheel



And these are 275/40r17 on 17x9" wheels



As long as the overall diameter is close to stock, choosing tire size is more about the look you want.

Searchneverend

Hey appreciate all your help man, thanks a lot. Btw the mustang is one badass machine, is it a real saleen???