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For all the folks with the 16" rims what are you doing for tires? My local shops have almost no tires in the factory size and I can't find shops to mount tires unless I buy directly from them. I'm tempted to go to 17" wheels just to make things easier but I can't find those at a decent price either. I'm hoping someone can put some good ideas in my head.
I'm super surprised you can't find a shop to mount tires that aren't bought directly through them. So places like Belle Tire or Discount Tire don't even have any?
Discount tire has some for special order. I may end up going that way since they have the most options. Just have to decide if I want to go back to 235/55 or try 245/50. The car is wearing 255 now and that size is almost extinct in a 16" wheel.
I looked just last month at Tire Rack and they still had the BFG G-Force A/S tires for my stock 16" rims. $120 each. It's a fine tire and no issues thus far after 22k miles. They also had a BFG G-Force summer tire. $131 each. These are quality tires made in the US, probably the Michelin plant in South Carolina. I'll be buying another set later this year just due to age, not the miles.
I looked just last month at Tire Rack and they still had the BFG G-Force A/S tires for my stock 16" rims. $120 each. It's a fine tire and no issues thus far after 22k miles. They also had a BFG G-Force summer tire. $131 each. These are quality tires made in the US, probably the Michelin plant in South Carolina. I'll be buying another set later this year just due to age, not the miles.
Tire rack also has authorized installers in a buyers area that will mount them for a very reasonable price. I believe they will also ship the tires directly to the installer for free. Then again shipping is free either way.
I agree with NC01TA's recommendation for the BFGs as well. And I believe they are still available in a 255/50/16 (OEM size on some early C4s) if you wanted to stick with that size.
For all the folks with the 16" rims what are you doing for tires? My local shops have almost no tires in the factory size and I can't find shops to mount tires unless I buy directly from them. I'm tempted to go to 17" wheels just to make things easier but I can't find those at a decent price either. I'm hoping someone can put some good ideas in my head.
Get some OE Wheels......like $600 for a set of 4 17" or 18" rims.
Their chrome plating is complete garbage, but everything else is decent for that price.
If you are going to a shop that won't mount tires you did not buy from them you do not want to go to that shop. Go to a more local place, not the mega chain tire stores. The people who work there are completely useless.
Try these, they'll fit. 17x9 and 17x10.5 with 285/40/17 and 315/35/17's out back.
Originally Posted by bammax
For all the folks with the 16" rims what are you doing for tires? My local shops have almost no tires in the factory size and I can't find shops to mount tires unless I buy directly from them. I'm tempted to go to 17" wheels just to make things easier but I can't find those at a decent price either. I'm hoping someone can put some good ideas in my head.
Just my $0,02 worth....I always thought that an 8" rim, as in the OE size, wasn't completely adequate to get the most out of the OE 245/50/16 tires. The OE rims SHOULD have been at least 9" wide, but that a whole 'nother discussion.
Anyway, I was briefly in a pinch, a number of years ago, and needed tires, but was a little short on coin. Although I had ditched the OE "salad shooters" when the car was only a couple of months old, at this time I still had a 16x8 wheel. I went with a 225/55/16 tire. No, it wasn't the widest tire around, but it's narrower section width kept the sidewalls more perpendicular to the rim, for sidewall stability, and it was pretty close to the OD of the 245/50, so the onboard computer was happy.
I've used 225/55/16 on a 7.5" wide wheel before and felt that it almost looked a bit stretched; I wouldn't want to use that size on an 8" wheel for sure. 235mm is passable on an 8", but 245 or 255 fits better IMO. Personally, I wouldn't use a 245mm on a 9" wide wheel - I've seen folks do this on a 17x9 wheel (going with a 245/45 instead of a 275/40) and it looks too stretched for my taste.
Check craigslist. I just scored some 225/50/17's to fit my 17x7 racestars that have 8/32 tread left. Got them for $50 for the pair. Continental Contipro Contact SSR with V speed rating that retail for $170 each.
For all the folks with the 16" rims what are you doing for tires? My local shops have almost no tires in the factory size and I can't find shops to mount tires unless I buy directly from them. I'm tempted to go to 17" wheels just to make things easier but I can't find those at a decent price either. I'm hoping someone can put some good ideas in my head.
Anyone that says I cannot drive into their bays or watch their people perform service on my car will not get my business. I gave up on trusting people when it comes to my ride. I let a transmission company install a new clutch, slave, and clutch master cylinder back when it was stocker.
A couple of days after having the car I was driving down a two way street with deep ditches on both sides. I was coming up to the stop sign that had a stopped pickup truck and when I went to press the brake the pedal it went to the floor. I kept it out of the ditch as I drove around the truck into a four lane highway, bracing for impact as I cut the wheel hard right.
When the car came to a stop I got out, looked up and gave thanks to the man upstairs and then looked back to see that truck still sitting at the stop sign wondering what just happened..LOL, so I started looking around at the brake pedal and noticed it had fallen off the actuator and there was no keeper clip to be found.
Apparently the guy working on my car removed the clip to drop my pedal down in order to give himself some room to change the clutch master and forgot to put it back on. Luckily I had a paper clip in the car and was able to get back to my family but never again will I trust a stranger to put the same level of care into my car as I will. I was not refunded my money nor did I ask but I made sure that manager knew that whoever it was that worked on my car almost got somebody killed over a part that cost less than $2.
I've used 225/55/16 on a 7.5" wide wheel before and felt that it almost looked a bit stretched; I wouldn't want to use that size on an 8" wheel for sure. 235mm is passable on an 8", but 245 or 255 fits better IMO. Personally, I wouldn't use a 245mm on a 9" wide wheel - I've seen folks do this on a 17x9 wheel (going with a 245/45 instead of a 275/40) and it looks too stretched for my taste.
According to the Tire Rack website, BF Goodrich, Dunlop, Kumho, and Yokohama ALL list an 8" rim as "approved" for the 225/55/16 tire. At one time Goodyear approved up to a 9.5" wide rim, for the OE 245/50/16 tires, that came with 4th gen F-body cars, but later they pilled back to a 9" rim.
FWIW, my first set of CCW wheels were 16x9.5, and I used a 245/50 Goodyear Eagle GSC tire (OE 4th gen tire), with good results, on the '96 Z-28 I used to own. Also FWIW, I was involved with an oval track car, back in the mid 80s. We ran 13" tread width tires on 15" wide rims. This promoted sidewall stability, which, in turn, promoted cornering ability.
According to the Tire Rack website, BF Goodrich, Dunlop, Kumho, and Yokohama ALL list an 8" rim as "approved" for the 225/55/16 tire.
I don't deny this, I just don't think it looks right nor do I think that any difference in sidewall stability will be particularly evident for normal street use vs. a 245/50. If the OP is looking for a track set of tires, then the conversation might change - but then that also depends on the type of track.
245/50 on a 9.5" wheel is something I would never consider. I imagine that would look about as foul as a 285/40 on an 11" (also an "approved" size combo, but I've seen this before and it looks horribly stretched). Again, the various tricks that might be used to improve max effort handling on a track don't necessarily translate into a more suitable street setup. General hazards found on public roads tend to make stretched tire setups less desirable, not to mention the horrible appearance (subjective).
Anyone have experience with kumho solus ta31? They're one of the few readily available tires in the stock size and I'd rather not drop an extra 200 to get the traction t/a at this point.
The goal is just a basic daily driver for a couple years until I switch to 18's with the ctsv brakes. Those wheels will get good tires.
01-13-2018, 10:06 AM
4th gen trans am wheel/tire question 
I'll be buying another set later this year just due to age, not the miles. 
