Arghhh, wheel and tire help
 

Dang it, I just cannot make up my mind on tire size. I would really like 18x10's rear and 17xx8 up front but I'm afraid that it will look like not enough tire. What do you think ?

If the tires look too small, the car isn't low enough. ;)

I think you're right. 17s all around is the ticket.

If 17's are the ticket, what size tires would you use ?

That I don't know grump...just seems like all the pics I see with 18" + wheels, there is NO tire around them, just all wheel.

Are you looking for a 30" tall tire out back? 29"? 28"? 27"? I'm sure you know, the taller the tire, the more "meaty" they'll look.

Still thinking about a staggered wheel size? 10" in rear...8" up front?

I suggest playing with these calculators, they will at least point you towards what sizes/brands you should be looking for.

http://www.rimsntires.com/rt_specs.jsp

http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html


Wish I could be more help. I think this is Derek's specialty, maybe he'll add some input.

I am sure I want a wider rim out back. Ideally a 27-28" tire out back would be nice. Anything smaller and I have to cut the springs to lower it more. May do that anyway. Thanks

Dave

This is a '71 with 17 x 9.5" (5.5" BS) and 17 x 11" (6.25" BS) Cragars.

The tires are 275/40/17 and 315/35/17, and the car is sitting on a stock suspension setup.

http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/da...wheels_024.jpg

http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/da...wheels_021.jpg

http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/da...medium/913.jpg

http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/da...medium/923.jpg



A 315/35/17 tire has dimensions of 12.5" x 25.7" and a 275/40/17 has dimensions of 9.5" x 25.7".

That means the fronts and rears on this car are matched for the same tire height.

These look a little short to me personally, not enough meat. If you went to a taller aspect ratio, say maybe a 315/45 out back, overall diameter would be 28.2" tire for the rear, and a 315/40 would give you a 26.9" height, and both of those will add a little meat to the sidewall.

This is a good ballpark area to start from, huh?

I like the stance of the car as it sits right now. I don't want to cut any springs at all.

Nancy

Don't encourage Grumpy..

We somewhat disagree, on how low the car should sit. :D

Dave,
I think you should stick to your original plan. 18x10's and 17x8's.
There are alot of different tire sizes available for the 17" and 18" wheels nowadays. I'm sure you'll find the right tire with just the right amount of sidewall height to make it look proportional and still have a decent ride.
Heres a pic. of my friends 62 Impala. It has 18's on all 4 corners.
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e1...eathermisc.jpg

There is no sidewall on those tires.

Not needed unless wife or daughter are driving.:p Sorry,Ms Grumpy but that's true in my house. Waving

I always loved the early impala and that one is gorgeous.

Gotta agree, I need a bit more side wall on the tires though.

Eventually I plan to run 275/40 on 17x9.5 and 315/35 on 17x11 on my car when I can afford to upgrade wheels again. They really look great on these cars, but that car above needs to be lowered a LOT to look right with them.

It's all about the stance. :)

OMG...I know that car ,I trust me its an AWESOME car...:)

Sorry, I was referring to the black '71 in post #7. :) Nice car, just needs to sit lower.

Thats ok Derek.
I do agree with you on the black 71, definetly needs to lower out back.;)

Might be a slow go on the tires for now, given that we need to give the motor some TLC. It only gives Grumpy some time to continue his search. Unless I win the lottery sometime soon. lol

But the pics and suggestions are still needed so I can convince him that it's my way on the stance of the car.

Lower is better. "Too Low" is almost low enough. When you think you're done lowering it, lower it some more. :D

Were on the same page :)

Which isn't even in my book.

The go to the library :D