Maximum Diameter Tires For 18x10 Rims

[Ghost001]

Hello,

I have 18x10 rims in the rear, and I currently have 295/35/18 BFG TA/KD tires on them. My stang is a 2002 GT auto with no performance mods, and has the stock suspension. However, I've almost convinced myself to get a Kenne Bell 9 pound intercooled blower (but running 91 octane because I live in Cally).

I was wondering if I could get taller-diameter tires on the rims, to get better launches, and sacrifice some cornering firmness.

I don't want to get a special set of rims for the track, because I prefer not to change rims that often, and I'd like to be able to hook better on the street (I think), so I was wondering how close to the front of the wheel well you can come before the tires start hitting the front of the wheel well on hard launches. Also, I wouldn't mind having a taller-looking tire in the back.

My current tires are about 2 inches from the front of the wheel well at the closest point (near the very bottom of the front of the wheel well), and are 26.1 inches in diameter, according to this website:

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

I was thinking about maybe getting 295/45/18 tires (Nitto 555), which would be 28.5 inches in diameter. These would therefore be about 0.8 inches from the front of the wheel well. Is that too close?

Edit: I also saw a 305/45/18 Nitto 555 R. That would be 28.8 inches in diameter, or about 0.7 inches from the front of the wheel well. Is that too close?

Or, I was thinking about 315/40/18 tires, which would be 27.9 inches in diameter, which would make them 1.1 inches from the front of the wheel well. Is that too close? Also, I can't seem to find any tires that size at www.discounttiredirect.com or www.tirerack.com. I also can't find 305/40/18 or 295/40/18.

Does anyone have any advice?

Also, are 295/35/18 tires good enough for hooking on the street? I must say I've never revved and tried to launch on the street (although I may try it sometime), and I've never really broken loose on the street.

Any words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated. Am I an idiot for even thinking of getting a taller tire?

Is there any other way to get better hooking/launching, while keeping my 18x10 rims?

Edit: Would an aftermarket suspension decrease the recoil, and lessen the odds that the bigger tires would hit the front of the wheel well on hard launches? I'd like to avoid upgrading the suspension, for now, but I was curious.

Edit: Maybe I should just get 17x10.5 rims in the back and be done with it. But then which tires should I get for those? No one seems to have 315/40/17 or 315/45/17. 315/35/17 (4.3 inch sidewall) seems like it would not be much better than 295/35/18 (4.1 inch sidewall) or 315/30/18 (3.7 inch sidewall) for hooking. I did find some 305/35/18 (4.2 inch sidewall) Nitto drag radials. Maybe that's about the best I can do with 18x10 rims, or even 17x10.5 inch rims. Is that right? I do know that 17x10.5 would have less moment of inertia, because the metal would be closer to the center, but I'm not as worried about that, for some reason.

Update: Now I'm just thinking about putting some Weld Draglite 15x10 or 15x12 on the rear and calling it a day. Or maybe some other brand, if I can find nice ones in a 16x10 or 16x12 that are better for cornering (still trying to have my cake and eat it too). However, I'll probably do the blower first.

 

[Orr89rocz]

hell my car does ok on the street with 245/50/zr16's! LOL

you should be fine with those 295's on the street. if your mostly stock then it will be fine. just gotta learn how to do it.. practice makes perfect and you'll learn how to launch on them. But when you get a KB blower, your gonna need some drag radials to really hook up.

 

[Blue Blurr]

315's work on 10's Its also 315/30/18

 

[Ghost001]

But when you get a KB blower, your gonna need some drag radials to really hook up.

So I guess the 295/45/18 Nitto 555 won't be that great, because it's not a drag radial, right? I need the Nitto 555 R, right?

I did see a 305/45/18 Nitto 555 R. Would that be good? That would be 28.8 inches in diameter, or about 0.7 inches from the front of the wheel well.

 

[Orr89rocz]

they make other radial sizes in 18's that would be better suited for your car. diameter changes will throw off the speedo if its not adjusted for it

 

[Ghost001]

they make other radial sizes in 18's that would be better suited for your car. diameter changes will throw off the speedo if its not adjusted for it

I'm not too worried about the speedo. If necessary, I'll just figure out the speed in my head (real speed = speedo*diameter/25.7), or get the speedo recalibrated.

 

[Ghost001]

Update: Now I'm just thinking about putting some Weld Draglite 15x10 or 15x12 on the rear and calling it a day. Or maybe some other brand, if I can find nice ones in a 16x10 or 16x12 that are better for cornering (still trying to have my cake and eat it too). However, I'll probably do the blower first.

 

[Ghost001]

With maybe some 325/50/15 Nitto 555 R tires.

Or are there some smaller drag radials? Say, 295/50/15? Does anyone make such a size drag radial?

 

[Ghost001]

Also, what size Mickey Thompson or E.T. Streets would fit a Weld 15x10 or 15x12? What size would fit a 16x10 or 16x12? Are there any cheaper drag radials that would fit those sizes?

Edit: Looks like MT ET Streets 26x11.5x15 would fit the 15x10, and 26x11.5x16 would fit the 16x10. Is that right? But what would fit 15x12 or 16x12? Or is that just way too wide?

 

[Ghost001]

Also, if anyone has any answers for my original question, whether I can put taller tires on my 18x10, I'd appreciate it.

 

[PowerJunkie]

With a 10" rim the max I would go is 305's.

315's should go on an 11" minimum.

 

[Blue Blurr]

315's fit on a 10" rims As for the sidewall, most are 315/30 I dont even think a 315/45 would fit on a mustang BFG DR's hook plenty good in 315/30/18, just get those. Or get 17" rims and get a taller sidewall.

 

[Mustang5L5]

This website should help you decide

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

 

[wms004]

Hello,

I have 18x10 rims in the rear, and I currently have 295/35/18 BFG TA/KD tires on them. My stang is a 2002 GT auto with no performance mods, and has the stock suspension. However, I've almost convinced myself to get a Kenne Bell 9 pound intercooled blower (but running 91 octane because I live in Cally).

I was wondering if I could get taller-diameter tires on the rims, to get better launches, and sacrifice some cornering firmness.

I don't want to get a special set of rims for the track, because I prefer not to change rims that often, and I'd like to be able to hook better on the street (I think), so I was wondering how close to the front of the wheel well you can come before the tires start hitting the front of the wheel well on hard launches. Also, I wouldn't mind having a taller-looking tire in the back.

My current tires are about 2 inches from the front of the wheel well at the closest point (near the very bottom of the front of the wheel well), and are 26.1 inches in diameter, according to this website:

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

I was thinking about maybe getting 295/45/18 tires (Nitto 555), which would be 28.5 inches in diameter. These would therefore be about 0.8 inches from the front of the wheel well. Is that too close?

Edit: I also saw a 305/45/18 Nitto 555 R. That would be 28.8 inches in diameter, or about 0.7 inches from the front of the wheel well. Is that too close?

Or, I was thinking about 315/40/18 tires, which would be 27.9 inches in diameter, which would make them 1.1 inches from the front of the wheel well. Is that too close? Also, I can't seem to find any tires that size at www.discounttiredirect.com or www.tirerack.com. I also can't find 305/40/18 or 295/40/18.

Does anyone have any advice?

Also, are 295/35/18 tires good enough for hooking on the street? I must say I've never revved and tried to launch on the street (although I may try it sometime), and I've never really broken loose on the street.

Any words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated. Am I an idiot for even thinking of getting a taller tire?

Is there any other way to get better hooking/launching, while keeping my 18x10 rims?

Edit: Would an aftermarket suspension decrease the recoil, and lessen the odds that the bigger tires would hit the front of the wheel well on hard launches? I'd like to avoid upgrading the suspension, for now, but I was curious.

Edit: Maybe I should just get 17x10.5 rims in the back and be done with it. But then which tires should I get for those? No one seems to have 315/40/17 or 315/45/17. 315/35/17 (4.3 inch sidewall) seems like it would not be much better than 295/35/18 (4.1 inch sidewall) or 315/30/18 (3.7 inch sidewall) for hooking. I did find some 305/35/18 (4.2 inch sidewall) Nitto drag radials. Maybe that's about the best I can do with 18x10 rims, or even 17x10.5 inch rims. Is that right? I do know that 17x10.5 would have less moment of inertia, because the metal would be closer to the center, but I'm not as worried about that, for some reason.

Update: Now I'm just thinking about putting some Weld Draglite 15x10 or 15x12 on the rear and calling it a day. Or maybe some other brand, if I can find nice ones in a 16x10 or 16x12 that are better for cornering (still trying to have my cake and eat it too). However, I'll probably do the blower first.

Norcal or Socal? If you put 15" wheels and drags you are gonna want 31 spline axles. For traction and price per tire with that much power, I'd go with 17x10.5's and 315/35/17's. That way you have more sidewall to hook up, more tire options at a lower cost, and a tire that has an identical diameter to stock.

Wade

 

[Ghost001]

Norcal or Socal? If you put 15" wheels and drags you are gonna want 31 spline axles. For traction and price per tire with that much power, I'd go with 17x10.5's and 315/35/17's. That way you have more sidewall to hook up, more tire options at a lower cost, and a tire that has an identical diameter to stock.

Wade

Thanks for the info, Wade.

I'm in the South Bay area of L.A..

If I had it to do over again, I might have gone with 17x10.5. However, 315/35/17 only have a tiny amount more sidewall than my 295/35/18 (4.3 inches versus 4.1 inches). But they would also be wider, so maybe I'll think about switching when my current tires wear out.

But I'd really like some 15x10 Weld Draglites, with MT ET Streets.

I had a hunch that 15 inch rims and drag radials, plus a blower, might be too much for the stock rear end.

Should I get the torque boxes welded also?

Is there anything else I should do to handle the 15x10, drag radials, and blower?

 

[Ghost001]

Is there such a thing as a 16x10 or 16x11 that won't crack under hard cornering?

 

[Ghost001]

By the way, I have a feeling that 15x12 or 16x12 would be too wide without a "tub" or something, and would probably just slow me down because of the weight, unless I'm running 1000 horsepower or something. Is that right?