255/40/17....sidewall too small thin??????

[fiveoho]

just ordered my 17x9 black bullet DD wheels and my tires. went with the sumitomo htrz tire. 275/40s back and 255/40s front. got the tires in yesterday and after looking at the fronts, im afraid the sidewalls are going to look too thin. my last setup was 17x9 cobra rs with 275/40s rear and 255/45s front ( sumitomo htr + ).

the reason i went with a 255/40 this time is because it is a 25" tall tire. the 255/45 is a 26" tall tire. my car has the eibach sportlines on it and its more leveled out than nosed down . i wanted the subtle nosed down look. so in my mind a inch shorter tire would drop the car in the front ( the rear tire specs are exactly the same from last tire to this one...25.7" tall ).

this is my question: am i thinking right or is my conception on it wrong? if the tire is 1" shorter, the car will then sit 1" lower in the front. OR is that 1" going to be noticed in the gap between the bottom of the fender and the top of the tire? meaning the gap will be greater because the sidewall is shorter. thats what i DONT want. and i DONTwant it to look like a rubberband.


please help before i order the 255/45s. keep what i got or order the taller sidewall????

 

[hotrodnut]

You will only get 1/2" of that 1" per side (off the centerline). So your Mustang will sit 1/2" lower and the fenderwell clearance will be 1/2" less.
EDIT: I mean 1/2" more fenderwell clearance.

 

[1TallMF]

I was kind of in the same situation when I got my front tires. I went with 255/45's after seeing both side by side, and comparing with the height of the 275/40's, they looked alot closer. In your situation, the distance from the centerline of the axle to the fender lip will remain constant because nothing changes in the suspension. So with a 255/40 being 1" shorter, there should be a 1/2" wider gap between the top of the tire to the fender lip, but the distance from the ground to the fender lip will also go down 1/2". If it were me, I'd go 255/45 because I find that extra 1" diameter helps to fill out the wheel well as much as possible, and that extra 1/2" between the fender and the tire will be noticable. Not to mention your ride will be a tiny bit smoother over bumps because of the extra 1/2" of sidewall "give" with the /45's.

 

[fiveoho]

You will only get 1/2" of that 1" per side (off the centerline). So your Mustang will sit 1/2" lower and the fenderwell clearance will be 1/2" less.
EDIT: I mean 1/2" more fenderwell clearance.

want to make sure i understand......so the distance between the top of the tire and the bottom of the front fender will be MORE (more gap) with a 255/40?

so a 255/45 will have LESS distance (less gap) between the top of the tire to the bottom of the fender?

but if i use a 255/40 , the car will actually sit 1/2" lower than 255/45s?

 

[fiveoho]

1TallMF: jump in and comment on that post above too

 

[hotrodnut]

want to make sure i understand......so the distance between the top of the tire and the bottom of the front fender will be MORE (more gap) with a 255/40?

so a 255/45 will have LESS distance (less gap) between the top of the tire to the bottom of the fender?

but if i use a 255/40 , the car will actually sit 1/2" lower than 255/45s?

Yes sir, you are correct.

 

[fiveoho]

well crap

so its either more gap and sitting lower or less gap and same ride height


i want both




i just dont want that 255/40 to look like a rubber band and a 4x4 in the front

 

[stangGT97]

I was just in the same situation, and after doing some calculations, i found that the 255/45 has a sidewall that is closer to stock than a 255/40 tire. Here is the breakdown for your particular case-
255/45 - sidewall=114.75mm
255/40 - sidewall=102mm
275/40 - sidewall=110

I think you should consider exchanging the 255/40s for a set of 255/45 if that is possible. Personally, I am running 255/45 KDWs at all four corners and I love them

 

[1TallMF]

1TallMF: jump in and comment on that post above too

Sorry, I was away for a while.

You are right on the ball. Its kind of a compromise, but I think the advantages of the /45's outweigh the advantages of the /40's. My car would bottom-out and scrape on everything before and I think I would go nuts with the /40's. I don't scrape as often with the /45's.

 

[hotrodnut]

well crap

i want both

To have both, you either can change springs, cut springs, remove isolators, and/or install Steeda X2 balljoints without using their supplied spring spacer. Not all those are desirable in my book, but it can happen.

Installing X2 ball joints and not using the spring spacers will drop you near that extra 1/2" you want and removing the isolators could possibly add another 1/4" drop.

 

[fiveoho]

I was just in the same situation, and after doing some calculations, i found that the 255/45 has a sidewall that is closer to stock than a 255/40 tire. Here is the breakdown for your particular case-
255/45 - sidewall=114.75mm
255/40 - sidewall=102mm
275/40 - sidewall=110

I think you should consider exchanging the 255/40s for a set of 255/45 if that is possible. Personally, I am running 255/45 KDWs at all four corners and I love them

im afriad i wont be happy with the 255/40s . and they have a rim protector, which im not crazy about. i think the 255/45s may not have that.

you said consider ordering the 255/45s...youre prob right

 

[fiveoho]

To have both, you either can change springs, cut springs, remove isolators, and/or install Steeda X2 balljoints without using their supplied spring spacer. Not all those are desirable in my book, but it can happen.

Installing X2 ball joints and not using the spring spacers will drop you near that extra 1/2" you want and removing the isolators could possibly add another 1/4" drop.

how much are those ball joints? how hard to install? where to buy?

explain more about the sping spacers please...not understanding that one. is there disadvantages to this?

isolators: i have energy suspesion isolators. if i take those out, wont it make noise, ride rough? take top and bottom isolators out? just one?

thanks guys

i would really like to drop the front an additional 1/2" - 3/4"

 

[fiveoho]

if i could drop the front that little bit, i would be satisfied ( probably would still order the 255/45s )

 

[hotrodnut]

how much are those ball joints? how hard to install? where to buy?

explain more about the sping spacers please...not understanding that one. is there disadvantages to this?

isolators: i have energy suspesion isolators. if i take those out, wont it make noise, ride rough? take top and bottom isolators out? just one?

thanks guys

i would really like to drop the front an additional 1/2" - 3/4"

I got the Steeda X2's for my Son for Christmas from the Stagnet's partshopper.com . The spacers I am talking about come with the X2 balljoints and the instructions says they will retain the height is used. So, leaving them out drops the front down near a 1/2". They retail at $99.95 from Steeda but I'm sure I got them for less at partshopper.com.

Without the isolators you may get a little noise and road feel but I've heard plenty of people without issues.

 

[fiveoho]

I got the Steeda X2's for my Son for Christmas from the Stagnet's partshopper.com . The spacers I am talking about come with the X2 balljoints and the instructions says they will retain the height is used. So, leaving them out drops the front down near a 1/2". They retail at $99.95 from Steeda but I'm sure I got them for less at partshopper.com.

Without the isolators you may get a little noise and road feel but I've heard plenty of people without issues.

any 1st hand experience with the steeda balljoints? 1/2" pretty much a for sure thing?

 

[hotrodnut]

any 1st hand experience with the steeda balljoints? 1/2" pretty much a for sure thing?

Well, springs went in at the same time so exact is kinda hard to say.
Here's a picture of the X2 (left) vs stock (right), you can get an idea of how much difference from this:

 

[fiveoho]

i cant see the images because im at work. our gay network blocks alot of pictures. soon as i get home this evening i iwll have a look.


IS THERE ANY WAY TO ADJUST THE FACTORY BALLJOINTS?? any spacers to take out???

 

[hotrodnut]

i cant see the images because im at work. our gay network blocks alot of pictures. soon as i get home this evening i iwll have a look.


IS THERE ANY WAY TO ADJUST THE FACTORY BALLJOINTS?? any spacers to take out???

Yeah, I hear you on the blocks, same here for most everything at my work.

No adjustments with the factory balljoints.

 

[fiveoho]

crap. guess i will just have to get the X2's

 

[fiveoho]

anyone else?