Should I get those wheels widened?

[95BlueStallion]

FWIW, I've held in my hands BFG 275s DRs that were ran their entire life on a 17x8 rim, all the way until belt was showing. It was very obvious that the narrow rim was distorting the contact patch, all the wear was on the inside. Belts were showing in the middle, but the tire still had tread left at the outer edges of the contact patch. Now this could have been partially due to overinflation, but it forever convinced me not to run tires on a narrower rim than they are rated for.

I ran a 275 Mickey Thompson drag radial on my 17X8 tribars. It had a bulge, but hooked pretty darn good for my stock engined car. Didnt corner worth a ****, but thats not what they are made for.

 

[NIKwoaC]

I ran a 275 Mickey Thompson drag radial on my 17X8 tribars. It had a bulge, but hooked pretty darn good for my stock engined car. Didnt corner worth a ****, but thats not what they are made for.

I'm not saying that it won't work, I'm just saying it isn't ideal.

 

[2000xp8]

I would never tub it. That's just ruining the car IMHO for what I want to do with it. It's just a street car.

I figure right now, as it sits, my car with 245's and the 17x8 '97 cobra wheels on there sits flush with the fender lip. Hit a bump and it moves past and makes no contact.

If i were to put a 275 on the 8" rim, the bulge would be equal on both sides and the rubber would get closer to the lip

Now, if i take the same 17x8's and widen them to 9.5" or so, now the 275 is stretched inwards away from the fender lips.

My question is how far inwards I can go

Widening SN95 wheels on Fox's is not common. I have yet to see it done. Poking my head under the cars ass, i do have clearance to the inner fender liner.

I guess all i can do is think really hard about it and decide from there.


ALl my buddies own Sn95's, so maybe one has a 275DR mounted on a 17x8 i can test fit. Maybe i'll try that

I went out and measured mine, my clearances are as follows:
1 inch to tailpipes on back inside of tire.

3/4's to the inner fender on the back, although it would appear i could hammer that section back and get another 1/4-1/2 inch. I can see where the tire has rubbed it.

And about a inch to the flat part of the tire well.

Tires don't hit the tail pipes.
But they do hit the wheel well in the back.

My clearances are not enough, so while i don't know what is enough, you now know what's not enough.

 

[90lxcoupe]

Something i just thought of too, there is a local company here in springfield that can widen those wheels for you. The shop is a powdercoating place, but they had a set of either lexus wheels they had widened last time i was there. They do good work. Did the tailpipes and wheels for my slicks