tire gurus come in, what size do I want?

[90lxwhite]

Hey fellas what's goin' on? So I believe I'm going to go with the 17x9 cobra r's (or possibly the saleens, but leanin towards r's) for the 95 gt. What tire size do I need/want? I'm wanting to do same size all around so I can rotate it's not a daily driver but would still be nice to be able to do so. Latemodel offers their wheel/tire package in 275/40 but I read that they tend to rub on the front at full lock.

thanks

mike

 

[Jarrod@latemodel]

Mike,

I can switch them out to a 255/40/17, or a 245/45/17 for you.

 

[90lxwhite]

Another question would 17x8 be too skinny?

 

[Jarrod@latemodel]

An 8" wheel wouldnt be to skinny.

 

[toyman]

An 8" is the Ford GT option and standard on the Cobras for these years. I have 255-45-17 on 9" without rubbing. On the front the tire is just outside the fender.

 

[90lxwhite]

An 8" is the Ford GT option and standard on the Cobras for these years. I have 255-45-17 on 9" without rubbing. On the front the tire is just outside the fender.

thanks man

 

[Gearbanger 101]

Be aware. 255's on a 9" wheel offers ZERO curb or pothole protection. The rim will stick out further than the tire....that is a fact. Personally, I'd either go with 8" wheels, or figure out a way to make the 275's work.

 

[90lxwhite]

Be aware. 255's on a 9" wheel offers ZERO curb or pothole protection. The rim will stick out further than the tire....that is a fact. Personally, I'd either go with 8" wheels, or figure out a way to make the 275's work.

Ok, so the 255 on a 9" will be stretched on there? I don't really want the tire sticking out past the front fenders.. Hmm maybe the search for an 8" wheel begins. Seem's they are harder to find on the aftermarket

 

[90lxwhite]

Dang no 17x8's to be found, not in 5 lug anyways

 

[02 281 GT]

I had a set of Cobra Rs on my '02 GT (slightly wider front track width) that stuck out past the fenders between 1/8 and 1/4 of an inch. I would imagine that they would be just about perfectly flush on a '94-'95 car. I never had any rubbing issues on my '02 GT. From what I've read, the '96-'04 track width is only 8mm wider (slightly more than 1/4 inch) on each side. I don't know if that extra 8mm alone means the difference between rubbing and not rubbing with a 275/40 tire.

 

[Gearbanger 101]

Ok, so the 255 on a 9" will be stretched on there? I don't really want the tire sticking out past the front fenders.. Hmm maybe the search for an 8" wheel begins. Seem's they are harder to find on the aftermarket

Correct, it will be tight. 245mm-255mm on an 8" wheel = perfect

Anything less than a 275mm tire on a 9" wide wheel is pushing it IMO. It will technically fit, but like I said...offers you zero protection against road hazards or curbs.

 

[psychorugby]

Correct, it will be tight. 245mm-255mm on an 8" wheel = perfect

Anything less than a 275mm tire on a 9" wide wheel is pushing it IMO. It will technically fit, but like I said...offers you zero protection against road hazards or curbs.

My wife can vouch for this. Her front wheels have taken a beating on her SLK.

 

[90lxwhite]

So all this beings said does anyone have any leads on an 8" wheel? I can't seem to find any that aren't a 4 lug. Say I went with the 275 tire on the 9", wouldn't the tire hang out past fenders in the front? Man I thought it'd be an easier decision than this finding a wheel and tire size.

 

[toyman]

Be aware. 255's on a 9" wheel offers ZERO curb or pothole protection. The rim will stick out further than the tire....that is a fact. Personally, I'd either go with 8" wheels, or figure out a way to make the 275's work.

I just went and measured the rim to tire clearance. It's about 1/4". What additional clearance would a wider tire (275) give?

 

[toyman]

My wife can vouch for this. Her front wheels have taken a beating on her SLK.

Seems like she parks by braille. lol

 

[toyman]

So all this beings said does anyone have any leads on an 8" wheel? I can't seem to find any that aren't a 4 lug. Say I went with the 275 tire on the 9", wouldn't the tire hang out past fenders in the front? Man I thought it'd be an easier decision than this finding a wheel and tire size.

With a camber of -0.6* the tire is outside the fender by about 1/8"with 255-45-17s on 9" wide rims.

 

[Black Stampede]

98 cobra wheels are either 17x8 or 17x8.5 I have them and have 275 bfg drag radials in back and 275 sumitomos in front.

 

[Gearbanger 101]

I just went and measured the rim to tire clearance. It's about 1/4". What additional clearance would a wider tire (275) give?

I'm not sure what you're asking regarding "rim to tire clearance", but a 275 will give you an additional 10mm of tire width on either side of the rim over your current 255. That's enough to get you out of the danger zone with potholes and curbs. Most likely though, it will increase your chance of rubbing under hard cornering though.

 

[90lxwhite]

98 cobra wheels are either 17x8 or 17x8.5 I have them and have 275 bfg drag radials in back and 275 sumitomos in front.

where did you find those 98 cobras?

 

[90lxwhite]

I'm not sure what you're asking regarding "rim to tire clearance", but a 275 will give you an additional 10mm of tire width on either side of the rim over your current 255. That's enough to get you out of the danger zone with potholes and curbs. Most likely though, it will increase your chance of rubbing under hard cornering though.

So my options are rub and stick out past the wheel well with the 275s or rub the curb with the 255's... Sounding promising. I wish there were more 8" wheels on the after market in the 5 lug version.