[Arlander]

I'm getting ready to stagger the wheels on my 03 GT. ( been waiting forever)

Stock I have 17x8 with 245/45's. I'm getting a set of 17x10.5 to put on the rear and I'm planning on keeping the 17x8's up front. If I do that what size tire should I use for the rear??? Any suggestions on a good tire???

(side questions: by the end of summer I can only do one, which one, cams and springs or NOS???)

[GidEup]

1. What's your tire budget and what's your primary desire/function with the tire?
2. In my opinion, of those two, springs and cams.

[casper gt]

I have the same set up (ie. 17x8/245 front & 17x10.5 rear with 555r 315/35's at present, soon to be M/T dr's) tire size on 10.5 is pretty much limited to 315/35's or 335/35's. your driving style/needs will dictate the tire choice but I had VERY good results with the 555r's (going on the third year on them & probubly about 800 or so passes) & still some tread left. also skip both options & get a higher stall torque converter.

[Arlander]

The 555's are the Nitto's, right??? The car is my DD but also my playtoy on the weekends......

[HRV6STANG]

335/35's the 555's and springs and cams....Not nitrous!

[casper gt]

Originally Posted by Arlander The 555's are the Nitto's, right??? The car is my DD but also my playtoy on the weekends......

yeah their nitto's. after my experiance with the 555r's I'd still by them for a d/d (would buy another set now but with the new converter the traction with them is kinda iffy)

[Arlander]

All I know is the last set I bought, Fierce HP's, suck serious BALLS and I will never waste my money on crap like that again!!! Those damn things are hard as a rock and prone to slipping.

[HRV6STANG]

Here ya go....

NITTO Extreme Performance NT555 Tire (245/45-17) at AmericanMuscle.com - Free Shipping!

[Arlander]

Unless anyone happens to have a pair of 17x10.5's or tires they want to get rid of at a decent price??? Anyone???

[Jazzer The Cat]

Please DON'T install a set of 335's as it is too wide for this wheel

This is a poor fit and complete waste of such a tire. Be advised that running such a differential in width will create some additional understeer on hard corners. This is when the front of the car wants to continue in a straight line,while you are turning the wheel. The SN95 is already prone to this issue, and going 245's/315's is going to exaggerate this issue. They will be an OK combo, but not so good if you are cornering hard under accelleration.

If you are going to be running additional power over time, you need to choose your tires carefully so that they fit your needs. Read Choosing a new tire thread and will give you some ideas as to which way to go.

Jazzer

[Arlander]

My local tire dealer suggested I go with 285/40's as he said it will match the top of the wheel to top of the tire ratio on the 245/45's. I'm just wondering if that's enough meat on the back end to justify stepping up to a 10.5 wheel?

[Jazzer The Cat]

IMO,

I think a 305~315 is a good fit and makes better use of the width of wheel. It also adds a bit of protection to the rim from curbs and such.

Jazzer

[F8L GT]

Originally Posted by Jazzer The Cat IMO, I think a 305~315 is a good fit and makes better use of the width of wheel. It also adds a bit of protection to the rim from curbs and such. Jazzer

+1, i would go with 315s myself

[Arlander]

Jazzer, I just read your post on tires (good job by the way, very helpful), SO let's see if I have this right. I have 17's on now and I could leave 17's on the front and have 18's on the rear IF I get tires that match the overall diameter and check wheel well clearance? I now it's recommended to stay with OEM size but I was just looking at opening up my options when shopping for wheels.

[YeloPony]

Staggered Wheel Performance???

really good conversation on staggered wheels and tires (18s) but the information is still good..

buy tires for what you want to do.. big difference in drag, AX, & Track..

[NASTY03GT]

I run 17X8 on the front with 245/45-17s. The back I have 17X10.5, I fit 325/45-17s I do not recommend the 325s, even though it looks good, it's tight. Stick with 315/35-17s on the back, that will give you a nice look and ride.

[Arlander]

I just had a rather amusing moment at a local wheel shop I thought I should share.

Me walking into wheel shop, "yeah, I'm looking to get a price on some Cobra R wheels for my Mustang".

Shop guy, "Cobra R's, Huh, never heard of um"

Me turning around and silently walking back out the door.........

[pyschopath76]

^priceless. i had this happen to me when i went to look for my rims. thank goodness for AM baby!!

[Jazzer The Cat]

Arlander...

As long as the overall tire diameter is within 1", you should not have any ABS issues. I recommend you stick with a single diameter though, for convenience and a better choice in overall tire options. Typically, one goes down 5% of sidewall for each 1" of wheel size. That is to say, a 315/35/17" tire is the exact same size as a 315/30/18" tire, so just need to decide on your wheel sizes. I have found that you will find the most available high performance tires in an 18". Not that you cannot find many of the same tires in 17", just a better selection for the most part in 18"s. I run 18"s myself for this exact reason and have two sets actually.

Jazzer

PS. Thanks

[Arlander]

That's what I thought about the 18's having a better tire selection. That's why I was thinking about doing 18's on the back while leaving the 17's on the front, for now that is. I don't have the money to do 4 all the way around right now but was gonna get the back 2 now and the front 2 later.