Hey guys, I might be picking up some c5 wheels for REALLY cheap (fat spoke) and the rears are 18 by 9.5. I only have a v6 and I don't want too much tire for my crappy engine. They come with 275's on them but what would be the minimum I could stick on there? Would a 245 or 255 tire fit? Would they be safe? Thanks a bunch if you guys can help.

 

245 would be too small..i mean..there are certain places that could get them on... but you will be cheating yourself...if you dont want a wide tire, get a different set of rims... and keep your 245/50/16..or up size...but you dont want to put anything smaller then a 265...thats for sure

iroc2nv

 

Man that sucks. Thanks for replying iroc2nv, it's nice to know not everyone ignores a v6ers post. to you.

 

Why would you worry about too much tire? I didn't think there was such a thing... Anyway, a 275 should be fine, would hurt performance any, you may not be able to spin them over though...

 

no worries dude...just because you have a v6 doesnt mean you dont share the same love of your fbody then i do...we are all the same here...we have a common lust for a great generation of cars...fbodys... people have helped me in all aspects and when i have some knowledge..i pass it on..its only fair..

if you do like the rims..put em on..but just dont change the tires cuz you are worried about losing speed.. everything is always up to the person modding their own car...others opinions are like *******s..everyone has one and most of the time..they stink

but..make sure you get the right spacers too..cuz they are a different offset (positive whereas ours is a negitive)...and youll be good go..i dont think there will be any rubbing issues

iroc2nv

 

on a 9.5 inch wheel a 255 tire is perfect, period. I had that combo, so i know what i am talking about

 

perfect for what, period? I have 275s on my 9.5" wheel, and that is perfect. a 255 looks stretched.

 

9.5 inch wheel is 241.3mm wide. I wonder how a 255mm wide tire can be stretched to that.......BTW i have 275's on 10 inch, and i would not do that again, because it is too wide. On that wheel a 265 would be better. For some reason most people in this forum tend to put too wide tires on their rims, like 255 on 8 inch which makes no sense and looks like ***.

 

I was just saying it's still just an opinion thing. I prefer the tread to be the same width as the rim. a 275/40R18 has a tread width of 9.1" (dunlop sp sport 9000). and a 275/35 has a tread width of 9.9". So IMO, a 255 looks stretched because a 255 doesn't have as wide of a tread as the wheel. Saying "period" is like saying "it won't fit"

 

I've got 275's on my 9.5 rims and I think they are perfect.

 

I would not go any less than 275 width on a 9.5" rim. This is a 9.5" rim with 275/40/17.

 

Here's Kumho Ecsta 255/40/17" I it's a perfect fit...the tire is not stretched at all. Certain Tire brands maybe not as wide I think these Kumho's are a lil wider than other brands even though the 255 width #.

 

I think it would be the smallest size but here's another picture on how wide there are comapared to the rim keep in mind these are the 17" Z06 9.5 rims.

 

315/35/17's fit on 9.5" rims.... i had them on my stock 17x9's safely.... just not a cornering tire... i had drag radials though so didn't matter. i have 275's on my 8" wheel now

 

This is a 275/40/17 Kumho 712 on my WS6 wheels,
fits the rim perfectly,


and a BFG G-Force TA KDW 275/40/17 on my 9.5" OZ's

 

275/40/17 is the stock GM size for a reason.

 

so are u guys saying since I have 255's that I'm stupid? I did do alot of research on tire sizes, different tire companies etc....I believe it all makes the difference in what brand tire it is. it's like a pair of shoes some companies that are the same sizes feel like there too big or small (Nike, Reebok, Adidas) do a visual size comparison on them and there all different sizes long shorter it seems wierd but true the same thing goes for tires that's why they have to post the stats of there tires on there websites and if there is any question go ahead and email the tire companie (Goodrich,bridgestone,etc...) I only really got 255 because they do fit without any complications and there also cheaper by like 50-60 bucks for a pair.

 

Nope. I am only saying that 275/40/17 is the stock size for a good reason.

 

what's the reason?

 

Yeah, what's the reason?


I have 18x9.5 Z06 wheels with 275 Kumho's and they seems to be a perfect fit too...but 255 -> 275 isn't a HUGE difference (20mm?) so I dont see where there's a real concern.

 

255 to 275 is a difference of 20mm, or aprox 3/4 of an inch of tread width. Sounds like a big difference to me.

Anyways, the section width of the tire is not the same as the mounting width. If you look at the tire off the wheel, see how the mounting lip is recessed? The tire is measured in tread sectional width, which is not the same figure you want to apply to mounting width for the wheel. You do want the tire to be a little wider than the wheel, so it flexes out slighty and covers the lip of the wheel, as to protect it from curb damage. Unless you like curbed up wheels, anyways.

(I am sure someone will buzz in and say "I will never curb my wheels! I can drive! Yada yada, blah blah blah. Nobody intends to curb the wheels, but it still happens none the less. )

A stock 275/40/17 is by rights 11" wide, but you lose about an inch in the mounting lip, and that only leaves 1/2" on either side of the wheel to protect it. Not that much in reality.

Plus, I love beefy looking tires.

$.02

 

3/4" of an inch total, so figure that's 3/8" on either side, so when you're dealing with a tire that fat, it seems like a minute difference. Anyway, just to drop my $0.02 in the hat; I love my 275's on my 18x9.5's