Its time to purchase some new tires. I've searched but that can only get me so far, everybody wants something different. I have the stock 16 inch 91-92 V8 wheels. I think these are 8 inch wide, correct? Here is what I currently have all around.

225/50/16

The look is good, however naturally I would like to go as wide as I can possibly go without rubbing. I'm running the stock F41 ride height. What is best for handling, as wide as possible all 4? Or is thinner up front better? I was thinking maybe going with a tad taller sidewall in the rear. Maybe 50 up front and 55 in the rear. Any pics of this look? Would I be able to pull off, say, 245/50/16 up front and 245/55/16 in the rear?

And lastly, brands/styles. I would like the best all-around performance. These will see 100+ days in the summer, and a moderate ammount of rain in the winter. The car is a daily driver and safety, longevity, and durability have a higher priority than performance. However, I would like to get as much performance as possible (after all, its a 3rdgen) without sacrificing too much of my priorities.

 

The stock tire sizes are 245/50/16 on all 4. People have run 255/50/16's on all 4's, you might have minimal rubbing at full lock in the front. You could also do a mismatch of 245/50/16 up front and 255/50/16 rears. Running a 55 series sidewall would fit, but the lower the suspension sits the more likely you are to rub.

On another note, I think you should use the Tire Calculators to see what the speedo effect would be of running a 245/55/16 on the rear. Not 100% sure but I think difference between 245/50/16 and 245/55/16 is about a 1 inch height difference, so this would affect how the speedo reads. I would personally stick with 50 series but thats me.

As for the type of tire, big range of choices there. I'm a fan of the now discontinued Potenza RE730, not sure what I will use as a replacement when these go. Going through the reviews on Tire Rack might be worthwhile to try find a good setup

 

My speedo is already off, not sure the deal but it seems to read low so I'm not worried about that. As for the 55 series in the rear, I was just wanting some input about that based on a friends suggestion that my rears dont fill up the wheel well that great and would look meaner with a slightly fatter tire. I personally like the look of a low profile tire that doesnt fill things up as much so I'm scratching that idea.

As for brands, are Michelin, BFG, Goodyear, all fine? What brands should I stay away from?

 

I run 245/50-16 BFG KDW on all fours and they work good. Got long tread life to (as long as you don't do alot of burnouts)