I'm curious about what is involved in getting wider rear tires (I want to take this into consideration when I get my gear up-grade). Right now I have stock P21565S15 tires. I'm guessing I'd have to get new rims or wheels matching a new tire to start. Could I fit wider tires without druming the wheel wells?

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Drew Veeneman
87' Camaro
Jasper Class II 350 (.3 over)
World Products S/R iron cast heads
Stock auto 700r4
Snail like 2.73 gears
3" round K+N Air Filter
Road Demon 625cfm
Edlebrock Performer Intake
Edlebrock TES Headers
3" Cat+Flowmaster
Ugly olive drab camoflauge paint job
Check Out Sharky at https://www.thirdgen.org/rides/index...ew&rideid=3002

 

well on my stock 82 aluminum 15" rims I have a pair of 265/50/15's on the back. those are the max width that my rims will take, but they are plenty wide.
if you goto a tire store, get them to show you some of their tire books, it will show tire hieght, diameter, and what width of rim is required for that tire. I think most 15" aluminum camaro rims are 7 - 7.5" wide, the 16" rims i think are 7.5 - 8" wide.

as far as my tires fitting in the wheel wells, the 265's work well on the back, but would be too wide on the front, 245/50's would probably be the max you could go on the front.

 

Great, it I can fit tires with 265 width on my stock rims that will make me a happy guy. Thanks! That makes 3.73 gears all the more tempting.

 

A good rule of thumb is that the rims should not be less than 70% of the tire width. So with 7" rims a 255 is probably as big as you should go. But if it looks and feels OK then what the heck.

 

my rear rims are 7.5" and those 265's are just barely on there, took two guys to mount them

if you have 7" than I wouldnt go more than 245.

remember if your going for off the line traction for drag racing, get a big sidewall
if you want traction for corners, get small sidewall.
245/65's would give just as good of traction as 265/50's

I'm running BFG radial T/A's with 373's and a locker and I get decent traction, I can still boil them off if I really wanted to, so I would get something other than the radial T/A's, i don't like them at all.
they are very poor in the rain, wider tires generally are worse in the wet and snowy conditions though.

 

87 ta 7 inch weld draglite and a 275/60/15 on the back. did have to beat a couple of spots in inside the fender well. nothing major though. and yes the 275 fits the 7 inch rim fine. and only one guy with a tire machine to mount them.

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92 z28 170,000 miles 14.20 on goodyear eagles before exhaust only mods k&n and slp 13/4 headers and dual 2 1/2 exhaust
87 trans am 12.20 on motor too many mods to list

 

go to www.carcraft.com for wheel and tire fitments then after that for some prices on tires go to www.tirerack.com I think I remember reading that if you ran 18x10 with 6" backspacing you could fit p295/35r18 but at the car craft website the have a tech article for the largest tires you can fit for rim sizes 15" to 18" it is worth checking out for you if you are seriously considering new wheels and tires because so am I.

[/B][/QUOTE]

 

well, i did the exact same thing that you are thinking of doing...i had 2.73 and upgraded to 3.73 posi. my 15x7 stock 215/65/15 tires did not hold under it at all.

i had wanted to change my rim style too, and saw slp's take-off wheels. they were $650 shipped. the g-year GSC's mounted were worth that alone (they even still had the rubber **** on the tread of the tire). then i spent another $300 for spacers. so for $950, i got a great looking set of rims that hold 20x better than my stock s-rated tires. i figure that if i had bought gta rims with these tires, i would have spent the same amount of money.

i really didn't want to put that wide of a tire on my 7" rim.

just what i got from my experience.

Pat

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'92 Firebird 305 TBI
3.73 Posi
ASCD Ram Air Hood
14X3 K&N
'00 WS6 Exhaust
'00 16x8 Wheels

http://www.geocities.com/birdv8

 

Thanks for the info guys. I think I'll keep my stock wheels because a few weeks ago I repainted them camoflauge black. If my car had good looking chrome rims it just wouldn't look right. 255 width should be adequate traction for Sharky.

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Drew Veeneman
87' Camaro
Jasper Class II 350 (.3 over)
World Products S/R iron cast heads
Stock auto 700r4
Snail like 2.73 gears
3" round K+N Air Filter
Road Demon 625cfm
Edlebrock Performer Intake
Edlebrock TES Headers
3" Cat+Flowmaster
Ugly olive drab camoflauge paint job
Check Out Sharky at https://www.thirdgen.org/rides/index...ew&rideid=3002

 

215/65R15 ARE DESIGNED FOR 6.5 WIDTH RIM, BUT APPROVED FOR USE ON 6 THRU 7.5 WIDTH. 265/50R15 ARE DESIGNED FOR 8.5 WIDTH RIM, BUT APPROVED FOR USE ON 7.5 THRU 9.5 INCH WIDTH RIMS. THE 255/50R15 ARE DESIGNED FOR A 8 INCH WIDE RIM, AND APPROVED FOR USE ON 7 THRU 9 INCH WIDTHS. THE 275/50R15 ARE DESIGNED FOR A 8.5 WIDE RIM, BUT APPROVED FOR USE ON 7.5 THRU 9.5 WIDTH.

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HERS 90 IROC-Z 350 TPI
HIS 86 TRANSAM 305 TPI (406 AT SHOP NOW)