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Wheels and TiresNeed help with wheels or tires? Got fitment issues? Have questions about tire performance and handling? Ask all of those questions here!
I was really bouncing back and forth over whether or not to go 255's in the rear, but what made my decision for me was the SPEEDOMETER. 245's are visually just as wide...just short of 1/2" difference only, but the 255's are a full inch fatter/taller of a tire. That would throw the speedo out by about 10-15 mph, and also risk rubbing if the car is loaded down so I went with the 245's. I love the look, worked well for me. Not done though. Next on the list is a 1" lowering kit for the front to give me the additional rake I want.
Looks good. P/o put the cobras on my car. I kept them when i went to the new wheels. Nice tire. Sticks to the road real nice on the adirondack tight and twisties.
Thanks Sootie! My two boys would disagree with both of us. Of course if I gave them the car they would probably have 20's on it with super low profile tires. What the heck is the world comin to?...lol
The car , with those wheels and that tire size and choice of tire really looks great.
Very "aggressive".
Love the rear dish with these.......
Its nice to see some one appreciate the AR23s as much as I do.
Wheels can make or break a cars looks and with a beautiful car like that those wheels really top it off.
I installed new MOOG 5665 rear springs and a "stiff" set of KYB "Gas a Just" shocks.
I did not like the bounce I was getting with the old stuff. That fixed it.
Any way, enjoy your new setup.
Last edited by Ron U.S.M.C.; 05-16-2016 at 05:50 PM.
Thanks for the compliments guys!
Ron, I couldn't help it. I was kicking myself for not getting the 255's on the rear so I made a call today to see what their policy was on returns. It was Discounttire and they said no problem at all, just bring the car back. So thats where I'll be heading tomorrow. It just didnt make sense to buy lowering springs for the front for a little additional rake when I had the opportunity to just get the 255's. The more I looked at the gap between the top of the tire and the fender lip, the more I realized it wont be a problem. Anyone looking for a great looking setup that reads this in the future, you wont go wrong with 245's in the rear, but if you want an old school hotrod look with a little rake, 255's are your ticket. Thanks for all the information you have posted about it Ron. Inspired my choice!
The 255's in the rear really are a perfect choice. After getting them on they made the 245's look short. Its exactly how I wanted it now. Got the 255's on today.
Ron, that WOULD be cool! If mine had red stripes our cars would be extremely similar just inverted colors...lol
AR needs to pay attention to a few of the cars in this thread. Maybe they could sell more of the AR23's as they don't seem to be that popular. Honestly though, I'm not sure the pics do justice to the AR23's I think they are stunning on a thirdgen in person!
Here are the same sized Pep Boys Futura Super Sport tires on stock 15 inch rims.. 235/60-15 front 255/60-15 rear.. Forgive the paint job.. The one next to it is much nicer, but running 16 inch irocs..
Do not forget......
They are "clear coated" aluminum alloy.
Use "ONLY" soap and water on them.
No buffing or anything like that. It will hurt the wheels clear coat.
This wheel of mine is 10 years old.
It looks the same as a brand-new wheel! Looks great!
I did notice in the manufactures care guide that the wheels came with it, it said to lightly wax the wheels when waxing the rest of the cars exterior to preserve the shine. I see the logic in that since they are clear coated, but I don't know if that will help the over-all appearance after several years of doing it. The clear coat doesn't appear to be that thick, and Ive personally waxed and buffed the paint right off of a thirdgen I had in HS. lol
The problem with wax is that you have to strip it every once and a while and when its hot its a dust magnet.
Now Synthetic Polymers are another story.
That is all I have ever used on my paint since the beginning, 10 years ago when it was new.
And she shines like glass.....
Your car shines like Synthetic. Is that what you use ?
Last edited by Ron U.S.M.C.; 05-26-2016 at 12:44 AM.
The problem with wax is that you have to strip it every once and a while and when its hot its a dust magnet.
Now Synthetic Polymers are another story.
That is all I have ever used on my paint since the beginning, 10 years ago when it was new.
And she shines like glass.....
Your car shines like Synthetic. Is that what you use ?
I do use "synthetic polymers". I love how the industry has complete lines of products now boasting synthetic polymer as the name. Synthetic polymer is really just a broad description. For example, Super glue is a synthetic polymer. rubber and some plastics that are silicone based are synthetic polymers as well. In a car care product it generally means it is silicone based and some even contain teflon and other elastomers. The reason for the "synthetic polymer" name is because the auto body industry is so scared of silicone products that they simply would not buy products that had it in them. To tell you the truth, any autobody guy worth his salt uses solvents all over the car to get rid of any contaminants including silicones before he paints the thing. The problem is if one spot is missed or needed just a tad bit more rubbing than it got, the paint will "fish eye". Body guys are scared to death of silicone because of this. Especially if it is in a spray can or squirt bottle as it does fly in the air. The chemical reaction between the silicone and the hardeners in the paint create the fish eye while the paint is trying to dry and cure. Silicone based polishes and waxes really get a bad name from these guys. What 99% of people dont realize is that just about EVERY wax (boasted as synthetic polymer or not) contains to some degree...wait for it... yep, you guessed it...silicone. There are a few products that don't, but you limit your choices if you are a professional detailer (I am) if you opt to be silicone free. I would never do that. Silicone adds excellent UV protection, bonds where it is applied and enhances the real main ingredients in other waxes like carnubas. Main ingredient in carnuaba type waxes comes from palm tree leaves. Thats why I like carnuba wax. When was the last time you saw a palm tree leaf burn from the sun? lol So yes, to answer your question I LOVE synthetic polymers I have used a product called "Power-Pak" since the early nineties. It's hard to get unless you are an established buisness and there is a supplier near you, but I have found ONE and only one place that sells it online now. It is silicone based. Says it right on the gallon jug they deliver you. It polishes out with a buffer like no other stuff and makes a perfect go-to polish for detail shops because it covers such a wide array of paint correction issues. It could definately be called a synthetic polymer. Then I seal it up with my favorite carnuaba....glaze ussually. But the silicone polish underneath the wax lasts a LONG time.
Worst fear realized. The 255's rub in the rear when the car is loaded down with my wife in the passenger seat and two little girls in the back seats. I need a cost efficient solution for shocks in the rear. They definitely need replaced. The inner fender lip litterally sliced off the outside corner of the tread by about 1/16 to 1/8th of an inch! The tires still don't look too bad, but Im going to have to grind them back down smooth, and then turn the white letters in if it is still a visible flaw when I'm done. What are those adjustable shocks your using Ron?
And sorry for the big long explanation of synthetic polymer and silicone based stuff. It's just that I get FLAMED by some on this board at the mere mention of silicone based anything....despite my experience lol.
The "Gas a Just" shocks from KYB are self dampening. They react to the situation at hand. No adjustment. There just a stiff shock. I also added the MOOG 5665 springs in the rear. That made a big difference controlling the load. But then again I have never put anything heaver than childnen in the back.
Last edited by Ron U.S.M.C.; 06-08-2016 at 12:03 AM.
So Im going to do a few things here to make use of the forum and present to "Googlers" some pictures and insight into what fit in my case, and what these wheels look like since there are NO pictures of them elsewhere on the web.
Im using Bassett D-hole Beadlock IMCA / Wissota Circle-track Racing Steel Wheels with their Full Metal Jacket Beadlock rings. Aero makes similar wheels and full cover rings under the title of Mudbuster.
These are equipped with Cooper Cobras, 235/60 (26.1 dia) up front and 245/60 (26.57 dia) in back. 15x8 wheels with 4.75"BS up front and 4"BS in the rear. Just for knowledge, finding the diameter of the tire based on its size specs is easy for the 245/60r15, its (245*.60)2 to account for both wall heights. then you divide that answer by 25.4 to convert it into inches. Then simply add the 15 for the size of the tire bead that the rim is measured for. Altogether its a 26.57" tire.
ALSO, the 4.75BS wheels do not have a deepened area for brake clearance, but my stock brake calipers still fit. Wilwood and Baer *might* have some good brake kits that will fit within these. I also HAD to buy 45 degree conical 1" steel lug nuts to properly hold these to the hubs as they ARENT hub centric. So I also replaced my studs with 8740 Chromoly ARP studs for ease of mind. I even needed to use bolt-in 135 degree valves to get access through the massive beadlock rings. So using these wheels became pretty costly, but worth it, given that I also had to buy a torque wrench and new lug wrench.
Its been well known that most trans am enthusiasts like the offset/backspacing of the FRONT GTA wheels and use them on the front and the back because they sit very well within the wells. The 235/60r15 tire is almost exactly the same overall footprint as the stock GTA 245/50r16 wheels. These in 235/60 with 15x8 backspaced at 4.75 all around are perfect. My 245s with the 4"BS in the rear are too wide, but Im not going to return them. I bet with the 4.75BS I could fit a 255 in there comfortably if I dont care for speedo accuracy.
05-15-2016, 01:11 AM
I have used a product called "Power-Pak" since the early nineties. It's hard to get unless you are an established buisness and there is a supplier near you, but I have found ONE and only one place that sells it online now. It is silicone based. Says it right on the gallon jug they deliver you. It polishes out with a buffer like no other stuff and makes a perfect go-to polish for detail shops because it covers such a wide array of paint correction issues. It could definately be called a synthetic polymer. Then I seal it up with my favorite carnuaba....glaze ussually. But the silicone polish underneath the wax lasts a LONG time. 
