Tires are hard to find over in Europe for this size- almost as bad as stock.. I have the 17" gold iroc wheels coming and want the widest possible on the rear and maybe just 245 or 255 on the front. Any advice and exact combs that you guys run? Thanks.

My typo in the title I meant 17r on the new wheels

 

Typical size we use in the USA for the 17x9 wheels is 275/40-R17. (you said R16 in your post, I assume that was just a typo)

I have used 255/40-17 Nitto NT05 tires on the front and it was too short and rode harsh on the roads (too little sidewall). I think a 255/45-17 would be better but I've never used that size. I can tell you the ride quality improved a lot going to a 275/40-17 tire with taller sidewall.

 

Thanks Qwk- yes typo in heading. Hawks recommend 40 profile, interesting they were harsh

 

They recommend a 40 profile on a 275 wide tire, which has a bit more sidewall than a 40 profile on a 255 wide tire, which is what Qwk used, and felt was harsh. While I've never specifically used a 255/40, I DO know that taller sidewalls DO make a big difference in ride quality, so Qwk's observation doesn't surprise me.

As for wide tires, if you check the Hawk's 17" wheel thread, https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/whee...-coming-5.html .....ManicZ mentions putting some pretty wide NItto's out back. I think 315. Now, first, I'm not saying that's recommended, and I'll also throw out that I believe those particular Nittos he used are known to run a bit skinnier than most tires for the given size. I'm not suggesting, condoning, or advising anything other than a place to find some info and find your own answers, lol! Post 243 shows a nice comparo pic.

 

So if I go 305 (Nitto) I'd need 35 profile. If I go 255 on the front would I need 45 profile?

 

I've used this tire size calculator for years.
https://tiresize.com/calculator/

Generally speaking, you wanna keep the overall height the same as stock. -well...unless of course you specifically WANT to change it, but generally speaking....keep it the same. on a 245/50/16, that's about 25.5" to 26". I've always figured within a .5" inch is negligible, and simple tire wear could make that much difference. Sidewall is measured in percentage, so a 40 profile is 40% of width. Why it's not a simple measurement, I have no idea, but it's percentage. .....so....

245/50/16 is 25.6" Tall
255/45/17 is 26" tall
275/40/17 is 25.7" Tall
295/35/17 is 25.1" (little short)
295/40/17 is 26.3" (little tall)
305/35/17 is 25.4" (about perfect)

Now I'm not saying a 315 on a 9.5" wide wheel is good, bad or otherwise....but that measurements in respect to height are right on.

 

A 305 or 315 tire is foolishness on a 17x9 wheel. That kind of crap is for the poser crowd that values looks over function. If you want a tire that actually performs then get a 255 or 275 at most. If you have a choice between the two then choose the one with the better rubber.

 

275/40-17 on all four hawks GTA repros. Here's the formula i use.

Example: for a 215/65-15 tire (215x65/2540x2+15= 26") 215 times 65, divided by 2540, times 2, plus 15 = 26".
275/40-17= 25.66

 

Fantastic thanks brother

 

That wasn't me. I run 275/40/17's all around. But I do recall seeing that member's post. I remember the rears bulged a bit. But I can't remember the poster's name.....

Edit: I just clicked the link. It was IROCThe5.7.

 

Ah, sorry....maybe it was Irocthe5.7? I suppose i could check... LOL, yeah....it was IROCthe5.7. Manic, you posted pics in post 240, and they he posted that comparo pic in post 243, I just assumed it was still you posting pictures!!!!!!! oops!

 

Yeap that's me. Just waiting for my rear tires to fall off-lol Fun fact, a Nitto 555R 315 is no where close to a true 315 tire (I know, beating a dead horse here). They work well for what I want out of the car. It gives the look I want. And traction is extremely better vs the same 245 tire on the stock rim. So poser mobile it is. Not everyone uses there car for the same purpose. Drag racing, autocross, cruiser…etc. Making blanket statements just make you look silly. It’s like the guys that loose their minds when low mileage cars are still running the stock 35 year old gatorbacks. Only to find they trailer the cars to shows.

Unfortunately a lot of the comparison pictures I had of the 275 vs 315 on the rims are gone (phone took a swim in the Niagara River). I do have this one and a picture of them on the car:

 

I had horrible experience with low-profile drag radials on the street. I don't use them anymore. Short story is they only work when new. Other downsides are thin sidewalls that easily puncture, overheating at speed, and handle poorly.

I have had better experience with 200 tread wear competition autocross tires. That class of tires has been highly developed and perform exceptionally well. They've got grip. And the car will drive much better and tires last longer.

 

So glad you joined this thread, your car looks amazing!! A couple of questions;

1/ is the tire to tire pic you have 275 vs the 315? That is a HUGE difference
2/ Is a Nitto 275 also smaller than a BFG 275 (for example)
3/ Are the 315's 35 profile?

Thanks, I love the look of them. My car is a weekend cruiser and a hobby- I don't need to worry about optimum tire performance. Looking good is cool too

 

1) It's the 245 on my original rim vs the 315 on the new rim. Same tire though (555r)
2) If you mean the 555r drag radial. I'd bet on it. With the stock rims I had 245's all around. And the 555r's in the back were narrower than the fronts.
3) Yes the rear tires I have now are 315/35/17.

Looks like they're phasing out the 555r with the 555rII. I have no idea if the new version will still run narrow. I understand it's still a little wide for the 9" rim. But it's not like it's bulging horribly like a 295 on a 8" rim or something crazy (which I've seen before-lol). I'm not saying anyone should do this. The correct size to run is 275/40/17 for the 9" rim. People should make a decision on how you use the vehicle. I barely have time for the car anymore. It's a weekend warrior at best. I think it looks great, and I can get some nasty launches with this setup. If it was a daily, or an autocross car, would I run this setup? No. It's just my fun car.

Managed to find one more pic. Excuse the mess. We were in the process of cleaning the basement and garage.

 

I know in the American Sedan class the SCCA limits 3rd gens to 275mm wide tires and 8" wide rims, which I think would be a tad bit of a stretch, although 4th gens can run 9" wide rims. I don't know why they have stupid rules like that. In the Improved Touring class you're limited to 15X7" wide rims, so you're forced to either run narrow tires and get poor traction or run tires that are way too wide for the rims and hope you can get the beads to stay seated.

 

So, this rear shot is the 315 on a Hawks 17" Iroc wheel? If so, I will do the same? Drag radial or the street 315?

 

I run 245/50 ZR16 on both my 91 and 94 TAs, as it was the size delivered on the car from the factory.

Unfortunately for me, both sets of tires will "age out" before they wear out.
The BFGs that were on the 91 before I purchased it about 3 years ago look a little "meatier" than the Toyos that I just put on the 94.....but because they'll "age out," I'm kind of a stickler when it comes to the manufacturing date of the tires, and the Toyos were the only ones that were manufactured within 120 days of my purchase. Everything else was about 18 months old already.

 

Yes. 315 Nitto 555R drag radials on the back. 275's on the front.

 

Thank you sir. Hope all is well!

 

No problem. Post some pictures when you're done!