Need New Tires

I have a 96 3000GT (base model), and I am in need of new tires. My problem is this: the car has already been lowed a little by the previous owner. I live in Virginia, the pothole and speed bump capital of the world....not to mention all the inclined driveways and parking lots. I am looking at getting low profiles from Pep Boy's. They are Hankook Optimo tires. Does anyone happen to know about how much they will lower the car? I know they appeared to only lower about an inch on my old car (2006 WRX). The car has a nice body kit on it, and I really don't wanna scrap the paint off and have it look like sh!t. The other tire option is Futura (spelling) Touring tires. Any advice would be appreciated. And the sooner the better, as the current right rear tire has about six different holes in it (I have no earthly idea what the idiot I bought it from did to it) and will go from almost 40 psi to about 10 psi in a day or so. Thanks in advance!

Tires dont lower a car if you use the correct size

Any reason you are using low/budget name tires? hell i'll send you 4 or my 20 goodyear coupons if you would buy a decent tire.. but like stealthee said tires dont lower the car and if nothing else get a bigger side wall *the second number in the tire size its the % of the width *

Any reason you are using low/budget name tires?

Yeah, cause my ass is broke right now. With the rims that are on the car now I believe that it would lower the overall height. It has the stock rims on right now (15 or 16 inch I think). Correct me if I am thinking this through wrong, but aren't low profile tires smaller than regular ones? With that small of a rim I would be riding REALLY close to the ground, and in Virginia thats a good way to lose a front bumper and/or the oil pan. But like I said, if I am thinking this through wrong please let me know. Otherwise, I will go ahead and get regular tires put on right now. Then, if/when the government sends out those checks in May (I'm still not sure they will) I'll get a tire and rim package that will up the size of the rims and put some decent rubber on them.

You are wrong.

If it has 16's you will go with 225/55/16's Thats the stock height and it willl not lower the car.

245/45/17's are a low profile tire, and are the same height as 225/55/16's.

You alter the tire size to keep a stock diameter.

You are wrong.

If it has 16's you will go with 225/55/16's Thats the stock height and it willl not lower the car.

245/45/17's are a low profile tire, and are the same height as 225/55/16's.

You alter the tire size to keep a stock diameter.

The tires that are on there right now are 245/50ZR16. But one of my customers is going to put four new Bridgestone tires on the car for $83 a piece. That is the whole thing, mounted, balanced, and out the door. Once those tire wear out I will think about putting a larger rim on there to properly accommodate low profile tires. Thanks for your advice and thoughts!

245/50 is perfect. Its just a wider tire. Its the same diameter though

245/50 is perfect. Its just a wider tire. Its the same diameter though

Yeah, the tire guy tried to talk me into the stock tire, but I really like to have the extra width. Sorry to be a n00b, but will some of the measurements be the same for low profiles? Thanks for all your help! Oh, and your stealth picture in your sig is the $hit! Seriously, one of the best looking ones I have ever seen!

Low profile requires "plus sizing" to maintain the tire diameter (and not throw your speedometer off)

http://www.tirereview.com/?type=cc&id=179&53L3c73d=179

Yeah, the tire guy tried to talk me into the stock tire, but I really like to have the extra width. Sorry to be a n00b, but will some of the measurements be the same for low profiles? Thanks for all your help! Oh, and your stealth picture in your sig is the $hit! Seriously, one of the best looking ones I have ever seen!
Tire sizing is a math formula.

245 is the width in millimeters.

To convert millimeters to inches you divide it by 25.4.

So 245/25.4 = 9.65

The second number is the percentage of the width and determines the sidewall height.

So 9.65 * .50 = 4.825.

Now to determine the overall diameter you multiply the sidewall height by 2, then add the wheel diamter.

So (4.825 * 2) + 16 = 25.65

And thanks for the compliments. Im trying like hell to get the car looking 100% awesome again. The pics then will blow my current sig out of the water. :D