255/60/18 vs. 255/55/18 - Braking??

[JimmyGold]

Hey Guys,

Dumbass issue...I don't want 20's cuz I live in NYC and the potholes and curbs would kill my rims. The 18" ASA JS5 rims I have work great, wish the were wider, but I like keeping my tie rods and ball joints in working order (lol).

Plus, I think beefy tires look better on SUVs than low profile - so it leads to the conclusion that I should go for a slightly beefier tire than I have now (255/55/18).

255/60/18 (30" dia) vs. 255/55/18 (29" dia), anyone know if this will cause braking issues. I'm pretty confident I won't have any rubbing issues at all, wheel offset is +42 on 18x.7.5 inch rim.

One interesting thing I noticed, is that the stock tires were 28" 235/70/15...increasing the diameter by 1 inch to 29" did not change the accuracy of my speedometer, although it is theortically supposed to because the circumfrence was increased by more than 3%.

So maybe I can get away with the 30" tire...thoughts anybody?

[ChrisGood]

In the aftermarket world the one thing never mentioned is that with bigger or heavier tires you need to upgrade your braking system. With the minor change in size I would vote no major concern but weight is also a factor. To make sure you are going to still have good breaking upgrade a few minor items, change out the factory flex line running to the caliper with a steel braided line, this will give you a much more solid brake feel and also ensure that you do not lose pressure in the line due to flex. As well if you have not done it yet, upgrade the pads, i wouldnt go to race pads but maybe a semi metallic/ceramic pad, or something in the line of better than stock.

[JimmyGold]

Thanks dude!