Wider tires...

DeusEx · #1 12-11-2005, 02:28 AM

I want to buy some new rims.. and i was also thinking about getting wider tires in the back, so i thought i mite as well do it all in the same time.
What all do i need to look for to get wider tires, where can i find rims that support wider timres, what type of numbers do i look for, dont want thme TO big for the camaro, just sticking out a little...
What size tires do i have now? (stock) just not sure how wide they are, anyone have any ideas?
Also, what other things might i need to update / upgrage to support the wider tires other then the rims?
Where on the net can i find these wider tires and rims?

92zcamaroperson · #2 12-11-2005, 08:01 AM

for an v8 rs I believe 235 60 15's are stock and then 245 50 16's for the z28's. Without any modification to the car I think that 255's are as big as you can go in the front but they might rub a little too much. You could to 245 in the front and then....275 in the rear. Then the rear numbers would be 275 40 17's or if you get 18" rims 275 30 18 and fronts would be 245 30 18. Unless im seriously messed up in my understanding of tire sizes all of those numbers should be good. With new wheels make sure to get the right spacers. Oh and get BFG KDA's. Those are good tires.

DeusEx · #3 12-11-2005, 10:01 AM

Spacers? Please explain.
Also i wasnt really looking for wider in the front, there isnt really to much room th play around with up there, but in the back rather there is, and it wouldnt look all that bad (in my eyes at least) if the tire is overhanging outside the car a bit.. i like that look for some reason, thanks a ton for your help though man.
Also, are there any sites i can find these tires rims at, that might be better then others price wise / quality wise, etc?

flatlander757 · #4 12-11-2005, 12:06 PM

I dunno about third gens, but on 93-02 cars you can beat the fenderwell with a hammer a bit(BFH mod

) and stuff some 315 size tires in the back(that's about 12-13" wide)

(That's MannyZ28's car from another board... not sure if I'm allowed to mention it's name though so I wont)

Savage Messiah · #5 12-11-2005, 12:14 PM

Do you want them purely for looks?

92zcamaroperson · #6 12-11-2005, 12:35 PM

a guy I know has 315's on the rear on his thirdgen and it must stick out about 3 or 4 inches.
About the spacers. The rim offsets for a thirdgen are different front and back. And they are both different from a 4th gens wheels. To fit 4th gen or most any aftermarket wheels on a third gen you would need 2" spacers. Ebay them and see what you come up with. A problem I see with having the wheel sticking out is when the wheel travels up and down it could hit your fender and do some damage. Say you hit a big bump on accident or something. This is especially important to consider if your car is lowered. My brother in law with a 98z has 18" z06 wheels on his car and they tuck just under the fender when the wheel travels up under the fender it probably has less than an inch of room between the fender and the tire. But all of his suspension is upgraded and he is lowered. Tirerack.com discounttire.com and lots of others all have wheels and tires to buy. You can go on ebay and find some nice looking wheel and tire packages.

Matt365 · #7 12-11-2005, 04:22 PM

dayam, i thought my 10 and a half was gonna be big.

DeusEx · #8 12-11-2005, 09:22 PM

No, i dont want them just for looks, looks is part of it, i think it looks nice, but i want more traction, i get shit in the rain, literaly, nothing if im on a slight, SLIGHT hill and stopped and starting again... i spin for at least 10 seconds...
What size do you guys reccomend, i dont want the biggest ones, just something thats fairly wide and looks nice, i will get pictures in a little so you guys can kinda see what it looks like now, i think i should have enough room actually to not have any problems with the wheels going up and down, i actually RAISED it up about an inch and a half...

DeusEx · #9 12-11-2005, 09:32 PM

I was actually on ebay looking for tires, and i saw this car... this is basicly what im looking for, the tires dont really look that wider it just looks like they are spaced out further.. i dont want to get actual bigger spacers and just push the tires out, but get bigger tires all together, but i like the way it looks...

Savage Messiah · #10 12-11-2005, 10:13 PM

that looks redneck as hell

Matt365 · #11 12-12-2005, 04:00 PM

mexican as hell. no offense meant.

flatlander757 · #12 12-12-2005, 04:21 PM

Um... wider tires give you LESS traction in the rain.

They act like giant boats.

and I concur that is redneck as hell

I would just go with 275s in the rear and 245s up front. Really though, the tire itself is what will make a bigger difference as far as traction goes.

For rain(which sounds like it is important to you) and really good grip on dry pavement(as far as street radials go) you should be good with Goodyear F1 GS-D3s.

And for the love of god do not make the wheels stick out more than 1/4"

DeusEx · #13 12-12-2005, 05:04 PM

Ok, so i was misled in the traction thing, why do people get such large tires then if it isnt for traction?
Also, these rims, i dont want low profile tires, does it matter what kind of rims i get, not sure if some rims work with just low pro tires, or they all can work with both, just depends on what tires you get?
Also, what is the other name of the tires, not the low pro tires but the other ones, what are they called?
Im just trying to learn stuff...

Matt365 · #14 12-12-2005, 05:06 PM

bigger tires do give u better traction, just not in the rain.

flatlander757 · #15 12-12-2005, 06:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeusEx

Ok, so i was misled in the traction thing, why do people get such large tires then if it isnt for traction?
Also, these rims, i dont want low profile tires, does it matter what kind of rims i get, not sure if some rims work with just low pro tires, or they all can work with both, just depends on what tires you get?
Also, what is the other name of the tires, not the low pro tires but the other ones, what are they called?
Im just trying to learn stuff...

Really, the biggest you need is a 9.5" wide rim... with a 275 wide tire mounted to it.

Since you don't want really thin tires, I'd say get a 16 maybe 17" rim. So order a rim that is 16 or 17x9.5" wide

You want the end tire height to be the stock 26" tall so it doesn't affect your gear ratio.

Here is how you read a tire measurement:

275/40-17R

275 = 275mm wide
40 = the tire's aspect ratio... this means that the sidewall height is 40% of the width(in this case 275)
17 = the size rim it is supposed to be mounted on
R = radial tire

And yes, wider tires provide more traction on DRY pavement... but it helps out more laterally(side to side... aka handling and cornering grip) than in a straight line.

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