16 inch tire sizes

Gearbanger 101 said:

Going with a 245/45/16 isn't going to change the "balloon" effect at all. The section width between a 245/50/16 and a 245/45/16 is still the same 9.64" wide and therefore so too will be the sidewall bulge. It only seems like less because you're going with a lower profile tire.

Keep in mind too, a 245/45/16 is a also more than a full inch shorter than stock. This means speedometer calibration is going to be way out to lunch, rear end ratio is going to feel as though it has numerically increase (helping acceleration, but hurting highway fuel economy) and ground clearance will be sacrificed.

If the stock side wall height of 4.85" is too much for some of you or the 245mm section width is too "bulgy", you're better off going to a 17x8" wheel and running a shorter sidewall, than just running a lower profile tire on the 16x7" wheel.

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I understand the sectional width will remain the same as that's affected by rim width and/or tire width. However, visually yes going down 5% on the sidewall ratio will change the look. On my daily driver I run 185/60 A/S in the warm months, and 185/65 winters through winter (more choices in size, and I find the extra sidewall is less jarring in the colder temps). The look is 'bulged', 'balooned' w/e you want to call it compared to the smaller profile (same rim). At that tire width the '65 series sidewall is 3/8" taller, the 245/50/16 vs 245/45/16 in question, sidewall difference is 1/2". At any one point you look at the 245/45 it has a 1/4" less meat in comparison.

I will agree with you that the OP has to consider that a 245/45/16 is 15/16" smaller than the stock 225/60/15 (stock tire size for 1985, this car was not calibrated to the ponies), but not "more than a full inch shorter than stock". Yes it will affect speedo calibration, but being a mechanical gear/cable setup is not 100% accurate to begin with (take a GPS with you in a said stock car, my speedos have been off 2-4mph at cruising speeds).

85_SS_302_Coupe said:

I got the 255/50s on the back, and they do bulge a bit but i don't think it looks bad at all...maybe that's the mullet in me

I just don't like that they dwarf the front tires, so i'd like to even out the ratio a little.

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Sorry, I think I've misinterpreted the look you were going after. Thought you wanted wider, but similar dimensions for fender clearance. My 245/45 recommendation is based on being 'bigger' from a front-back, back-front under the car kinda view. It's a wider tire of course, with nearly the same facial (side of car, front of rim view) dimensions as the 225/50/16 you currently have up front. The 245/45 will not look different than your current tire, in terms of wheel well gap.

If you are set on the 255/50s on the back, visually about your only smaller option to fill up the wheel well on the front is 245/50. If there is as much gap as you say, then it should clear that way. Width wise a 245 clears on an 87, I don't know if there is less clearance in the wheel wells of an 85. Hopefully someone with a pre 87, that's lowered, can chime in for you.