a few questions about tire sizes for 18" rims

Q's Stang · May 6, 2006

i dont know much about tire sizes and how they affect the ride of your car, but im planning on getting 18" chrome saleens in the next month or two and was looking around for what kind of tires to get. i was looking at the continental contisportcompact 2's [front: 245/255's rear: 295's], the goodyear eagle f1 gs-d3's [front: 245/255's rear: 285's (highest they go)] and the michelin pilot sport's [front: 245/255's rear: 285's (highest they go too)] ...maybe the nitto's as well because they are pretty cheap [front: 245/255's rear: 295/305's)

now im curious to how much the size of the tire matters performance wise on the fronts or if it is just for looks to save a few bucks & how much of a difference 285 to 295 would be appearance wise (in case i go w/ the goodyear's or michelin's)? right now i am stuck on the goodyear's because they are a reasonable price and seem to do well on the reviews...and maybe the continental's as well b/c i have some on right now & i cant complain although they are the all season tires instead of the contisportcompact 2's...

and also sorry to be a n00b on tire dimensions, but what exactly does the middle numbers represent (295/xxYR18)? ive seen them range from 30 to 45 when searching for tires, and i wasnt sure if i need specific ones for the front & specific ones for the back?

if any of yall have any advice on the tire selections or can help me out w/ any of my questions id appreciate it!

jasonh_86 · May 6, 2006

If you're going with 18x9/18x10.. then i'd go with 265/35/18 up front and 295/35/18 in the rear.. I wouldn't stick a 245 up front.. and DEFINATELY do NOT go with a 245/45/18, you'll be kicking yourself if you do.

265/35 is the narrowest tire i'd put on a 9" rim. I run 265/35/18 up front and 285/35/18 on the rear, 18x9" on all 4 corners.

Q's Stang · May 7, 2006

have pics of the rear view of the 285s?

Dope 97GT · May 7, 2006

id go with 265/35/18s in the front and 295/35/18s out back that is what comes on stock saleens with the 10 in the rear. I have the 295s on mine but 255/40/18s in the front that dont look bad. I am running Goodyear F1 supercars in the rear but they dont hook that great I really liked the BFG KDW2s they hook like a mofo I had a 1.9 60' time with those not sure what it gonna be with the goodyears.

EPIK · May 7, 2006

I have deep dish Fr500 replicas(18-9 & 18-10) with BF Goodrich KDW's. 265/35/18 in front & 295/35/18 in the rear. These tires stick really well, especially in the rain. When I used to run Nitto NT555's on my stock 17's they used to feel like I was floating & hydroplaned alot in the rain. The BFG KDW's were some of the most reasonably priced tires I could find, and they had great reveiws on Tire Rack.com. Tires this size are going to be expensive regardless though. I highly recommend these tires, although I have never tried the others you mentioned. The only bad thing I can say is that when I went with the 265's up front I noticed my car gets caught in the potholes and ruts in the road alot worse than it did with the stock size. I think next time I will run 255's in front.

wms004 · May 7, 2006

the middle number is a percentage of the first number (the first number being tread width in mm).. The stock diameter is about 25.7" which is a 275/35/18. A 295/35/18 will be over 26" which will slightly mess up your speedo.

Wade

Q's Stang · May 7, 2006

right on. i have the predator & i think i can fix my speedo w/ the 295's through a modified tune? i never really looked at the BFG KDW's but ill check them out. ill probably go w/ 255's in the front but still be up in the air w/ the 285/295's in the rear...i wasnt sure if it is a noticable difference between the two just in case i go w/ a tire company that only offers a 285

4.6_02_Black_GT · May 7, 2006

Qstang,

Good choice of tire....I run Eagle F1 GS-D3 as well. Size is 275/35/18 on all four corners. I think you will like the ability to rotate the tires, so I dont recommend running a stagger(mis matched size front to rear) unless you have deep pockets. The $260 per tire Eagles are too expensive not to rotate. Traction is awesome, the F1's when dry and when it rains there is not a better wet tire available. 275 is a wide tire, your rim choice is important to avoid rubbing up front, I rub just a touch it a full lock turn. Remember 80% of your braking is done by the front wheels, more rubber up front is always a benefit.

Firemanz · May 7, 2006

Yep, if you're running 18x9's and 18x10's, I'd go with 265/35 and 295/35.....

That's what my Roush came with as well.

Blk01gt_ · May 7, 2006

Definately don't go with 275 on the front, i just got my new wheels on friday, 18x9 with 275 on all four, and they stick out of the front fender...

I dont know if its more the fault of the 9 inch rim or the 275 tire...do you other guys with 275 up front look like this? How about a 9 inch rim with 265 or 255 tire, do they not stick out this much?

fluffyrunnells · May 7, 2006

i have the 275's all the way around. looks great...

Blk01gt_ · May 7, 2006

do they stick out in the front a bit like mine in my pic?

Q's Stang · May 7, 2006

4.6_02_black_gt do you have any pics of a rear view so i can see how big the 275's look from behind? i really want to get 295's b/c of how much they stand out in the rear, but i might go 285's due to the fact that thats the biggest some companies make (i.e. the eagle f1 gs-d3's). but if 275's look decent i might go w/ them to save a few extra dollars.

blk01gt do you have any side views of those saleens? at first the seemed like they were 17"s in the bottom picture. im going to get 18" chrome saleens in about a month whenever the first summer job pay check comes in!

Blk01gt_ · May 7, 2006

theyre 18's, maybe they look smaller cause my car isnt lowered.

hmm..well it wont let me attach the side view pic i was going to, because its already in another thread...i even tried renaming the file and it still knows..haha weird.

heres the thread..

http://forums.stangnet.com/showthread.php?t=634490

fluffyrunnells · May 7, 2006

View attachment 471505
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Blk01gt_ · May 7, 2006

do you have spacers on your rear wheels fluffy?

fluffyrunnells · May 7, 2006

yes 1 1/4

fluffyrunnells · May 7, 2006

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rugman1969 · May 8, 2006

type of tire

Look for fusion tires in this size. i have them on my 01 gt, and man they stick like glue. real good in the wet traction also. lasted me 25000 miles on top of that. real affordable too.

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