Best tires for 88 Foxbody GT?

Just picked up my first foxbody and was looking for opinions on the best all season/summer tires. Also was wondering what size I should run to get the best grip, currently it has 215/55/R16 in the front and 275/40/ZR17 in the back. Which brings me to my next question, is 16s in the front and 17s in the back effective performance wise or is it just for appearance? I’m not very well versed in this stuff so any input is appreciated.
 
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Ok, the 'what size/brand' of tire question.
It is really subjective, I personally buy inexpensive rear tires because well, I like to get the back loose and leave black marks on the road :shrug:
As for the 'staggered ' look, it's a 'my car looks like a fast drag car' thing, if done right it looks good but if you have to put a set of air shocks to get the back high enough to fit you're about 40 years out of date, yes, 1979 wants those cragar ss wheels back.
Also the staggered wheel/tire combo is a negative for yawl response (I may not have used that term correctly but it sounded cool in my head).
This is similar to asking about exhaust systems.
 
Just picked up my first foxbody and was looking for opinions on the best all season/summer tires. Also was wondering what size I should run to get the best grip, currently it has 215/55/R16 in the front and 275/40/ZR17 in the back. Which brings me to my next question, is 16s in the front and 17s in the back effective performance wise or is it just for appearance? I’m not very well versed in this stuff so any input is appreciated.
You mentioned grip , I just bought 275/40/17 NITTO 555RII drag radials and they HOOK !!
 
It is really subjective, I personally buy inexpensive rear tires because well, I like to get the back loose and leave black marks on the road :shrug:

That's because you are a degenerate. Like my friend who likes to slide all over the place, and then complain when I tell him he needs to buy new tires or he is going to die.

The staggered wheel diameters will be fine. We definitely need to know the width of the rims to make size recommendations. Any tire shop can measure the rim width; it is an essential measurement used to balance the tires. The bottom line on tires is what you use the car for (daily driver, weekend warrior), what your budget is, and how much traction you want. If we recommend drag radials, they will hook great, but won't handle well, and only last a few thousand miles. I personally do not drive my car everyday, and do not participate in ignorant activities, so my tires dry rot before they wear out.

Kurt
 
That's because you are a degenerate. Like my friend who likes to slide all over the place, and then complain when I tell him he needs to buy new tires or he is going to die.

The staggered wheel diameters will be fine. We definitely need to know the width of the rims to make size recommendations. Any tire shop can measure the rim width; it is an essential measurement used to balance the tires. The bottom line on tires is what you use the car for (daily driver, weekend warrior), what your budget is, and how much traction you want. If we recommend drag radials, they will hook great, but won't handle well, and only last a few thousand miles. I personally do not drive my car everyday, and do not participate in ignorant activities, so my tires dry rot before they wear out.

Kurt
Oh you bet I'm a degenerate :jester:
 
define "best"

with differing sizes front & rear, it tells me you like to go straight and less emphasis given to cornering.

Throw some bias slicks on the back and some front runners on the front wheels and call it good. Grip in the rear will be nice but don't go throwing it into a corner at any kind of speed.

I've had a couple cars like that.

Both current cars share same size front and rear tires. Much nicer. May not look as "good" but I can rotate them, properly, and ain't afraid to throw that sucker into a 25mph switch back at a speed faster than I should. I do not make a habit of it, but these road are so sorry here that you can be driving down the mountains and come into a curve, no signage, and you'll be at or above the posted speed limit....big surprise in a lot of them. I wanted something that'd safely navigate them, and I got what I was looking for. Definitely not a road racer but certainly safe and, well fun.

The comment about the tires being the only thing between you and the road is legitimate. Don't skimp there.
 
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A staggered setup (larger tires in the rear) creates understeer in a car that has factory-installed understeer. Essentially, the front tires can't match the grip level of the rear tires. If you're looking for the best overall driving/handling experience, you want to run the same size tires, and the same overall tire diameter front and rear. And the tires should be the right size for the rims.

As for tire choice, that depends on how you intend to use them, the conditions you normally drive in, and how long you want them to last.