Questions about tire/rim size and suspension

[kfellers]

O.K, here's what I'm wanting to do. I want to get wider rims and tires around the '88 GT. Talked to a guy locally that had 17x8 all the way around and he said minor rubbing up front but not bad. I'm thinking 17x8 up front and 17x9 in back. Will this work or will the back rub. What tire size is safe from rubbing on this set up,(wanting as wide as possible but still some sidewall for ride comfort).

With that said, also wanting to lower the car about 1 to 1.5 inches all the way around. Probably a little more in the front than the back. Will this be a problem with the wider tires up front or in the back?

Now, with that being said, also wanting to put the Strange 10 ways up front with some 50/50 in back, Are the drag shocks compatible with all the stuff mentioned above.

Any first hand knowledge and/or advice is appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Tonys96Cobra]

I have 17x9's all around, 24mm offset. 275/40 rear, 25/40 front. Car is lowered about 1.25", the fronts rub a little bit at full lock, not really a big deal. The rears rub more than I would like, though. I am gonna lower the car a bit more and go 255/40 all around. The offset of the wheel is really important, for a fox you need an 8" wheel with 5" backspace or a 9" wheel with 6" backspace.

 

[kfellers]

Thanks! Now just to show my ignorance, what is backspacing and offset?

You mention the rear tires rubbing, do they rub because of the width or the height?

 

[88306stang]

I had 17x9 on the back of my 88 lx with 275/40 on them and i had to take the quad shock off and beat the inner wheel well in a little bit.Up front i had 17x8 with 245/45 and i had a rubbing problem there. I should have gone with a lower profile tire up front. The car is lowered an inch.Actually im getting ready to lower and put 17 inch wheels on my 93 gt and im trying to figure out what size tire for up front that wont rub as much as the 245/45 did. Let me know if anyone has any suggestions.

 

[srothfuss]

Thanks! Now just to show my ignorance, what is backspacing and offset?

You mention the rear tires rubbing, do they rub because of the width or the height?

I can't help you out with rim size or rubbing issues. I do know what terms are

Backspace = the distance between the rear lip of the rim and the mounting face. Typically meassured with a level across the rim and a ruler to get the depth (in inches)

Offset = The offset of a wheel is the distance from its hub mounting surface to the centerline of the wheel. (1" = 25.4mm)

If I ever got rims for my car, it would be a 17x8 with 245/45/17 at all 4 corners.