I just picked up a set of 4 cobra r rims for my 1998 gt. They dont have tires on them. What is the widest tire you can fit on that rim. I was thinking 275 in the rear and 255 in the front.
Would be nice if someone could post a link to them as im hoping to buy online.
275/40/17 is what most would use on that wheel and will fit fine.
I'd personally go the same size on all four wheels so you can rotate. Since the wheels themselves aren't different sizes, it would just look mis-matched to have two different tire sizes in my opinion.
I currently have 17x9s with 255/40-17s all the way around. Nothing wrong with them other than the fact they are shorter than stock, but next set I buy a set of tires, I'll get 275/40-17s; they are wider (better traction) and taller than the 255/40-17s (doesn't offset the speedo and looks better because of the decreased fender gap). Some places will tell you the 275s won't work on the front of a 94-98, but I've been told by numerous people now that they will work fine.
As for tires, I'd highly recommend the Nitto 555s. My set has almost 25,000 miles on them with probably another 20,000 left; great wet and dry traction; they perform on par with some of the higher dollar tires out there with a mid-range price tag. The best deal I found on my set was at American Muscle. Be sure to PM the AM sponsor on here to get the forum discount (around 6% IIRC, which translates to around $30-35).