wheels/tires...need advice from the experienced

[chip]

Hi all, I am looking to get some new wheels/tires for my GN. Id like to go up to some 16's (or maybe 17's...any advantage to this?), but there are so many different sizes and spacing etc its making my head spin. I have already decided on some Nitto DR's out back, and have 2 almost brand new tires off of my corvette I would like to use on the front. I am looking for a combination of good traction (I can haze the tires at a 50mph roll now), and pretty good handling -- it's mainly a street car. What kind of sizes do you guys use for wheels/tires that get the most traction (without rubbing) and still look good? Any help or advice would be appreciated...also any of you with nice wheels that want to show them off please post a pic! I'd love to see what everyone else is doing for aftermarket wheels. Thanks in advance!

Chip

 

[1ARUNEM]

If you want traction, i would go with 16's over 17's as the 17 does not yield much sidewall. However, i love the look of 17's. I have run 17's with 245/40/17 fronts and 275/45/17 rears..

Good luck.

 

[8UWITH6]

If your main concern is traction, then I dont recommend 16s or 17s. Go with 15s if your looking for traction. But, like most of us, we wanna go fast and look good too.

I have had 17x8s on my Grand National and T-type and let me tell you it really makes the car. I had TTIIs that I had on both cars at one time or another. Just as a rule of thumb, *usually* with a 8" rim, (15x8, 16x8, 17x8), your gonna want a 4" backspace. This is by no means the only feasible backspace on an 8" rim, but I feel its a good place to start depending on suspension and brake modifications.

As for traction issues, when I had the 17s on the cars, traction was non-existant. I didnt have the greatest brand tires on there, but still, the 17s have very little sidewall flex thus killing traction. I now have 16x8s on my GN and am getting ready to try out some Hoosier QT Pro 16" slicks. I have 16" Nitto Drag Radials on it now, and Im not very happy with them. 1.92 is my best 60ft time so far.

Hope this helps.....if you want pictures of TTIIs or GTAs on a GN, just go to my website.

 

[c&cgn]

Originally posted by 8UWITH6

As for traction issues, when I had the 17s on the cars, traction was non-existant. I didnt have the greatest brand tires on there, but still, the 17s have very little sidewall flex thus killing traction. I now have 16x8s on my GN and am getting ready to try out some Hoosier QT Pro 16" slicks. I have 16" Nitto Drag Radials on it now, and Im not very happy with them. 1.92 is my best 60ft time so far.

FYI,

If you don't need them for any street driving you may want to look into the Hoosier Slick (actual slick not DOT) in a 28x10x16" size. That's the size I am going to go with for my car.

 

[tazgn]

I have a couple pics of my wheels/tires on my website (if you want to call it a website, I'm no internet gurru). But I have 18x9.5" wheels on back and 17x8" on front. the rears have 5" backspacing, and pretty much fit perfect, but each TR is VERY different in this area as some can't fit >3.5" backspacing. I have't really noticed much loss of traction, but just got done with a rebuild and kind of babying the car a bit for a few miles. I am running the dunlop S-03's all the way around. I chose them based on different reviews I read in magazines/net where they beat out most other tires. They handle WAYYYYYYY better than my old BFG radial T/A's!!!!

Derrick

 

[chip]

Thanks for the replies. I would love to go with slicks or ET streets, but I drive on the streets a lot and the occasional long distance freeway trip so that is really not an option. I forgot to mention, I have a 373 rear end, does that affect the tire size I should consider?

My Corvette tires that I want to put in front are nearly a foot wide, is anybody else using wide tires like that in front? Any rubbing problems on turns?

Also, most people seem to think that Nitto drag radials provide the best traction and longevity on the street. From your experience, do you agree or disagree with this. Thanks for the help.

Chip

 

[UNGN]

with 3.73's your best bet is something tall like a rear 255/60, front 235/60 15" wheel combo. 16" and 17" wheels are overrated in the improvement in "handling" they will give you. They give you more feedback and turn quicker in response to inputs, but steady state skidpad (like on an onramp) or real world road situations (read "rough") the taller tires will be right there with the rim benders. 16" and 17" rims look a lot "cooler" but a well balanced car with a good set of 15"'s will keep up on any race course, especially if it's paved like a typical road.

245 is the practical maximum in front on a TR. 255's may work with with wheel lip mods and stiff springs, but really won't without.

275's fit in back but make the car more prone to understeer. This trick is to find a good balance.