How would a smaller diameter tire in front effect the handling, actually here are 2 scenarios
same wheel size and lower profile tire in front
same tire profile and smaller wheel

 

FWIW, I believe that if you run different diameter tires in the front than in the rear it will cause the ABS to throw a code.

 

I don't see why it would. swapping gears doesn't throw a code, I know cause my car has run 4.11's for about 3 months without reprograming the PCM.

Now whether the wheels are different from side to side up front I can't tell you... but from front to back you shouldn't have any problems.

 

The one and only time I ever put a set of drag tires on the back of my car the ABS went nuts because of the difference in height. The brakes either wanted to grab or not work at all. The pedal was all spongey. It was downright awful.

 

Hey guys, what about handling characteristics of different sized tires Smaller in front and stock diameter in rear. I heard somewhere, forget where totally, that its more responsive and "quick"...??

 

You're dropping the front roll center while leaving the rear RC alone, which "loosens" the handling a little bit.

Norm

 

Oh so just the opposite of what I thought. Think ill just leave em the same size. Thanks

 

Just to make sure we're on the same page, "loosens" is perhaps more of a circle-track term to indicate the "less understeer/more oversteer" direction. Turn-in should be slightly crisper, and theoretically you'd have slightly less roll (though I doubt that you'd notice the difference from inside the car).

Norm

 

hmm well Ive never been to a road track or circle track with my car, whats an f-body normally do, under or oversteer?

 

I'm running a 255/40/17 Kuhmo VictorRacer V700(24.8" tall i believe and it looks very cool once the car is lowered onto it) up front and 315/35/17 Nitto Drags(25.5-26.0" tall?) out back. Lowered 1.25" jamex springs, Koni Yellows set in the middle, Spohn 36/24mm sway bars, Spohn LCAs and Panhard rod and LCA brackets. Anyone want to guess how the car will handle this year?

Last year I ran a stock suspension setup with 255/4017 AO32Rs (25.0" tall) up front and 275/40/17 Nitto Drags out back. It seemed to be very neutral on low speed auto-x courses, no real push and no real oversteer. Higher speed acceleration seemed to have a slight front end push but to me that felt safe in a way. How different "Should" the car handle with the new setup? Anyone wanna take a guess? Car is in the signature at the bottom.