I'm getting '03 Vette wheels for my '97 TA. I don't know exactly what size they are, I think 17x8.5 front & 18x8.5 back. If so, could I fit 275/40/17 on front & 285/35/18 on back? Would those sizes look right together? Thanks!

James

 

The rear rims are 18"x9.5"

As for a 275 fitting on the front rims, It's not really clear whether it will work or not. Some tire manufacturers recommend a minimum rim width of 9" and some recommend a minimum of 8.5".

Go to tirerack.com and do a search under 275/40/17. Then look at the specs for each brand. There will be a chart listing the recommended minimum rim width.

I am almost 100% sure you could squeeze a 275 on an 8.5" wide rim without too much of a problem.

 

Does anyone know if you can put a 275/40 tire on a 8.5 rim for sure? I have some 275/40/17 firehawks and I want to get the y2k 17X8.5 rims but I want to just use the tires I have. Will they fit on 8.5? Does anyone have 275 on 8.5 that can tell me for sure? Any pics? I just really would like to know because the boards give kind of mixed answers so I want to know if someone actually has this setup. Thanks a lot!

 

The question is not "will they fit on 8.5?".... the question is "will they fit correctly on 8.5?". If you are specifically talking about Firestone Firehawk SZ50 EP's, the answer you will get from Firestone is "no, we recommend a minimum width of 9" ". If you go to Tire Rack, as suggested in the post above yours, and punch in 275/40-17, you will get a choice of 42 different tires in that sizw. I looked as the first dozen or so manufacturers and models, and ONLY one of them - the Dunlop Sport 9000 - was recommended for an 8.5" wide rim.

To a large extent, it depends how you plan to use them. If all you do is "cruise" putting the 275's on an 8.5" rim probably will not cause any structural problems. You will need to watch the tread wear carefully, since squeezing them on too narrow a rim will suck the sidewalls in, and cause the tread to curve outward at the bottom and accelerate wear.

If you plan to Auto-X them, on the other hand, you will have poor traction, compared to putting them on the correct rim width, and you will probably experience excessive flexing, heat buildup and damage to the carcass over an extended period of time.

And, you should look at one actually fitted on the rim, because you might not like the "bulgey" look.

 

From a looks standpoint, a 275/40 on the front looks a lot thicker than those on the rear, so your fronts and rears will not look proportionately similar. Go with a 255. I've seen Fbody's with the sizes you are talking about, and the fronts don't look right with the rears. Your rears will just have to be taller overall than the fronts in order to make them look correct front to rear.