Biggest Tires on a 78....

[joshs78sleeper]

I posted this in the tech forum but then realized it might be more suitable here...

Im getting new rims and tires this week and im trying to find out what the biggest tire size that will fit on a 78 is. Ive heard of guys putting 295's on the back and 255's on the front of some c3's without a problem. But im not sure if this was a 78. This is the setup I want to get. Id really like to have 295's on the back, and 255's on the front.

Im getting 17 inch torque thrust II's, What size profile should I get keeping speedo and everything in mind? How would 295/45/17's go in the back? What about the front?

Anybody who has put these tire sizes on a 78 or comparable year please let me know....or if you havent gone this big whats the biggest youve gotten on your 78?

Also...what size rims would i need if i can fit the 295's on my vette? Will 17x8, 17x9 do?

 

[KANE]

I am running 255/50ZR16 tires on 16X8 wheels. They are the no longer made MANTIS wheels by ARE.

They are most nearly the same size as the original 255/60H15 tires. They are still huge!! Use the original back space on your new rims and things will be fine. If you go with more back space, you will have more tire under the car and it may rub against the trailing arm or spring. Additionally, the offset needs to clear the callipers- use 10mm or more.

17 or 18 inch? Just remember the larger the rim, the thinner the tire. That means that the rims will be more prone to getting ruined at the larger size end of the spectrum when you hit a curb.

Hope that helps!

 

[Last Ride]

I think if you go anything over a 255 in the rear, you will have some rubbing issues. They make heavy duty offset trailing arms that will allow you to run 2" wider rear tires, and then there's the ZL1 flares that give you 2" the opposite way. I think you might need to change to a shorter spring and eliminate the sway bar for any wheel less than an 18 as well. Hope this helps!

 

[Last Ride]

By the way, do a search on www.tirerack.com to find the wheel/tire combos that will most closely mimmick the ride height of the originals. I have 255/60 R15 on my car right now, and that gives me an overall diameter of 27". I think running a 40-series 18 will give similar results, but I would check just to make sure.