firstgear
Well-known member
- Joined
- Oct 11, 2003
- Messages
- 1,895
- Location
- Norwalk, Ohio
- Corvette
- 15 Z06, 01 Vert, 63 SWC & 60 ALL RED
After trying many different tires on my rim and putting it on the car several times, I have finally found a tire that will look good and stay under the wheel well. My rims are 8X17 with a 3.5" backspace (meaning I have more of a dish) for the back, the front are 7X17 with a 3.5" backspace (meaning the mounting face is centered on the rim).
I started out with 255/55R17 and they stuck out of the wheel well too much for me....then I went to 225/45R17 and they looked like rubber bands on rims....and finally found a 235/55R17 Michelin Pilot Sport A/S that had the right tire diameter (27.3" and doesn't look like a rubber band on the rim) with a section width of 9.5". The 255/55R17 had a section width of 10.4" and while the meat on that tire looked great, I didn't like the amount that it stuck outside the wheel well.
Remember, I am not using a stock axle, but have the Myers Racing 9" Ford axle and it was narrowed to match the wheel I had picked out....I hadn't counted on the difficulty of finding a tire that would look good. Turns out almost all 17" tires are meant to have small side walls, unless you get into a truck tire, which is what I think I am into, but it is a Pilot sport and all the ratings on it are very high in terms of traction both wet and dry...so in that regard I am in good shape....here are the photos...this weekend I will take the body back off and get after the frame. I need to clean up a few areas with some grinding on it and begin to get it ready for powder painting.
there is about an inch between the side wall of the tire and the body...
and I will be putting a spare tire in the trunk......so full speed ahead.....
comments? questions?
thanks, Herb
I started out with 255/55R17 and they stuck out of the wheel well too much for me....then I went to 225/45R17 and they looked like rubber bands on rims....and finally found a 235/55R17 Michelin Pilot Sport A/S that had the right tire diameter (27.3" and doesn't look like a rubber band on the rim) with a section width of 9.5". The 255/55R17 had a section width of 10.4" and while the meat on that tire looked great, I didn't like the amount that it stuck outside the wheel well.
Remember, I am not using a stock axle, but have the Myers Racing 9" Ford axle and it was narrowed to match the wheel I had picked out....I hadn't counted on the difficulty of finding a tire that would look good. Turns out almost all 17" tires are meant to have small side walls, unless you get into a truck tire, which is what I think I am into, but it is a Pilot sport and all the ratings on it are very high in terms of traction both wet and dry...so in that regard I am in good shape....here are the photos...this weekend I will take the body back off and get after the frame. I need to clean up a few areas with some grinding on it and begin to get it ready for powder painting.
there is about an inch between the side wall of the tire and the body...
and I will be putting a spare tire in the trunk......so full speed ahead.....
comments? questions?
thanks, Herb