Tire recommendation

[Jloshotz]

What are you guys that are running 17x9.5's using size wise for tires? The wheels I'm picking up have 275 40 17's on them, and geez are they pricey. Just looking for alternate options on what will fit a 4th gen.

Tia!

[NJ Torque]

9.5? 275 is the min...

[Jloshotz]

Is it? Okay. I'm lost when it comes to a size that will fit not only the wheel of course, but the car at stock ride height as well. Hmmm. Thanks NJT :)

[qwikz28]

9.5? 275 is the min...

I disagree with this. As an alternative, I would propose that 275 is rather the maximum. Narrower tires would likely give less grip, but the stiffer sidewall would give you better turn-in in the corners.

For what its worth, though, I run 275s on my 17x9.5 wheels.

[Jloshotz]

Is my thought process correct in thinking numerically lower than 275 would be narrower? Excuse my ignorance, sometimes tire sizing makes me feel like a child lol :)

[WildBillyT]

Is my thought process correct in thinking numerically lower than 275 would be narrower? Excuse my ignorance, sometimes tire sizing makes me feel like a child lol :)

275 = mm in width


Just run 275's. Yes, they are expensive but they are somewhat of a standard size. Something funky like a 265 or 285 will be more expensive since there isn't much demand.

[NJ Torque]

As per TireRack. . .

245/255 = 7.5"-9.5" - 8" measured width (which is the standard sized wheel that the tire is normally run on)

275 = 9"-11" - 9.5" measured width

I didnt forget everything about tires. . .

[Jloshotz]

Thanks guys, looks like 275's it is. Following that pattern, "40" is 40mm for sidewall height?

[WildBillyT]

Thanks guys, looks like 275's it is. Following that pattern, "40" is 40mm for sidewall height?

I believe the aspect ratio is a percentage.

275 = 275mm wide
40 = 40% of 275mm is the height of the tire
17 = rim size

[Jloshotz]

Thanks Bill, just trying to soak up as much intel as possible before I try to get tires on these puppies. Appreciate it!

[WildBillyT]

Thanks Bill, just trying to soak up as much intel as possible before I try to get tires on these puppies. Appreciate it!

No problem man. Tires are not cheap, you don't want to make a mistake. "You mount em, you bought em", etc.

[BonzoHansen]

I believe the aspect ratio is a percentage.

275 = 275mm wide
40 = 40% of 275mm is the height of the tire
17 = rim size

and 275 mm = section width (side wall to sidewall), not tread width.

[LS1ow]

if you want... i got a set of 17x11 ZR1s painted black if you want to throw a 315 out back ;)

[1320B4U]

tirerack.com will give you the best price and don"t think u have to go pirelli or anything crazy...many manufacturers make cheaper tires under pseudym names...compare online...they have tires starting at $141/piece for that size

[qwikz28]

and 275 mm = section width (side wall to sidewall), not tread width.

I never knew that. You learn something new everyday.

[Jloshotz]

if you want... i got a set of 17x11 ZR1s painted black if you want to throw a 315 out back ;)

Bro, If you want to get rid of those 17x11's let me know...picked up the rims today and the guy is looking for two 17x11's

[LS1ow]

Bro, If you want to get rid of those 17x11's let me know...picked up the rims today and the guy is looking for two 17x11's

shoot me a txt man

201 739 2790

[Tru2Chevy]

I believe the aspect ratio is a percentage.

275 = 275mm wide
40 = 40% of 275mm is the height of the tire
17 = rim size

To clarify further, that means sidewall height, not overall height of the tires. So a 275/40/17 should have a 110mm sidewall height.

- Justin

[Jloshotz]

Thank you sir, lots of good info here. Along with the set of wheels I picked up, the gentleman sold me a single brand new BFG G-force T/A KD 275/40r17. Very nice tire. Just need a few more :)

[WildBillyT]

Just be aware that that's a dry weather only tire ;D

[Jloshotz]

Bill, I TRY not to drive in the rain, but you know how that works. Perhaps I'd be better off putting all weather tires on the front at least. Do you think they would be incredibly dangerous If I were to get caught in the rain?

[BonzoHansen]

Bill, I TRY not to drive in the rain, but you know how that works. Perhaps I'd be better off putting all weather tires on the front at least. Do you think they would be incredibly dangerous If I were to get caught in the rain?

it is not recommended to mix tire designs.

what you are proposing will make rain related oversteer issues even worse and yet make it push worse in the dry. so an bad deal all around

[wretched73]

it is not recommended to mix tire designs.

what you are proposing will make rain related oversteer issues even worse and yet make it push worse in the dry. so an bad deal all around

This. Buy a full set of quality tires. You will be very happy in the long run with that decision.

[Jloshotz]

Thanks for the recommendations, figures. Kinda liked the tread design. However....I like my car design as well. No damage lol. I'll recheck my options on tirerack

[LTb1ow]

I run MT et street radials on the rear and just a cheapo pair of tires up front, never had an issue in the rain?

Just have to be smart about things.

[LS1ow]

I run MT et street radials on the rear and just a cheapo pair of tires up front, never had an issue in the rain?

Just have to be smart about things.

same here. V8 car ive ownded has been dailed w. Drag Radials on the Rear and regular (i had toyos) tires on the front. drove it in the rain, heck i even drove it in that hurrican. you just gotta be smart. they WILL spin easy and you WILL hydroplane... if you dont know what your doing

[WildBillyT]

I run MT et street radials on the rear and just a cheapo pair of tires up front, never had an issue in the rain?

Just have to be smart about things.

I mentioned it because their status as a dry "only" tire may not have been obvious. With drag radials you know to be careful as you probably know they are d/rs at first glance and the tread looks like a dry only design. The KDs look like regular 3 season high performance tires even though they don't channel rain as well.

Also, I dunno how many miles you guys click/clicked off each day as a "daily" but the probabilty of incident goes up with the distance traveled. If he just drives around town he will probably be fine. If he drives the parkway 50 miles each day I'd go KDW at the very least.

[fmybody]

Thank you sir, lots of good info here. Along with the set of wheels I picked up, the gentleman sold me a single brand new BFG G-force T/A KD 275/40r17. Very nice tire. Just need a few more :)

Had those BFGs for majority of the time I've had my SS, no problems. I drove them in the rain plenty of times... no biggy but I baby it. Slush or anything more than that and you are a sitting duck lol

Edit: lied just had the gforce sports.

[WildBillyT]

Had those BFGs for majority of the time I've had my SS, no problems. I drove them in the rain plenty of times... no biggy but I baby it. Slush or anything more than that and you are a sitting duck lol

Edit: lied just had the gforce sports.

I drove a set of KDW tires for two winters on my old GTP and was fine. Yes, FWD, but still- they are 3 season tires. KDWS tires were obviously better in all seasons but weren't as good in the summer.

The KD is not a common tire IMO. I've never even seen them on an F-body.

[Jloshotz]

I run MT et street radials on the rear and just a cheapo pair of tires up front, never had an issue in the rain?

Just have to be smart about things.

This was my intention....BUT tax season is just about here, so I may be able to do better :)

[WildBillyT]

This was my intention....BUT tax season is just about here, so I may be able to do better :)

Big question- how many miles do you put on your car?

[BonzoHansen]

I mentioned it because their status as a dry "only" tire may not have been obvious. With drag radials you know to be careful as you probably know they are d/rs at first glance and the tread looks like a dry only design. The KDs look like regular 3 season high performance tires even though they don't channel rain as well.

Also, I dunno how many miles you guys click/clicked off each day as a "daily" but the probability of incident goes up with the distance traveled. If he just drives around town he will probably be fine. If he drives the parkway 50 miles each day I'd go KDW at the very least.

This. Drag tires are a terrible idea for a true daily driver, not to mention it is probably bad for the drag tires. Some of the combinations would likely get me killed on my daily commute on the turnpike regardless of how I drive. Because I can't do 40 in the rain on the NJTPK. And those tires won't let me react fast enough to someone else being dumb. See, there is the issue, as soon as you add other people to the mix, reducing the handling and stopping of your car is bad. Adding 35 feet to stopping distance in the rain at 60 is a huge deal. So yeah, for some local driving it might be ok, ignoring the damage to the drag tires. But a more average NJ commute it is bad advice.

BTK just got new hoops on his 4th gen SS. 275/40/17 Sumitomo a/s performance tires, not sure of the model, I'll have to find out what ones. He loves them so far, already was on the NJTPK in heavy rain and he said they were perfect. Better than the BFGs he replaced ever were. And the price on them was good.

[Jloshotz]

Big question- how many miles do you put on your car?

Barely, if any during the week....but I do drive from eastern L.I. To Belmar (about 120mi each way) pretty much every other week.

[BonzoHansen]

then get real tires, not a drag setup. you can always buy a cheap extra set of wheels if you really need drag tires at the track.

[Jloshotz]

BTK just got new hoops on his 4th gen SS. 275/40/17 Sumitomo a/s performance tires, not sure of the model, I'll have to find out what ones. He loves them so far, already was on the NJTPK in heavy rain and he said they were perfect. Better than the BFGs he replaced ever were. And the price on them was good.

Bonzo, I'd bet they are the $111.00 tires on tirerack, not bad looking tires, I was looking at those :)

[wretched73]

I run MT et street radials on the rear and just a cheapo pair of tires up front, never had an issue in the rain?

Just have to be smart about things.

Well you do need some hp to break the tires free i guess....

[Jloshotz]

Well you do need some hp to break the tires free i guess....

:facepalm: :mrgreen:

[NastyEllEssWon]

I run MT et street radials on the rear and just a cheapo pair of tires up front, never had an issue in the rain?

Just have to be smart about things.

http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w165/TOMLS1GTO/DSCF2980.jpg

http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w165/TOMLS1GTO/DSCF2982.jpg




neither did the girl that bought my old Z...until she did have an issue.

[WildBillyT]

God dammit Nasty why do you have to post that. That car was beautiful.

All fun aside, there's your proof.

[Jloshotz]

Roger that. I'll be selling the BFG lol

[NastyEllEssWon]

God dammit Nasty why do you have to post that. That car was beautiful.

All fun aside, there's your proof.

http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w165/TOMLS1GTO/DSCF2798.jpg


yeah it really was, but if it can serve as a reminder for those willing to risk driving with unsafe tires in the rain then so be it. just be smart about it :D

[BonzoHansen]

My point is you can be as careful as you want but the real wild card is other people. Sure that can happen with any tire, but if your selection markedly reduces turning & stopping then you increase your chances of a negative outcome a good deal.

[sweetbmxrider]

I have had good luck with my Firestone Firehawk Wide Ovals. Only complaint is the width allows them to track when there is a crown in the road.

[LS1ow]

I have had good luck with my Firestone Firehawk Wide Ovals. Only complaint is the width allows them to track when there is a crown in the road.

i ran into this problem with my BFGs. Crown or even a long patch would suck the car either right or left

[BonzoHansen]

i ran into this problem with my BFGs. Crown or even a long patch would suck the car either right or left

that is probably more related to the simple presence of wide tires, and perhaps aggravated by suspension wear and alignment settings.

[jam01]

that is probably more related to the simple presence of wide tires, and perhaps aggravated by suspension wear and alignment settings.

i have had this problem in my car since i bought it, that was oct 04 with 28,000 on it. i have been running bfg g-force on mine since 2008 no problems with them rain or shine or snow. the biggest problem with mixing tire was using radials and bias ply, i did this back in the early eighties on one of my chevells you no that really big tire skinny front. it wasnt very good at stopping.

[Jloshotz]

back in the early eighties on one of my chevells you no that really big tire skinny front. it wasnt very good at stopping.

Or cornering. My Chevelles were set up the same way! lol

[BigAls87Z28]

Took a while to get it narrowed down to what you will be doing with the car....
If the tires are just for driving
It doesn't do a lot of driving, but you drive long distances once a week
You have a beater I assume, so you don't need a true all-season tire?

[Jloshotz]

Took a while to get it narrowed down to what you will be doing with the car....
If the tires are just for driving
It doesn't do a lot of driving, but you drive long distances once a week
You have a beater I assume, so you don't need a true all-season tire?

100% correct sir :)

[BigAls87Z28]

I can't believe I'm gunna say it, and I'll probably regret it, but have heard some great things from the new Conti ExtremeContact DWS tires. Rack has them 164 per tire, and it seems they are getting good ratings on there too.

[redsoxsstink]

I can't believe I'm gunna say it, and I'll probably regret it, but have heard some great things from the new Conti ExtremeContact DWS tires. Rack has them 164 per tire, and it seems they are getting good ratings on there too.

thats what i have on my car. they are great for me since i have no power and drive it everyday. they are great in the rain and great in the snow too. i made it to work in 2-3inches of snow. cant say how well they hookup since i only have a v6. im very pleased with the tires

[Paul Huryk]

You can run any tire from a 245 width to a 285. But the best combination of traction and stability on the rim is going to be a 275-40 tire, which is a common size and start out right above $100 each.

Pick you tread pattern carefully, all designs are not equal in the rain. A few tire manufacturers do offer drag radial versions of some tires - Nitto makes the 555 and nt05 in drag radial versions that will handle very similar in the dry, but don't abuse them in the rain.

I personally stay away from Michelin, Goodyear, and Pirelli (and other bog names) becuase it seems that they give you less for your money. Love Nitto, Falken, and other less popular brands...

[Jloshotz]

Thanks Paul, I ended up running Firestone Fuzion ZRi tires 275/40R17 on all four corners, car is only street driven, and it handles great :)

[Tru2Chevy]

Thanks Paul, I ended up running Firestone Fuzion ZRi tires 275/40R17 on all four corners, car is only street driven, and it handles great :)

Nice tire. I ran a set on an early 90s Lumina I had and the difference between those and the previous sets of run of the mill all seasons was astounding (not that it's very surprising). They channel water away very well, and wear nicely.

- Justin

[Jloshotz]

Thanks Justin, they also have a nice tread pattern. Glad to hear about them channeling water well, hadn't tried them in the rain yet :)

[NJ Torque]

Decent tire...heard some bad things about them wearing uneven, hopfully they changed that from a few years ago.

[rickyd13]

while this is a topic of discussion does anyone here happen to know the tire size for the 2009 corvette rims there the alloys with the split 5 spokes

[NJ Torque]

while this is a topic of discussion does anyone here happen to know the tire size for the 2009 corvette rims there the alloys with the split 5 spokes


Z06? Or?

[rickyd13]

just a normal vette

[rickyd13]

they are the same as these rims here http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c6-dealer-inventory/2181480-2009-corvette-below-red-tag-price-sale.html

[NJ Torque]

I guess lookup the car on TireRack.com and go from there?

[Paul Huryk]

i just picked up a set of Continental Extreme Contact DW in 275-40-17 and another set of Falken Azenis RT-615K in 275-40-17. There is actually about a 1/4" difference in section width (Falkens are wider) and the Contis weigh 2.8lbs less each!

Getting them mounted and ready to roll...

[WildBillyT]

i just picked up a set of Continental Extreme Contact DW in 275-40-17 and another set of Falken Azenis RT-615K in 275-40-17. There is actually about a 1/4" difference in section width (Falkens are wider) and the Contis weigh 2.8lbs less each!

Getting them mounted and ready to roll...

I'm running the same Contis and I am impressed with their grip.

[Paul Huryk]

I'm running the same Contis and I am impressed with their grip.

Can't wait to test them out.

I drove a race prepped Mazda with the same Falkens and the grip was beyond rediculous - in a much smaller size no less.