Best Tire size/rim Combination

[blackbombshell95]

For a W-body car. I'm looking for the best combination for handling corners at amazing speeds and good tires for launching at the track. The fronts can be different than the rears.

I had in mind using a 16'' rim. with 245 50 16. On all 4's. If you know of a good combination just let me know. Larger tires in the back and smaller in the front. Whatever comes to mind.

I know smaller wheels with thicker tires are better for launching. And bigger rims with thin tires are better for handling.

[quantum110]

RE: Best Tire size/rim Combination

Living in Seattle your probably going to want something that's going to be able to perform well in the rain also...
From Personal experiance the two best All weather tires are the W-Rated Cooper Lifeliner SLE Sport and the Yokohama Avid V4s. I had both of these on a Camaro i owned and the Yokos on my 93 Cutlass and My sisters Altima.
The Coopers in 245/50/16's have a much stiffer sidewall than the Yokos and are able to handle directional changes much better. But when the Yokos are warmed up they launch a bit better than the Coopers.
The problem though is finding a Wheel with the proper width...a 245/50/16 handles it's best on an 8-8.5", and it's recommended you don't mount them on anything smaller than a 7" wheel.

[blackbombshell95]

RE: Best Tire size/rim Combination

I already know what kind of tire i'm getting. My car isn't my grocery getter. Its for summer days only. My current rim is a 16 X 7. and the 245 will barely fit.

Any other ideas of a rim/tire combination?

[asylum-motorsports]

245's are too big for a 7" rim. Heck 225's are a push and you have to watch tire pressure very closely.
And I don't think 245's will fit on the front unless you only drive in straight lines,lol.
There is a great tire size calculator the Miata guys have.
Search "Miata Tire Calculator".
Hope this helps
Eric

[spacecadetz26]

I have some 16" 1998 GTP twisted 5 spoke wheels for sale, from what I understand they are some of the lightest available on a W.

And 245's arent too big for a 7" wide wheel, If so Trans Am's and Camaros would be SOL. I believe the 245's will work on a Grand Prix.

[blackbombshell95]

newer style Gp rims will rub on my calipers from what i hear.

a 245 will fit a 7'' wide wheel dumbars. Nothing bigger will fit though.

[spacecadetz26]

I thought they would only rub on the older W's like 88-93. I dunno though, I dont own a W.

[Doubt_Incarnate]

im pretty sure ls1 wheels are 16x8. the 245's tread is just as wide as the rim. and i have 225's on 16x7's for my J, they hold air and the road just fine. thats about the biggest tire width a j can have, they just touch the inner plastic well when they turn full turn. i dont know about w's.

i read some magazine stating the 15's offer the best weight for drag and stil retain good road holding for turns, sort of the happy medium balanced whelltire combo.

[blackbombshell95]

15's are diffently the best for drag. And 17's and above are great for handling. I'm kinda swaying towards staying with my 16x7 rims.

Thanks for ur opinions.

[pbui3057]

I've got Kumho 712 245/50-16's on my stock 93 z34 rims with no problem. I've had them for the last few years with nothing wrong with them. Great tires too!

[blackbombshell95]

how do they handle in hard corners

[pwmin]

ive got toyo proxes t1-s 245/45/16's on 16x8 crosslaces (you probably know this from w-body). the tires are great. the only problem is the wheels are way heavier than my stock 5-spokes which sucks for drag racing but i can fit wider tires on which helps with traction (drag and cornering). if you go a little higher on the profile, 245's shouldnt be a problem on your 16x7's (minimum size for 245/55's is 7"). i had my 245's on my 7-inchers and they seemed a little too wide but didnt put enough miles on to tell how they wore except i could see the outside 1/4-1/2 in. wasnt making much contact with the ground so the middle would wear out more quickly than the outsides.

[timg]

Go with 17's or 18's. Still tons of sidewall and lots of drag radials available for great launches, but also less sidewall for decent cornering. I've had 245/50R16, 235/55R16, and 225/55R16 on stock rims. My favorite was the 225/55R16- it had the best cornering and best traction at launch. I'm running 245/40R18's now and they're MUCH, MUCH better in corners and about the same at launching. A little more sidewall than I have, say a 245/45ZR18, should keep up both straight line and cornering performance.