[Tony Goat]

Alright Gents,

Here is the issue, I dig the look of 17" wheels on the 68-69 GTO's and according to this website:

http://www.oldsmobility.com/fitting-wheels.htm

We have the choice of going with a 255/50 and a 275/40 on their appropriate rims. The 255 is 27" by 10" and the 275 is 26" by 10.8". The 275's have far more tire choices than the 255's. The price trade off is within $50 total of one another. From the stock GTO's I've seen the stock 26" tires seem a bit short in the wheel well.

My question is if the extra width (handling/traction) is worth the trade off in side wall height (comfort/looks)?

Second question, are the limits of the rest of the frame and suspension going to negate the gains from the tires? Is my handling weak link some where other than the tires?

Thanks for the input,

Tony

[Old Goat 67]

You might want to read this.

http://www.driverside.com/auto-libra...=newsletter_af

[performerrpm]

not sure about the tire/wheel situation since ive never ran 17s on a Abody car but i can answer your question about handling, and the answer is yes your handling weak link is somewhere besides just the tires although iam sure stiffer/shorter sidewalls will help.

lots of things can be done to improve the handling of these barges, from just changing to a urethane bushing in the control arms or changing to tubular control arm altogether with del a lum bushings and bigger sway bars front and back along with good shocks, but i guess it would come down to how good you want it to handle vs how much you really wanna throw at it.

[guccieng]

the tire is by far the most important link in the suspension. the best geometry and components aren't worth squat if you can't stick to the pavement. the 17 inch wheel is a great choice for performance. i'd choose the 275 over the 255 any day of the week. the 26 inch tire is kinda short, but that's when you drop the suspension down to make up for it (and the lower cg doesn't hurt,either)!

[amcmike]

Originally Posted by Tony Goat

Alright Gents,

Here is the issue, I dig the look of 17" wheels on the 68-69 GTO's and according to this website:

http://www.oldsmobility.com/fitting-wheels.htm

We have the choice of going with a 255/50 and a 275/40 on their appropriate rims.
Tony

Take that old magazine article with a grain of salt. I've seen that before, and found discrepencies. For instance, the ideal backspacing on a 1st gen camaro is 5.5" on a 9.5" rim. Plus, a 275/40 will fit on the back. On the front the 9" is way to wide and with their backspacing even a 245 would rub on the frame. Your better off going to pro-touring.com and seeing what others have used on their rides.

How about a 285/40 for that back and 255/45 front? I think some are running 295/50R15s, so I would think a 285 should fit. Even more width, and a bit more height.

[Formula8]

I went with the 255/50-17 on the rear of my car. I wanted a more period correct look than what a 40 series would provide and I am not going to drop my car into the weeds. I have 2" drop Hotckis front springs and about an 1" drop on my rear leafs. I will end up taking maybe up to 1/2 a coil out of the front and going with a different spring to lower the rear. I am sure I am losing a tiny bit of response but I really do not like the look of anything less than a 45 series tire especially in the rear. I am very happy with the way the 50 series looks. I have 45's up front and they are the reason I am looking at cutting the coils or getting 50s up front as well.