Ok guys I am trying the get the best looking combo for my chevelle. Currently I have some ralleys 16*8 rims for both front and back. I already made up my mind that I want tire size 265/50/16 in the rear, but I can not decide for the front. I want the car to be proportioned. I was thinking 245/50/16 in the front. Any other suggestions?

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Sacramento Chevelle Club (http://www.sacchevelles.com)

"Smell the gasoline and feel the torque, all women like fast cars"

A good site to "test" tire/wheel sizes is http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html . I currently have 225/50R17 front (25.9" tall) and 255/50R17 rear (27" tall) tires. If you know the stock tire size of your car, you can use the two calculators to see what you'll need to go up or down on sizes. As it relates to rear tires, it'll also tell you how much your speedo will be off with the new combination. http://www.chevelles.com/forum/cool.gif

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TC Gold #92/ACES #1709
67 SS & 67 Elky
Dale's Place (http://www.dalesplace.com)
Team 67 (http://www.team67.com)
Midwest Chevelle Regional Governing Council (http://www.midwestchevelles.com)
Integrity: If you have it, it doesn't matter - If you don't have it, it doesn't matter.

So you like the 225/50/17? How does that look on your car?

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Sacramento Chevelle Club (http://www.sacchevelles.com)

"Smell the gasoline and feel the torque, all women like fast cars"

I don't know about the 16 inchers, but I fit 265-50/15 on the front of my 66 and 295-50/15 on the rear with ralleys...

Maybe it will be running for that first meeting, but now it looks doubtful...

Still haven't found a flywheel, and I need to get some pulleys...

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"Once you go RAT, you never go back..."
TC #1366
Tony
http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/Quik66.jpg
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Maybe I can help what kind of pulleys do you need? I have some pulleys laying around the house both upper and lower for small water pump and stock harmonic damp.

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Sacramento Chevelle Club (http://www.sacchevelles.com)

"Smell the gasoline and feel the torque, all women like fast cars"

I have a Big Block, sold my stock pulleys (factory deep groove Hi-Po stuff)... Want wide belt/serpentine style, but with P/S its gonna be pricy ($600+, might need a different pump and hoses?)... If I go V-Belt alum pulleys, I can go piece by piece, and be back up and running for less than $250... But I am thinking long term...

Seems the topic is off, but I'll bite on the "any other suggestions" Q.

I gather from the 265/50/16 that you want to run BFG's. I think this is a mistake. Once you go to the 16's you have all the benefits of almost all modern rubber and aren't taking advantage of it.
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/Spec.jsp?make=BFGoodrich&model=Radial+T%2FA

If my assumption is correct, did you know your those rears only have 8.6" of tread whereas a host of other _255_/50/16 MODERN DESIGNED tires have 9.4-9.6". Use tirerack to check the more than 20 other options in 255/50/16, but pay attention to the z-rated choices, not for the speed rating, but for the technology. And, for the priviledge of that dinky BFG tread, you get to pick up some extra unwanted section width (at least 0.5" of buldge on an 8" rim) which may cause you rubbing problems. That's two huge disadvantages and we haven't even hit on the tire compound. Consider something like the Dunlop SP8000.
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/Spec.jsp?make=Dunlop&model=SP+Sport+8000

As for the front if we're still talking BFG Radial T/A's here, that's far too less tread too.

I don't feel I'm recommending something but probably $15 extra per tire if you don't go overboard.

For front fitment, check out the discussion here where, among other info, pass on a hint for using tirerack's site to find 2 different size tires of the same brand (Disregard the posts about shocks helping rubbing, hah!)
http://www.chevelles.com/forum/Forum8/HTML/001312.html

jlaf

I notice that BFG only had S rated tires in the 265/50/16. I really can not tell the difference when I can compare both the 255/50/16 and 265/50/16 in size in that the 265/50/16 is a 3/4 of an inch taller. Currently I am runing Goodyear Eagle HP Ultra Plus 245/50/16 in the front, I am looking to run 255/50/16 in the rear just because most tires offer higher speed ratings. I have been to the tirerack and compared prices, they have some of the best prices that I have seen so far. I am leaning towards the 255/50/16!

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Sacramento Chevelle Club (http://www.sacchevelles.com)

"Smell the gasoline and feel the torque, all women like fast cars"

Good show spawn22, looks like you've done some thinking. As for speed ratings, you can still run on an S (112 mph) for short bursts above that speed just fine. Who cruises at that speed anyway? But, you've obviously found that the speed rating for modern tires is just a bonus that comes along for the ride.

I see your Goodyear choice has 9.6" of tread with 10.4" of section width on an 8" rim. Now you see what I was talking about, 1" more tread than your 265 BFG for less overall buldge width.

I'm glad you didn't gravitate to the BFG ZR tires, they may have been good years ago, but the contact patch is lacking.

Before I wrap-up, let me add that you'll have to play with tire pressure much more in the rear with modern tires. Max pressure is 44 (or higher like 51 in other models) versus your grandpappy's 35 psi tires.

I've had phone conversations with tire folks at Dunlop, BFG, and Bridgestone and for the Z-rated tires, the tires typically carry 90-95% of the rated load at 2/3 of the pressure! The balloon analogy does not work since it doesn't consider sidewall stiffness and radial ply orientation.

Your 255/50/16 will carry much more load than most if not all of the A-body rear tires used as OEM. You can safely run these suckers below 30psi and have people in the back seat and stuff in the trunk. You should experiment with inflation and launch feel. I'd start at 30psi and go lower.

Much of the psi rating is for high speed driving. The eurostandard for tires is to increase the pressure 1.5 psi for every 6mph for sustained speeds over 118mph to 149mph. That's why inflation pressures for Porsches and BMW's are always higher than similar vehicle weight/tire size American cars. They're set to run fast from the factory, tires speed compensated.

Let us know how it hooks up when you get the new meats.

jlaf

another one saved from a rock hard, skinny tread width...BFG Radial T/A

Personally, I'm kinda happy with my 16's
255 60ZR16 on 8" rears
225 55ZR16's on 7" up front.
See signature for photos http://www.chevelles.com/forum/biggrin.gif http://www.chevelles.com/forum/biggrin.gif http://www.chevelles.com/forum/biggrin.gif

Wes

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TC Member #1371
CCCB Member #532
66 Beaumont SD (http://chevelles.com/showroom/66_beau_new_wheels_1.jpg)
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EDIT - Good eye jlaf. Too many years of running R15's I guess. http://www.chevelles.com/forum/redface.gif http://www.chevelles.com/forum/redface.gif

[This message has been edited by 66 Beau (edited 04-17-2002).]

66 Beau:

How do you stretch those 15" tires on your 16" rims you're so happy with http://www.chevelles.com/forum/wink.gif

But seriously...in your "driver's view" picture you're in the middle of a gradual right hand turn but the steering wheel is turned left 180 degrees (or is it turned 1.5 turns to the right?)

It is my fantasy that the rear is lit up and you are sawing it back and forth on corner exit to get squared away before blowing down a straightaway http://www.chevelles.com/forum/biggrin.gif

jlaf