Largest Tires Possible on NB?
Rennlist Member
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 9,662
Likes: 557
From: Solana Beach, CA
Street or track?
The lower the profile, the less sidewall flex, great for the track, but it can be a bitch on the street. I went from 30 series to 35 for a better ride.
Why do you want monster rubber, just curious?
Why do you want monster rubber, just curious?
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 950
Likes: 0
From: Encinitas, CA "Surf Capital of the World"
I don't understand - I'm barely fitting Pirelli Assimetricos 265/35/18s on HRE rims in the rear. I'd love to have a 285 or a 315 in the rear. What do I have to do? Is rolling the fenders the answer?
Rennlist Member
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 9,662
Likes: 557
From: Solana Beach, CA
For some of us, it all goes back to Hot Wheels....
Damn, those little cars had big rubber.....big rubber looks good! On the practical level, short sidewalls beat the crap out of you if you are driving on bad roads (most of LA).
For my street tires, I went back to bone stock, 205s and 255 17". They work damn well on the street...they are BF Goodrich tires, less than $500 a set and they are Z rated. That is good enough for me!
For a track tire, I want the widest tires I can stuff in the NB wheel wells, 245 fronts 285 rears, as long as the rolling radius is within 5% so my ABS keeps working. However, that would require me to buy 18" wheels....I have 17"...so I run 235 front, 275 rear...that do the deed for me...shoe them with Hankook tires too, the Hoosier knock offs!
For my street tires, I went back to bone stock, 205s and 255 17". They work damn well on the street...they are BF Goodrich tires, less than $500 a set and they are Z rated. That is good enough for me!
For a track tire, I want the widest tires I can stuff in the NB wheel wells, 245 fronts 285 rears, as long as the rolling radius is within 5% so my ABS keeps working. However, that would require me to buy 18" wheels....I have 17"...so I run 235 front, 275 rear...that do the deed for me...shoe them with Hankook tires too, the Hoosier knock offs!
Three Wheelin'
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 1,620
Likes: 0
From: Plano, TX
One thing I failed to mention is that the kinematic adjustment does make a difference in what you can fit in the back. When I redid my suspension, I set the kinematic toe arm wrong for my setup, with the arm being as long as possible. With that setup, I could barely get the 285's in the back. When it was changed to be as short as possible, here is how the the 305's fit. You notice I even have room to spare with the stock 10 inch hollow spokes (65 et).
G.
G.
Nordschleife Master
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 6,509
Likes: 4
IIRC as a general rule of thumb, for NBs you can bring the tires out closer to the fender (through a combination of wider tires/rims, less offset and/or spacers) about 13mm (or was it 11mm?) without having to roll the fenders; for WBs its about 18-20mm. Just a rule of thumb so as with any rule, there are always exceptions, and if you are moving to wider rims you need to double-check the inboard clearance 
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Advanced
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 79
Likes: 0
From: OH
On the rears I'm currently running 295/30/18 Kuhmo Ecsta SPT's on 18"x10" SSR GT3 wheels, 62mm offset. My car is lowered about 2", and I had it aligned to the US factory specs. Before rolling the fenders they would rub slightly, now they do not rub at all and seem to fit pretty well. I'm glad to see some guys at least can get away with wider tires. I would like to try some 305/30/18 Ecsta V700 tires for the spring. 
