Hello, I’m about to invest in some new Drag Dr-34 wheels. They seem to be a wheel that I see used fairly commonly in place of the stock wheels. I am looking at going with a 17” diameter and am just wondering what size tires people have gone with that they know fit on a pre 88. Just want to double check my sizing before I invest money in something I can’t use
I've got 215-45-17 s on the front of my '88. The diameter sits right between the two stock pre '88 available sizes (185-75-14 and 195-70-14). You can just go to Tire Rack and go to the tire spec tab and see all the available sizes with the diameter, sec width....
[This message has been edited by ZCR1 (edited 02-03-2019).]
The tire size you can use will also depends on the offset of the rim and it’s width, it’s kinda complicated and there are many threads about it for sure. But with that said, I run 225/45/18 fronts and 275/35/18 in the rear ( has WCF coil overs). Mine is an ‘88 so it’s a little different up front when it comes to wheel offset than ‘87-older
-Crasian
[This message has been edited by Crasian (edited 02-03-2019).]
The size of the tires depends on wheel offset and width.....You need to find out what that is for your wheels.......
There is a wheel offset chart that will show you how your wheel fits in the wheel well.......Look up "Fiero wheel offset chart".....just google it....
By the way, General G-Max AS-05 tires are a very good all-season tire and are very light as a bonus....I made the mistake of buying BFGs the last time.....The Generals are 2 and 4 lbs lighter for the same size tires(Makes a big difference you can feel).....
The wheels that I am looking at are 17x7.5 with a 45 offset. With a bit of research it looks like I would need 245/45/17 for the rear and 215 or 225/45/17 for the front. Can anyone confirm this? I’m just hesitant because it is a lot of money if I am wrong.
The measurements of your tires are; 245/45-17 is 9.6" wide and 25.7 diameter, while the 215/45-17 is 8.5 by 24.6........but these are approx'...the section width of a tire can be affected by wheel width; I have 205/55-16s on 7" wide rims up front... by the spec of 205 mm(Supposedly on a 6" rim) the tire should be 8" wide, but the actual section width is 8.7"....
These diameters are almost exactly the same as my tires (Rears are 225/55-16).....Your rears are wider and further in than mine.....but you can use a spacer to move them out (Doesn't affect the performance of the rears)....Your fronts will be at least 1/2" wider, and your wheels will move the tire center in 7 mm (1/4")......That is great for steering feel and kickback, but they may rub a bit at full lock.....
An inch = 25.4 mm so the way the formula goes for tires is; 245 divided by 25.4 = 9.64" times 0.9 (45% x 2 sidewalls) equals 8.68" + 17 = 25.68" total diameter. (Remember that the bottom of the tire flattens under load so the car will sit a bit lower (The distance from axle center to fender lip will be accurate)
That is a great bit of information. Thank you. If I understood it correctly you are staying my choice should work, though I may need spacers for the rest and may need to be carful at full lock? Do you know of any tire combinations for the 17’s that you’ll be better? Or is most of the problem with that 45mm offset? (I’m new to spec-ing out wheel and tire combos that are not stock dimensions so thank you for your patience)
I don't think it will really be a problem.......When parking in a lot or such, you may try to go to full lock and feel it rub a bit(Barely)......But the rest of your driving will be better because of that inward offset- less kickback when hitting bumps and less effort turning the wheel especially at low speed.
The rear......With 215 stretched wide on 7.5 rims up front, it may be alright to have the 245s out back, but I just checked and at least with those General AS-05s, they also have the size 235/45-17 which would be almost 1/2" narrower and 0.4" shorter in height.....I think you will still need spacers, and possibly some longer studs for the back hubs to accommodate the spacers.....Not really a problem....and unless you want to buy some extremely expensive wheels, you will have the front-to-back mismatch with offsets....This way, you improve your steering feel, while being able to adjust that offset for the rears.
Additional; Just checked mine with the 205/55-16s at 38 mm offset and they MISS rubbing by 1/4"......But what will hit on my modified front end is the 88 brake calipers on the lower shock mount on the A-arm...So I have to be careful- You would be better off because your tires would hit (Barely) first......You won't be at full lock moving fast, only when parking and such....By my calculations, your tire sidewall will be just under 1/2" farther in.....Seriously, it really won't be a problem.
Have you bought them yet? If not, change to a 35mm offset. The 45s will tuck way under the car. If you want to be able to rotate your tires, go for 225/45-17s on all four. If you want staggered, and don't care about rotating, go for 215/45s on the front and 235/45s on the rear. (Those sizes will also have a diameter very close to stock sizes, so your speedo will be very close to correct.)
Edit - In your search, most anything (within reason) that will fit a VW New Beetle will also fit your car. (VWs love 35mm offset.)
[This message has been edited by Raydar (edited 02-03-2019).]
I have 16 x 7s with 38 mm offset and they fit good...If they had any less offset they would stick out of the fender with my 205 mm wide tires...With your wider tires up front yours will stick out more. I would go with at least 38 to 42 mm....Otherwise they will stick out.
If you PM me your Email address I can send a pic of how my car looks.
My ride sits on 235/45ZR17 Nitto 555. The wheels are 17'x7.5" and I think the tires look cherry on the wheels. I'll post the offset if and when I find it.
[This message has been edited by Mr. Farknocker (edited 02-07-2019).]
