8x17 DEZENT T wheels with front 215/45R17 and rear 235/40R17 TOYO PROXES T1-S
------------------ www.yellowfiero.com/fiero.html 17" DEZENT T wheels with 215/40 tires front and 235/45 rear, KONI shocks, EIBACH lowering springs, PU dog bone, bushings and engine mounts, K&N air and oil filters, OZELOT exhaust, Mercedes SLK yellow, Mr. Mikes seats, door skins, shift and e-brake boots. MP3 player and custom subwoofer behind passenger seat, F355 style front. Fiero Store rear swaybar, strut tower brace, black carpet. Rodney Dickman's competition short shifter. Billet aluminum dash kit from Kitcarman.
Originally posted by TA6SPD: What tire sizes are recommended for 17" rims on a 85 GT? I have seen 215/45/17 front and 225/45 rear is this correct?
What you have chosen should be a good combination. Might consider a 235 rear. Might also consider a 245-40 on the rear. As I recall the diameter of the original tire (215/60/15) was 25.2"
There was an interesting thread about a year ago, in which one contributor opined that the width of the rear tire should be determined by the front - rear balance of the vehicle. Thus, on a Fiero, a tire that is 10 - 20 percent wider than the front will result in better handling.
I have picked out a set of Falken Torque 5 in gun metal gray for rims. They are 17x7 and only have 5 lug hole. I do'nt like the universal wheels. The tires I'm looking at are Toyo proxes 4. They have a agressive tread patern, but are all season tires. Thanks for the responces. If anyone else have a good working setup please post it. Tires and rims are not cheap.
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06:52 PM
Raydar Member
Posts: 41424 From: Carrollton GA. Out in the... country. Registered: Oct 1999
88s are goofy. I used a 48mm offset on the front of mine, but if I had a pre 88 I would probably look for something between 35 and 42mm for a 7" rim. The rear track width is the same on all years. I used a 35mm offset on the rear of mine, and it works just fine. One thing to keep in mind is that the more offset the fronts have (tucking the wheel in more), the lighter the steering will feel.
[This message has been edited by Raydar (edited 12-26-2004).]
I'd be carefull... people are throwing numbers at you..... but some are talking about 88 suspensions which are different. The 88's have more clearance in the rear.
17x7 rim with 40mm offset bearly clears the rear strut on 84-87. A 17x8 with 40mm offset mentioned eariler in the thread on an 84-87 might hit the strut depending on several factors.
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Tires and rims are not cheap.
I don't know how much of your hard earned money your spending, and not sure what your going for, but here is my suggestion. For those tire sizes you mentioned you don't need a 8" rim... a 7" rim would be a better fit for those sizes.
If you end up going with 17x7 keep your offset between 30 and 40mm. The closer to 30mm the better for the rear. (stock position) The closer to 40mm the better for the front. (helps reduce scrub radius) A 17x7 with 35mm offset is a very popular aftermarket wheel size and works great on an 84-87 being the happy medium.
Your 215/45/17 front and 225/45/17 rear selection is perfect...
You can use a 235 in the rear if you want but consider a few things..... 225 is the design rim width for a 7" rim, where 235 is not. Technicly the 225 is a better fit.
Also... The 235 is slightly higher than stock, where 225 is slightly lower. With it's slightly smaller diameter your final drive ratio would slightly improve. (not to mention it weighs less) Basicly 225 would make the car a little quicker than 235. But that's getting extremely technical because we are talking very small amounts. Both will throw the speedo off by 1-2 mph.
Good luck in whatever you decide.
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Profile? In 20 years... Auto Detailing, Auto Body, Classic & Antique Restorations, Mechanic, Engine Performance Specialist, Porsche-Jaguar Tech, Wholesaler, Sales, Vehicle Vinyl Graphic Design, Independent Full Service Repair Shop, and hard-core auto / aviation enthusiast... now searching for a new career. What a ride!
[This message has been edited by Skybax (edited 12-26-2004).]
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11:30 PM
Dec 27th, 2004
Raydar Member
Posts: 41424 From: Carrollton GA. Out in the... country. Registered: Oct 1999
A 7" rim with 40mm offset bearly clears the strut on 84-87. A 17x8 with 40mm offset on 84-87 might hit the strut depending on several factors.
Good information. I didn't realize they were that close. Thanks. I don't mean to mis-inform.
quote
If you end up going with 17x7 keep your offset between 30 and 40mm. The closer to 30mm the better for the rear. (stock position) The closer to 40mm the better for the front. (helps reduce scrub radius) A 17x7 with 35mm offset is very popular aftermarket wheel size and will work great on an 84-87 being the happy medium.
I was going to suggest 35mm offsets. TSW recommends a 35mm offset for the Fiero, for the 17x7 Stings that I was going to buy.
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You can use a 235 in the rear if you want but consider a few things..... 225 is the design rim width for a 7" rim, where 235 is not. Technicly the 225 is a better fit.
Also... The 235 is also slightly higher than stock, where 225 is slightly lower.
The stock size that these are close to is the 215/60-15 that was original equipment on the 86-88 GT and the Formula. IIRC, the stock tire size for an 85 GT is a 215/60-14. Quite a bit smaller. Your speedometer will be wrong by several MPH. It will read 2-3 MPH slower than you are traveling. The easiest way to remedy that is to replace the driven gear on the VSS. The correct one for the automatic is blue. I forget the number of teeth but can count them for you if you want to know, but I believe they are sold by color code. This is *not* a big deal. It can be changed in a few minutes, leaning over the back of the car, without hardly getting your hands dirty. I'm not sure about the 4 speed, but I hear that it's similar. You have to be careful that the driven gear doesn't fall into the tranny when you pull out the VSS, though.
The stock size that these are close to is the 215/60-15 that was original equipment on the 86-88 GT and the Formula. IIRC, the stock tire size for an 85 GT is a 215/60-14. Quite a bit smaller.
Good point, I was talking / thinking 86-87.
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12:23 AM
86_FiErO_GT Member
Posts: 266 From: Mill Creek,Washington,USA Registered: Jun 2003
Thanks to all. I'm sure others will also benifit from all of this information. The people at the tire stores only goes by the info that they have. I'm going with 215/45/17 front on a 17x7 rim with a 35-40mm offset 225/45/17 rear on a 17x7 rim with a 35-40mm offset This will keep everything close enough to stock and give better performance and looks.
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09:16 AM
GSXRBOBBY Member
Posts: 3122 From: Southern Indiana USA Registered: Aug 2003
Thanks to all. I'm sure others will also benifit from all of this information. The people at the tire stores only goes by the info that they have. I'm going with 215/45/17 front on a 17x7 rim with a 35-40mm offset 225/45/17 rear on a 17x7 rim with a 35-40mm offset This will keep everything close enough to stock and give better performance and looks.
Waiting for a call back for these prices, if I don't hear from him I will call him back around noon.
------------------ Bobby from NW Indiana 93 Northstar and 5 speed Getrag 219customs@verizon.net My build thread
