Tire Size for 17" wheels on Shelby Z

[Reeves]

Looking for the tallest/widest tire I can fit on a G body with 17" wheels. 17" x 8" x 35mm offset

I know I have fit a 245/50/15 BFGoodrich Pro-Comp on a stock Shelby Z with just a little hammer work on the inner wheel wells in the back. They looked awesome. I'm looking for something similar to that on this car.

[contraption22]

A 245/40/17 will be the same exact theoretical height, and of course width, as a 245/50/15.

The only unknown will is the offset or backspacing of the OE 6.5" crabs. If they are 35mm offset, or 5.1" backspacing, you will have the same exact clearances with the new wheels.

[contraption22]

Bump! Anybody know the offset of the 6.5 crabs?

[Pat]

bump! Anybody know the offset of the 6.5 crabs?

707!!!

[GLHNSLHT2]

40mm last I checked

[contraption22]

707!!!

LOL! OMG!

40mm last I checked

Thank you sir.

Looks like you will have 5mm less space on the inside, give or take, James.

[minigts]

My concern would be on the outside. The issue I've run into on the rears was the fender lip. Granted, I have different spindles on mine, but even up front unless I ran at least -1.25 camber, it would hit the top of the inner fender and unless I ran -1.5-2 camber, it hits the plastic fender shield.

[contraption22]

My concern would be on the outside. The issue I've run into on the rears was the fender lip. Granted, I have different spindles on mine, but even up front unless I ran at least -1.25 camber, it would hit the top of the inner fender and unless I ran -1.5-2 camber, it hits the plastic fender shield.

James' car is a G-body.

[minigts]

Well I understand the car is wider, but does that mean additional wheel well room or just additional width between frame rails? I don't work on the G bodies a lot, but I'd still want to see the clearance of any 8" rim on the car. That's pretty awesome if they have enough room to sport a 245! The only way I'll ever get that on my GLHS is if I flare the fenders and cut some stuff out.

[Dr. Johny Dodge]

G's are fatter in every way

a 225 might be tight on an L body but not so much on a G body

& remember the 245 is less than an inch wider than a 225 .. if there's still 25mm in an inch

- it's still a tight fit down at the bottom of the driver's side of the firewall / wheel well when you turn full lock to the left

a 215 60 15 JUST kisses the front edge of the passenger side wheel well where the plastic nose ends at the point where it's pinned to the edge of the wheel opening - but it won't rub the paint off

passenger side wheels are slightly further forward in the wheel opening than the driver's side in every fwd mopar I've ever looked at or had

if a 225 fits a 6.5 inch rim right so the 8 inch wheel might be a bit wide for the 245

- an inch and a half more wheel width than the stock wheel vs appx 3/4 inch more tire

[contraption22]

if a 225 fits a 6.5 inch rim right so the 8 inch wheel might be a bit wide for the 245

BFG recommends 8" to 9.5" rim width for the 245/40r17

[Dr. Johny Dodge]

is that with the new style wheels that stick out past the tire at the rim edge ?

a 9.5 on a 245 is nuts
I had 295's on 10's on my truck - that put the rim edge in line with the tread edge (bfg's) with normal looking sidewall bulge

and now that I think of it , 245's on 7's on the front that also looked right as far as the sidewalls go

[Force Fed Mopar]

I once bolted a 17x10 w/ 35mm offset wheel on the Lebaron, I forget the tire size though. It cleared through the turning radius, except at full lock, but it stuck out past the fender an inch at least.

[contraption22]

is that with the new style wheels that stick out past the tire at the rim edge ?

a 9.5 on a 245 is nuts
I had 295's on 10's on my truck - that put the rim edge in line with the tread edge (bfg's) with normal looking sidewall bulge

and now that I think of it , 245's on 7's on the front that also looked right as far as the sidewalls go

A tire mfr would never recommend a stretched figment, so no.

I have 225/45r17's on my SRT-4 with a 17x7 wheel, and the tire is actually a bit fat for the wheel. An 8" wheel would have worked a bit better without looking stretched.

Remember that the first number in a metric tire size is the section width, not the tread width. And as your sidewall height decreases (determined by the aspect ratio of the tire, which is the second set of numbers in a p-metric tire size, as a percentage of section width) the tread width is going to be closer to the section width. That's why you can go with a wider section tire for a 60, 70 or 75 series tire than a lower profile tire like a 45, 40, or 35.

[contraption22]

[Reeves]

Brad Morris (morrispower) was home today so I text him and he measured up a 6.5" crab and got 5.375" backspacing.

[contraption22]

Brad Morris (morrispower) was home today so I text him and he measured up a 6.5" crab and got 5.375" backspacing.

That confirms the 40mm offset.

[Reeves]

Looks like you will have 5mm less space on the inside, give or take, James.

Looking at your attached image above, it looks as if the 245/40/17 is a dang good fit eh? Is that what you are concluding as well?

[contraption22]

It seems big to me. But it is close in comparison to the 245/50/15 you tried

[Reeves]

It seems big to me.

Thanks Mike!