Help needed: Tire size poll

[2ndgen]

I am about to pull the trigger on a new set of wheels and tires... The car is a 69 Mach 1. I have narrowed it down to two choices on tire size:

245/45-17 front and 275/40-17 rear

or

225/50-17 front and 255/45-17 rear

Wheels are 17x8 w 4.75bs front and 17x9 with 5.5bs rear

I have verified clearance with either setup; although the 275s in the rear don't leave much margin... It seems like the 255s would be a more "care free" choice (e.g. no worries on speed bumps, hard cornering, etc).

Comments/opinions?
-Rory

 

[daveSanborn]

I'm running 255/45/17's.... on my '66 and there's PLENTY of room. So much so that I'll likely go wider after the next couple burnouts. I'd go larger than the 255/45 if I was buying them.

Your 245/45 should be perfect on the front. Power Steering equipped car? That's a good sized contact pattern to be steering w/o PS.

 

[SELLERSRODSHOP]

i'm running 235/45-17's & 285/40-17's on my 69. i did roll the fender lips & worked that lower front area on the inner wheelhouse just for some insurance. the front whhels are 17x8 w/ 5" b.s. & the rears are 17x9.5" w/ 6" b.s.

 

[RapidRabbit]

I am running 225/45/17 on the front and 235/45/17 on the rear on my 70. I wish I would have gone a little larger on the rear.

I would vote for the 245/45-17 front and 275/40-17 rear.