mikeisgod

Posted this in the tire/wheel section but I think it's a little undertrafficed compared to this section...

Hey guys... just looking for a few simple answers hoping not to get heckled. Tried the search feature but when you search for "wheel sizes" or "tire sizes" etc... you come up with 5000 topics, most of which are telling the poster to search... Anyhow.. I have an 89' LX 4 Lug that i'm looking at getting tires and rims for. I want them to be descent but don't want to spend a crazy amount. What i'm looking at is getting 17 wheels, with 245 up front 275 in the rear. I'm guessing an 8" front rim is what's needed, 9" rear... what i'm not sure about is the "backspacing" or "offset" of the rims that i'll need for this to work. I understand a 275 I may have problems and have to roll the fender lip which is fine... i'll figure that much out... but what if I can get an idea of spacing/offset i'd appreciate it. Also I hear alot of people say the Sumitomo HTRZ II tires aren't that great... but i'm running on cheap brand 205s right now... so I'm sure with the 275 HTRZ II I would grip a LOT better, right?

PJB

Id go with a 5 lug swap before buying new wheels.
There really isnt much of a selection of 4 lug wheels for these cars.

Fender clearance might be an issue with wide tires on the front.

mikeisgod

isn't 245 a common size up front?

gspfunk

You might need to go w/ the 91+ front fenders/fenderwells to prevent any rubbing. Mine's a 90, and w/ 245/50's on my ponies it rubs a little at full lock.

What kind of wheels are you looking for? There aren't as many in 17x8 as there are in 17x9, but there are still choices out there if you look. Ebay is probably one of your best bets as far as pricing and selection, but Google turned up lots of results for me, too.

Your backspacing on a 17x9 wheel is usually ~5.75 or so and the offset can vary from 17mm-22mm. Look at americanmuscle.com for some examples....

17x8:
FRPP makes the Cobra R's in 4-lug
Pony R makes them, if they ever restart production

OR, you could go 17x8.5:
93 Cobra replicas
Y2K Cobra R's in 4-lug

mikeisgod

my question is what offset would provide me the best against rubbing with wider tires? i had 2 choices for the same wheel.. .one was like 18 mm other 20mm which would I want? If anything I can go 225 up front, 275 rear... I would really like the widest rear possible though.

cbennett

i didnt realize the 91's+ had more clearance in the front fenders... interesting..

Blck92GT

I was always under teh assumption it was just the fender extensions that made the difference with rubbing. I dont see how the fenders themselves are any different.

riored4v

fender extensions and fenders are different. i had to cut my fenders to fit the 91+ style extensions on.

mikeisgod

so... 17x8 front 225 tire, 17x9 rear 275 tire... anyone know of any killer deals? I'd prefer to spend like $750 or so, and I realize this is a low figure.. but trying to find a good deal.

PJB

The front edge is slightly different. Theres an inch difference between '79-'90 and '91-'93.