you think a 295- 50 series tire would be too wide for a 8 inch rim. i know it wouldnt probably flatten out right. but would it be safe to just drive ever once in a while?

 

Yes a 295 50 is too wide for an 8 inch rim and it wouldn't gain what you think you would gain anyway.....here's why

a 275 40 17 mounted on an 8 inch rim (which isn't recommended) is just under 11 inches wide (section width)
http://www.dodgestang.com/DR/275-4.jpg


a 255 40 17 mounted on an 8 inch rim is 9.75 inches wide (section width)
http://www.dodgestang.com/DR/275-5.jpg

Whoot that's a whopping 1.25 inches wider....man...I'm going to get so much more traction........


But wait what's this....

a 275 40 17 mounted on an 8 inch rim has a contact patch of just about 8 inches
http://www.dodgestang.com/DR/275-19.jpg

and a 255 40 17 mounted on an 8 inch rim has a contact patch of just about 8 inches
http://www.dodgestang.com/DR/275-18.jpg

So, the only gain I make with the 275 is the fact that it is a drag radial with a softer compound. If it were a street tire like my 255 I would be gaining nothing as far as forward traction goes.


On edit: Not to mention that even if you put a 295 50 on an 8 inch rim....with 4.25 backspacing it will stick out more than just a little.

 

I have 275's on my 9" and they fit snuggly, a 295 on a 8" is way to wide...

 

thanks, i knew they were probably too wide. i just bought a NOS set of cragar ss 15x8 wheels in the boxes. the tires on this car a new and i just care to set the new 50 s aside. i probably just buy 2 more to match the front and run 235s all the way around.

 

Now you are making sense. I have often wondered what folks with two different size tires did when they had a flat. Carry two spares? The rear end is not going to like two different sizes for very long, and the front will be a bear to handle.

 

that stuff in the can or run flats would be the only option or have towing insurance

 

As long as the front and rear have simliar OD you carry a spare that fits the front.

 

i like the look of the 50 s on the rear. but one size all the way around is the way i usually go. car would handle better anyway and i could get rid of the air shocks on the rear.

 

What Dodgestang said is pretty much true. often a wider tire on a narrow rim will not provide as much contact as a narrower tire will on the same rim. but...

Really it depends on the tire. I have had some 275 60s that were wider than my 295 60s I have raced with. Also have had some 255s that are wider than some of the 275s I have.

Kumho is a narrow tire. BFG is around the middle. Nittos are usually a very short tire so there isnt much variance. Goodyear is a bit wider for the same size as a BFG on some tire lines they have. Drag radials are a complettely different animal, some of them will fit a narrower rim and still be wider because of the tall sidewall. others wont. Point being not every tire manufacturer uses the same way of measuring the tire. Sure its supposed to be a 255mm section width, but a 255 is different from tire to tire, especially when you consider the ratio..


The smaller the number in the middle ie 245 50 15 is the shorter the diameter. its a % of the tread width. So 50% of a 10" wide tire will have a 5" sidewall, or 2.5" between the rim and ground.

I run a 9" enkei 15" rim on my drag car. it has BFG 295 65 15s on it. These things are MASSIVE. They are almost a 30" diameter and they are 11" wide at the contact patch. if my car wasnt lightened so much, they would be rubbing everywhere. we are going to try a similar sized radial from Mickey Thompson next year, and who knows, I will probably be clearancing for them too., even when the BFG fits prety good.

backspace is very important. Most people leave alot of width unused in backspace. I like to have about 1/2" clearance in a strip/street car between the tire and the inner fenderwell. Sometimes its much less, especially on a drag strip. As long as it doesnt rub when going straight, its ok to some people..lol.

Anyway, a taller tire is better these days for economy. less RPM with a taller tire. So I run the tall ones, usually a 255-285 on mine. Even my truck has 255s on it.

As far as the wide in back skinny up front thing and a flat. Well its not my only car, I am not driving cross country daily, and I check my tires before I get in every day. its a simple thing to look and make sure you dont have one a bit lower than the others. barring a nail or hitting something unseen on the road, I dont have many flat tires.

 

I have 255/60R 15's on the rear and they work just fine. They look nice and have a beefy look to them.[IMG][/IMG]