on my 95 GT, i just noticed that i have 255/45 on the front, and 275/40 on the rear. i understand that i have the wider tire in the rear, but why would my front tires have a thicker wall than the rear. now that i noticed it, it is very prominent and looks weird. is there a reason?

 

Someone put an off size tire on the fronts without regard to side wall height.
A better side wall match on the fronts would be a 245/45/17.

 

^ Why not 275/40/17 on front?

 

lilroush, while 245/45 would be narrower, i'd still be in the same place having taller tires up front right?

hlister, now 275/40 up front sounds good

 

255/45-17 was the stock 94/95 Cobra size, I actually ran that size up front with 275/40s in the rear and the difference in size really wasn't noticeable. 275/40 up front will likely rub at full turn unless you have 03 Cobra A arms, but it also depends on the wheel size and offset.

 

245/45/17 was stock GT rubber.
45 percent side wall of a 245 width tire will be a lesser number than 45 percent side wall of a 255 width tire. People go 275/40 on the rear to get more bite and keep side wall profile similar. 40 percent of a 275 width tire gives you close to equal diameter on both wheels visually

A 245/45 tire will be about 25.4" tall
A 275/40 tire will be about 25.5" tall.
A 255/45 tire will be about 26.1" tall.

Exact size will vary by brand.

 

Mine doesn't rub at full turn, 275/40/17 all around....2001 Cobra

 

i do get some rub, on my front sway bars