Should tire diameters match front to back?

[67SSDan]

This is probably as much a style question as anything, but here goes.

On the back of my camaro I've got 315 / 35 / 17s (wheel diameter is 11") which, if tire rack is correct, that's a 25.7" overall diameter for the back. My front wheels are 17x8... what tire size should I get so they will match the overall look of the backs? Should the overall diameter match, or is it okay for the front to be somewhat smaller? If they are smaller, I don't want it to be obvious when you're looking at it... I can't stand that. I've got the right suspension parts under it to make the rake look good on its own.

Thoughts? How do I figure this out without just guessing?

Thanks a ton!

Dan

[Schwartz Performance]

In my opinion it's good to have some rake to the tires. The fronts should be smaller but not more than an inch smaller to look proportionate. I usually like around a half inch to 3/4.
You'll have to look around on TireRack for something in the 245/40 range I think...

-Dale

[67rally]

My rears are about 1" taller than my front (26.7" vs 25.7") and I like the look, but it's all up to you. Tire rack looks accurate at 25.7" on your rear tire.

How wide do you want to go up front? That may determine your sidewall aspect ratio (35/40/45, etc). A 245/45/17 will be the exact same height as your current rear.

245/45/17 = 25.7"
235/45/17 = 25.4"
225/45/17 = 25"
245/40/17 = 24.7"
235/40/17 = 24.4
225/40/17 = 24.1"

[67SSDan]

I think I'm going to go with 245's up front. I checked out your pictures, and the 1" difference isn't immediately noticeable to me (which is a good thing). I may go by a tire store and have them show me them so I can see the difference in person.

Thanks for the help guys!

Dan

[gold79ta]

use this to check tire sizes
http://www.jekylhyderacing.com/HeightofTires.htm

[camrat68]

Here is another good place to play with tire height and wheel sizes....

http://www.rimsntires.com/specspro.jsp

-Jim

[67rally]

I think I'm going to go with 245's up front. I checked out your pictures, and the 1" difference isn't immediately noticeable to me (which is a good thing). I may go by a tire store and have them show me them so I can see the difference in person.

Thanks for the help guys!

Dan

Which 245 are you going with? 245/45/17 or 245/40/17?

On the car, you don't really notice much unless you're looking for it, but here's a comparison of my 245/40/18 (left) and 275/40/18's (right) off the car and the 1" height difference:

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2011/12/NewWheelsx-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2011/12/NewWheels2-1.jpg

[Paul Huryk]

For the 3rd gen f-body customers we support, we recommend the same size at all 4 corners - 275-40-17. Part of that is to keep mechanical oversteer (due to front weight bias) at a minimum, and also for looks. From the side, a 275-40-17 looks no different than a 245-45-17 or a 315-35-17.

Something to think of: each 1" you increase the diameter of a tire, the surface contact patch increases about 4% (based on 25" to 26" OEM sizes). This can contribute to a handling balance issue too, especially when the tire diameter of 1 axle is 2" or greater than the other.

Personally I would go for the 245-45-17 up front.

[67SSDan]

Awesome, thanks for the advice guys! I *think* I'm going to go with the 245/45/17s. I'm now trying to make sure I've got enough clearance between the wheel and the steering arm. That stupid thing has cause me more grief than I don't know what!

Dan