Stock Height - Best looking diameter for tires?

[Ken Wolkens]

I've searched the threads, read the stickies but still need some advice. Here goes...

I can't lower my car because my driveway not only is on an angle but the curb is rather tall. It's bad enough that my daily driver a Ford Fusion just clears without scraping.

That said, I plan to go with 18x9 wheels on all 4 corners but really need guidance on coming up with a diameter that gives the wheel wells a filled out look (without going overboard) compared to the stock diameter tire.

I would prefer to stick with the same size tire all around so I can rotate them too.

Any pics and advise is appreciated.

Thanks,

 

[Ken Wolkens]

I just picked it up from the paint shop and with out weight on the car it really exaggerates the puny look of the stock size tire.

 

[Ken Wolkens]

The rears in this pic are 275/60/15 which calculates to 28" and are a bit big for my taste.

BTW, this is my favorite car on the site.

 

[Ken Wolkens]

Here's Mike's car with 265/50/15's that calculate to 25.4" diameter in the rear. I'd prefer the wheel wells to be filled in a bit more so it looks like I might want to be somewhere between 26" and 27".

If someone has pics of a stock height with these sizes that would be great.

 

[Ken Wolkens]

Texas T has 215/70/15 for track use on the fronts. At 27" they look to tall for a DD though.

 

[Ken Wolkens]

Ok from what I can figure out I've got to go with 26-26.5" tall tires so they look good up front. Looks like I may have to go staggered fitment. Crap...so much for rotating.

 

[longball]

Can't help ya with the tires but the satin black paint looks awesome!!!

This thread kinda reminds me of Heisenberg - where he is the only one posting!

 

[TexasT]

Let me help out . I don't rotate tires on this car. I like a tall front and currently run a 255/60-15 on the rear. I have had a 265/50-15 on rear. Don't think either would go on front due to rubbing but I have had a 245/60-15 on front with minimal rub and a 235/60-15 on front with no rub. Went to taller to keep the lights tripped longer for better et.

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[Ken Wolkens]

Hey T, Thanks for commenting. Yep, I get what you are doing with the taller fronts for the track. I'll do some math on the 245's you mentioned since they will better fit the 9" wide wheels I plan to use.

BTW, I think your pic is throwing me off because of the lack of the front spoilers and the resultant ground clearance difference.

 

[Ken Wolkens]

Longball, Once the post went up everything started to make sense and for some reason the search gods were smiling on me and everything became available. I figured I'd keep adding what I was finding. Heisenberg eh??? Say my name.

Thanks for the compliment on the paint. If you think I'm struggling internally with the tire size you should have seen what I went through to pick the satin black. The only thing that saved me on that was I figure if I don't like it, I'll tape it off and shoot a gloss clear on it.

 

[Ken Wolkens]

Here's the wheels. FR500's with Anthracite centers and polished lips. Yes, I know they are Mustang wheels and have goofy offsets and bolt patterns but I'm doing bad things on this project. Hint: I have a rear axle from a 04 Mach 1 that's going to find it's home in the Regal and the front suspension is getting Blazer Spindles and Corvette Brakes.

I'm now looking at staggering the fitment with 18X9 up front and 18X10 in the rear.

 

[TexasT]

Id bolt in a 9in long before I tried to goof with that axle. What kind of power you planning in laying down to need more than the 8.5? I have seen plenty go 9s for seasons at a time.

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[Ken Wolkens]

I hear you but this is just a street driver and a 9" is overkill for my power level and wallet. (I have a kid that's going to go to college so I'm trying to stay on some kind of budget.)

The issue is mine's a 7.5 as it was only a V8 with the T option so it did not get the 8.5 from the factory. I'd do the 8.5 swap but won't spend $1000 for a core of unknown mileage-condition, that may not have the right gear, may not have posi and still have drum brakes.

For $700 I got everything for the swap including UCA's, LCA's, Spring Mounts and an Axle with known 55K mile history, 3.55 gear, trac lock, and vented discs with calipers. Supposedly everything should bolt in. The main gaps I see are figuring out a sway bar setup for the rear and the brake hoses/cables.

 

[TexasT]

What's wrong with the 7.5 if its just a cruiser? Plenty of mc, cutlass and gp out there Rollin em.
I guess you get the disks and such but I hope you can flare tubing so you can hook up the brakes. Just seems like a lot if work when an 8.5 will bolt in.
Be sure to post pix when you do the swap. It does sound interesting.

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[Ken Wolkens]

My issue with the 7.5 is that it's an open diff and has 2.xx gears. The cost to swap those combined with the cost of the disc swap for the 7.5 led me to this idea.
Fabrication is no problem for me as I used to do it for a living. Will do on the posting of the rear swap. I'm not the first though, It's been done a few times.