Anyone have tire recommendations in 255/55r17 or 275/50r17? I'm struggling to find anything other than the mediocre Nitto NT450 in a 28ish inch diameter for an 8.5" wide rim, and am hoping someone knows of something I haven't been able to find. Google has failed me. Looking for a summer tire with decent tread life, and I currently have 255/50r17s that are too small. Anything much larger than 28" doesn't fit under the front wheel wells.
Going on this:
245 section seems really narrow...the 255-section Nexens I have now are even a little stretched. I would definitely prefer wider over narrower, but I guess I may not have the luxury of choosing....
what about 275/40R17? Lots of really good options in that size on TR, but maybe that is too short for your setup?
gearheadE30 wrote: 245 section seems really narrow...the 255-section Nexens I have now are even a little stretched. I would definitely prefer wider over narrower, but I guess I may not have the luxury of choosing....
How in the blue hell do you have a car like this and this is the first I am seeing it?
Post more. Post all. Is it an `87?
rcutclif: that is a ~26" tire. the 255/50s I have now are a 27" tire, and I'm shooting for a 28" tire. I can't really afford to go any smaller than what I have now, since I'm already short of ground clearance.
svxsti wrote: 275s for 171
I saw those, and may end up having to go with them, but I keep hearing that the NT450 is kind of a terrible tire. It's always hard to tell on the internet though, since everyone has an opinion. Since the wagon occasionally sees dirt and mud, an all season tire probably wouldn't be the worst thing in the world...
Esoteric Nixon wrote: How in the blue hell do you have a car like this and this is the first I am seeing it? Post more. Post all. Is it an `87?
Haha I've posted about it a few times, but threads move along pretty quickly around here. It's a 1989, basically a full option car minus the ERS sound system, Daylight Sentinel, and cornering lights. It has the half-carpeted option in the rear, so the load floor has carpet, but not the side panels.
Not to derail things too much, but a quick mod list is hotchkis adjustable shocks, 750 lb/in front springs, 400 lb/in rear springs, Belltech drop spindles, 9C1 steering box, Jeep steering shaft, PS flow restrictor, 350 TBI SBC swap, long tubes, mandrel bent 2.5" exhaust, NV3500 5-speed manual transmission, and fuel injection modifications for an in-tank pump. In the next two months, it will be getting a fresh new SBC with ~400 hp, Megasquirt, distributorless ignition, etc.
Autocross video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVx7Y0teCP0
Surprisingly, I don't have very many good pics of it.
I have been very happy with the Toyo Versado CUV's on our Highlander. They are available in a 245-55-17 which states a 27.6" diameter. That will fit on your 8.5" rims.
They have other sizes that may fit your needs.
In reply to gearheadE30:
Tell me more about the PS flow restrictor. I have heard of them being used when switching to a rack and pinion but it doesn't appear you did.
Why did you put one in?
Does the fluid get hotter?
Did it change the steering feel at all?
You know, I honestly don't know much about it. I found it in a junkyard F body when I was looking for the 9c1 close ratio box, and it basically was just a small orifice that reduced the flow rate. With the stock 4ish turn box, there was no feel. The steering felt like it wasn't attached to anything. Now, there's about as much feel as I've ever had in a recirculating ball box like this, which means it is still a bit vague on center, but it will weight up in corners some. Still not a ton of feel. I think the correct way to limit steering with these is to change the shim stack in the pump and change the pressure, because I think the limited flow has resulted in overrunning the power steering at autocrosses. You can get 'ahead' of the pump, and then you have no power steering until it catches up. No idea about getting hotter, but the type 1 Saginaw pumps run pretty hot as is, so it probably didn't do anything good. I don't run a PS cooler, but there is a lot of airflow through the engine bay in this car.
I have read that the 9c1 box is internally orificed differently than the standard box which results in more feel, but I have no idea if there is any truth to that. I've never had another vehicle that uses the Saginaw box, other than this one.
I have had two sets of the NT450 275/50-17 tires on the 2000 Dakota R/T I had. They are a decent tire but not the greatest. The R/T originally came with 255/55-17 tires, but they are a little shorter, close to 27" if I remember correctly.
81cpcamaro wrote: I have had two sets of the NT450 275/50-17 tires on the 2000 Dakota R/T I had. They are a decent tire but not the greatest. The R/T originally came with 255/55-17 tires, but they are a little shorter, close to 27" if I remember correctly.
Well, I guess they can't be that bad if you went out and got another set, right? I'll probably peruse the Dakota forums and see if there are any other reviews of them out there, but since I want to be stubborn with the tire size, the choice may be made for me.
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