How Big can you REALLY go?

[DAMNMYSHOTOHELL]

Ive talked to so many people about this but I've got a different answer from everyone. I have a 1991 MTX plus, and I want to know what size rim+tire combo will fit? I want to put 18's on it, if I can, what size tire do i need for a 17, or an 18. Ive never seen anyone with 18's on thier sho. People say both 17's and 18's will rub on the back. I need to know exactly what size (and brand if possible) rim and tire combo will fit this car. Thanks everyone. thumbs_u

 

[wuzzzer]

Go to www.tirerack.com and see what they have available. They list 19 different 17" wheels for a 91 SHO.
www.discounttire.com lists 14 different 18" wheels and 32 different 17" wheels for a 91 SHO.
I've found that the Tire Rack is a little conservative on what they recommend as to tire/wheel combos. Which is good because you'll never have a problem with them.
Discount Tire recommends a 215/50/17 or 225/50/17 tire for a 17" wheel, and a 215/45/18 or 225/45/18 tire for an 18" wheel.
BTW, RI-SHO has 18s on his SHO with a very low drop and he doesn't have any problems rubbing.
Also, be careful in choosing tires. A very wide tire may grip the road slightly better, but can add quite a bit of unsprung weight to the car.
[edit]
Also, the offset of the wheel is more critical than the wheel size. I believe that the desired offset for a SHO is between 36 and 42mm. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong about these figures.

<small>[ October 13, 2002, 07:10 PM: Message edited by: wuzzzer ]</small>

 

[RStalveyARFF]

your car will rub more than likely with whatever setup you go with. There is extra material in the wheel wells on Gen I's. I even had my 225 60's rubbing until I shaved them off.

 

[RI-SHO]

If your rear is saggy you may have a small rubbing problem in your Gen I unless you "mod" it a bit or change over to a stiffer suspension.

As far as offset 38-42mm is "best" but 36mm and up to 44mm will fit but will cause problems on either end or require wheel spacers in the rear.

My 18"x8" 40mm TD rims fit just right with Pirelli P7000SS 235/40/18 tires and F:2.5"/R:1.75" drop. Rim size itself means nothing except looks and more weight depending on the type rim, overall tire diameter, width, and offset is what will affect you rubbing or not. Stock tire 215/60/16 diameter is 26.2" my 235/40/18 are 25.4" so as long as you keep it under 26" with a decent offset you should be all set.

A few shots of my SHO:

<small>[ October 14, 2002, 01:35 AM: Message edited by: RI-SHO ]</small>

 

[shojuan]

The width designation of a tire is the section width. A wider rim will result in a wider tire.

Rick