Best Tire size

charged92

Registered User
My Thunderbird is desparate for tires. Can I get some input on what size everyone uses/likes? I have used stock size tires on it since I've owned it, and it has factory rims on it. My car is lowered on Eibachs and I want wider tires and a more aggressive stance. I checked the FAQ forum and I know what sizes I can fit, but I want to know what sizes look best/most aggressive. You guys have probrably seen em with all sizes so let me know your favs please.:D

Of course this is after I get it back from being repaired.:rolleyes:
 
Dean,

If you are using a stock rim I think you can get a 255 tire on there. Thats looks good. If it's a wider aftermarket wheel a 275 tire is always nice (Sean's car)

As for the front, I like no bigger than a 235 tire. I had a 255 and 245 in the front and I find that they pull a bit too much for my taste.

I think most go with a 255 all round.
 
It's a rice site, but here's a quick and easy tire size calculator.

http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html

You want to be sure to choose a tire height as close to stock as possible to ensure speedo and ABS features function correctly. A 245/55/16 will give your more tread and a lower vehicle appearance with almost perfect factory height.

Also, what kind of driving do you normally do? A performance tire will not last as long (50-60K), but gives you better handling where a more pedestrian choice will give you a smoother ride and last longer (80K).

My experience is different manufacturers tires look different as well. The '90 I just bought had GoodYear snows that looked really short, but were labelled factory size. I mounted the summer Goodyear GT+4's that came with the car to match the front and they are physically taller than the snows, making the wheel well look filled properly. A quality shop will mount several different tires for you and drop the car for a look and let you choose.

On my 17" ROH, I chose PZero Pirelli's at 235/55/17 which knocks out my speedo by just under 2 MPH @ 60 MPH. It's a good M+S Performande ZR rated tire. I'm quite pleased with it's performance, ride and appearance. Kinda Euro looking (rounder edges) where a Goodyear or a Dunlop has edges that are more square.

I'm going to buy a set for stock SC rims and am leaning toward a Dunlop SP Sport A2 Plus @ 245/55/16.

http://www.dunloptires.com/catalog/performance.html

Bruce
 
I got some Goodyear Eagle TA's off Ed, 3 years ago for 100 bucks each, just to get me by. They have turned out to be a damn good tire for treat wear, minus when they seem to spin alot from accessive throttle response. They are 245/50/16's and are T rated, they improved the handling of my car so much, and they dropped my lowered stance just a bit more with the Eibachs, it throws my speedo off a bit, but calculating it out its close to having 3.08's in the diff, so Ed suggested throwing in a 3.08 gear tooth for the speedo and it would bring it within 3kms of a reading.
 
tbirdsc357 said:
Dean,

If you are using a stock rim I think you can get a 255 tire on there. Thats looks good. If it's a wider aftermarket wheel a 275 tire is always nice (Sean's car)

As for the front, I like no bigger than a 235 tire. I had a 255 and 245 in the front and I find that they pull a bit too much for my taste.

I think most go with a 255 all round.

yea you can, i run 255/50/16 BFG's out back but a 255 up front ill be a lil iffy on, Id do a 245 in the front
 
Dean, IMO the ultimate tire size to go on stock SC wheels would be 245/55/16. Fits a 7" wheel OK, about an inch wider than stock overall, and diameter matches the original size almost perfectly. Unfortunately there is very little choice in that size. Toyo offers it in their two top-line performance tires, the T1R and the T1S. You can get info on them here:

http://www.toyo.com/tires/tire_lines/sports_car/

Another good choice is 235/55/16. Usually just about 1/2" wider than stock, and roughly 1/2" smaller in diameter. The upside is that it is a very common size, used as original equipment on a bunch of GM vehicles through the 1990s. So there are a bunch of choices in that size from various manufacturers.


cheers
Ed N.
 
I would like to stay as close to stock height as possible on the back to keep the speedo close. That in mind, does 245/55/16 on the back, and 235/55/16 on the front sound good?
 
Last edited:
Dean, that would work OK. But if you want to match the brand and model of tires front and rear, I don't think it's possible with those two sizes. Toyo doesn't offer 235/55/16 in either of those models.


cheers
Ed N.
 
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