[Tr6]

I have been having this discussion for a while now (basically since I realized I could use a bit wider rears at least) and shared it on 2 Facebook groups. Figured I would share it here and see what you guys thing about it.

Question is: Going wider front and rear tires over our stock sizes (let's use the SS vs 1LE numbers. 245 to 285 fronts and 275 rear and 305 rears) and the positive AND negative effects of both performance AND DD ability (daily drive ability, on street non-performance focused).

Feel free to list em as paragraphs or as pros / cons list.

From gathering info for me is:
Pros:
- It becomes "much better performance performance performance"
- Looks great

Cons:
- Cost
- Worse turning radius
- Rougher and louder ride

Basically.. Damned if you do, damned if you don't lol. Please do share your opinions as well as your experience if you have done this.

[BradfordCamaro]

Pro:
-Looks
-Improved Steering response and feel
-Possibly lighter set-up
-Picking your off-set , size and width is a personal thing.
-Buying new rubber will also Improve the points above

Cons:
-Cost

I have put larger rims and tires on a couple cars. First thing you notice is the handling. How your input to the steering has more effect and how the road feedbacks to your hands on the wheel.
While road harshness usually increases somewhat, that usually becomes an issue when you start to drop 'Series' ex. Going from a 40 series to a 35 or even a 30 series.
Decrease the sidewall and you will feel it for sure.
Road noise is from the aggressive compounds and tread patterns.

[Tr6]

Originally Posted by BradfordCamaro

Pro:
-Looks
-Improved Steering response and feel
-Possibly lighter set-up
-Picking your off-set , size and width is a personal thing.
-Buying new rubber will also Improve the points above

Cons:
-Cost

I have put larger rims and tires on a couple cars. First thing you notice is the handling. How your input to the steering has more effect and how the road feedbacks to your hands on the wheel.
While road harshness usually increases somewhat, that usually becomes an issue when you start to drop 'Series' ex. Going from a 40 series to a 35 or even a 30 series.
Decrease the sidewall and you will feel it for sure.
Road noise is from the aggressive compounds and tread patterns.

This right here is what I was trying to get posted so thank you for that, I appreciate it!

[davet435]

There is a right way to do it and increase performance and there is a wrong way to do it which will decrease performance. From the time I was 16 til my early retirement I worked in the tire and wheel business. All I'm going to say is there is a right way to do it which will increase performance and a wrong way which will decrease performance. If it's just about looks and your not tracking the car you don't have much to worry about. The car is still going to perform great if you do it the wrong way. If your tracking the car I would definitely talk to someone who knows what they are doing. I spent 28 years in the tire and wheel business. it's more of a science than a lot of people think!

[chuckclanton]

Originally Posted by Tr6

I have been having this discussion for a while now (basically since I realized I could use a bit wider rears at least) and shared it on 2 Facebook groups. Figured I would share it here and see what you guys thing about it.

Question is: Going wider front and rear tires over our stock sizes (let's use the SS vs 1LE numbers. 245 to 285 fronts and 275 rear and 305 rears) and the positive AND negative effects of both performance AND DD ability (daily drive ability, on street non-performance focused).

Feel free to list em as paragraphs or as pros / cons list.

From gathering info for me is:
Pros:
- It becomes "much better performance performance performance"
- Looks great

Cons:
- Cost
- Worse turning radius
- Rougher and louder ride

Basically.. Damned if you do, damned if you don't lol. Please do share your opinions as well as your experience if you have done this.

Does not make sense unless you are going to track the car! Then you need more than wider tires.

[Jkenn111]

I'm not planning on tracking my car, but would like a more wide aggressive look. With that being said, what are the ideal sizes that would go with the stock wheels?

[Glen e]

I just Went to 275/295 non run flats/wider wheels, and got rid of the thin 245 tires that they put on the RS in the front AND rear. The car changed a lot, corners are sharper, ride is fine, and the non run flats are much quieter. And most important, the car looks MUCH more "serious"....

[Norm Peterson]

Originally Posted by Jkenn111

I'm not planning on tracking my car, but would like a more wide aggressive look. With that being said, what are the ideal sizes that would go with the stock wheels?

It looks like Chevy chose the tire and wheel sizes pretty carefully - I'm looking in an overall sense considering both handling and ride quality here.

You could go another 10mm wider section at both ends of the car without either new size needing wider wheels to stay within the recommended range of widths (to 255/45 & 285/40) . . . ride quality might improve a bit, but this will cost you a little in terms of steering response and handling precision.

Enough wider to be clearly noticed is going to require new (wider) wheels. If you'd rather not go aftermarket, maybe steal the wheel & tire page out of the 1LE playbook.


Norm

[BradfordCamaro]

GM threw 20x10 and 20x11 on the Camaro.
So pretty much anything goes

[Norm Peterson]

Originally Posted by Tr6

I have been having this discussion for a while now (basically since I realized I could use a bit wider rears at least) and shared it on 2 Facebook groups. Figured I would share it here and see what you guys thing about it.

Question is: Going wider front and rear tires over our stock sizes (let's use the SS vs 1LE numbers. 245 to 285 fronts and 275 rear and 305 rears) and the positive AND negative effects of both performance AND DD ability (daily drive ability, on street non-performance focused).

Feel free to list em as paragraphs or as pros / cons list.

From gathering info for me is:
Pros:
- It becomes "much better performance performance performance"
- Looks great

Cons:
- Cost
- Worse turning radius
- Rougher and louder ride

Basically.. Damned if you do, damned if you don't lol. Please do share your opinions as well as your experience if you have done this.

I've bought three RWD cars new, and put significantly wider wheels and tires on all three with little in the way of "negatives". Never gave NVH consequences second thought because grabbing a bigger slice of cornering and handling has always held higher priority.

I haven't considered cost to be a negative, given that I'd have opted for the wider setup in each case had it been a factory option.

Nor has turning radius ever been a problem with these cars (though it is still a clearly noticeable factor when parking/maneuvering the Maxima in my sig, that thing needs battleship room). I know that my current car has steering stops that it wouldn't have had in base V6 trim, but they've never interfered with the driving, ever.

As noted, steering response and precision can be improved, but you need to work tire size with wheel width and the available room under the sheetmetal together, and getting the most performance out of your new tires & wheels will entail suspension and alignment tweaks. Stay as close to factory wheel offsets as possible - minimizing adverse effects (the technical considerations) while you're driving is more important than bowing to the opinions of others about what it looks like when it's parked.

Consider carefully whether it's cornering/handling or ride quality that you're really after. If you're going to be competing, sometimes you'll be limited in what you can do by the rules of that competition organization (SCCA autocross immediately comes to mind here).

Anyway, you'll get sharper response with wheels that are out toward the max recommended width for the tire size; ride quality and possibly dragstrip performance can benefit from wheels of "measuring width" or slightly narrower. I'm leaving appearance aspects alone, since as an engineer (now retired) it's always been about improving the function.

I don't have Dave's professional experience, just a lot of reading and something like 400,000 total miles experience in the following three cars (and it's been an easy trip given that my wife has preferred a firm ride as long as it wasn't outright harsh).

Car #1, 1970's, from ~165/80-13 on 4" wheels to ~205/60-13 on 7" to 195/70-13 on 7"

Car #2, 1980's, from 205/70-14 on 6" wheels to 215/65-15 on 7" to 225/60-15 on 8.5" (technically "over-width")

Car #3, 2010-ish, from 235/50-18 on 8.5" to 255/45-18 on 9.5" to 265/40-18 on 9.5" (would rather these be on 10" but I wasn't going to buy a 4th set of wheels for the same car) . . . and 285/35-18 on 11" for the track although it is still 100% streetable


Norm

[Tr6]

Norm, I gotta say. Thank you for contributing as well as thanking EVERYONE who did contribute to this post. I love researching and debating before I do ANYTHING to my vehicles. I have learned it the hard way that needs to be done before actually doing anything to car as it always ends up being a heart and headache.

IF I were to go wider route which I actually do want to but like I mentioned, I will do my research and decide. IF I do, I will steal the 1LE playbook like you said and actually not just go with the size tires on that car but literally buy the 1LE wheels with the F1 tires that will come with the car. Whenever that might be available. A lot of people hate on the GY F1's we have which I find a bit funny because those tires were designed specifically for our cars but it was designed for both performance and DD ability. Which is just perfect for me. Yes, the run flats are "loud" but to be honest, not as loud as I have heard before. Nothing wrong with keeping them nor getting something else you prefer as it is all personal preference. After seeing how traction works on the c7 and PSS's, I truthfully am amazing how well our F1s handle it and how they FIGHT so much more than the PSS's on the c7. Granted We have a good 400 pounds fatness over the c7 which helps a LOT for traction over c7s.