Tires Size Thoughts ...

[onedivinehammer]

How much of an effect, "drive-wise", would different size tires have? I was thinking of picking up a pair of Boyd Coddington's 18's for the rear and a pair of 17's for the front. What are the cons of such a set up?

[MichaelDay]

As long as you keep the same (or virtually the same) rolling circumference between front and rear, the size of the wheel won't matter to the car. As the wheel gets larger and the sidewall gets smaller, you will be more susceptible to pothole damage.

[ElectricBlueGT]

You will lose the ability to fully rotate your tires if you use a mixed diameter setup. Your front tires will wear out much faster than your rear tires.

Depending on where you live, a wider tire might not be a good idea, particularly in the snow and/or rain. The same vehicle weight distributed over a larger area (contact patch) means less lbs/square inch of pressure on the road. This makes it easier to lose traction or hydroplane. When moving to a different diameter, it's hard (if not impossible) to keep the same tire width. It's the price we all pay to keep the same wheel/tire diameter.

Another thought: look for a wheel & tire combo that is the same weight or lighter than your stock setup. Many times, people put on larger wheels and tires without putting unsprung weight into consideration. A heavier wheel/tire combo = longer braking distance without brake modifications (more aggressive brake pads, etc...).

With these caveats in mind, pick what you like. Just remember, you probably should slow down in bad weather (like we ALL should ) and brake a little earlier (if using heavier wheels and tires).

My two cents,

Scott