17 18 Combo, Why?
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From: Midwest
17 18 Combo, Why?
Why do people and GM put different size wheels on the front and back of Corvettes. The people with 17 18 combo’s on their c-3’s, are the rolling diameters the same? Do the front and rears have the same profile tire? I am trying to pick what size wheels to get and I do not want lower profile tires on the rear. I think I may want 17’s just to not have too low a profile tire.
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From: Who says "Nothing is impossible" ? I've been doing nothing for years.
If you want to run wider tires on the back and keep the sidewall height ( profile ) and overall diameter close from front to back you end up having to go with different size wheels on the front and back I have 17in on the front and 18 on the back 
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I am glad I asked this question before I buy wheels. I would like to go with wide wheels/tires in the back. So as I understand from what motorhead is saying if I have say 17x8 in the front and 18x10 in the back I can have the same profile (sidewall height) on the front and the rear? This would make the rolling diameters different then.
I like the way this combo looks on wnjlt1’s car.
I like the way this combo looks on wnjlt1’s car.
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2007
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From: Jasper Indiana
On my 68, I put different size tires, smaller on front and bigger on back. It has the look of different size wheels, but I am running 15x7 wheels all around. I think the front is a 235 and the rear is a 255. The profile is normal and the car looks great. Maybe you could buy one wheel size and just change the tire sizes.
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2002
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From: Edinburgh
I have never understood this philosophy, how can it shorten the life of your tyres? Sure if you dont rotate them your rears will wear out faster and you will have to replace them earlier, but your fronts wont wear out so fast so they will last longer and therefore balance out so that ultimately the tyre costs will equalise.
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From: San Diego CA
Actually the fronts usually wear out faster... unless you do a ton of burn outs. 
Smaller tires in front generally generates a tad bit of understeer, hence why cars come that way stock, usually. I run 275-40-17s all around, handles sooo much nicer than anything you can put on 15 inch rims, since Pirelli stopped making Scorpion Zeros in 255-60-15.
Smaller tires in front generally generates a tad bit of understeer, hence why cars come that way stock, usually. I run 275-40-17s all around, handles sooo much nicer than anything you can put on 15 inch rims, since Pirelli stopped making Scorpion Zeros in 255-60-15.
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From: Forked River NJ
Running 17X8 in front and 18X10 in the rear. 255 45 17 front tires and 275 40 18s in the rear. Fit is perect with no rubbing. Stock trailing arms.
Rotate the tires?? Are you kidding me. If the rears last me 5K miles I'd be lucky.
Rotate the tires?? Are you kidding me. If the rears last me 5K miles I'd be lucky.
Last edited by Gordonm; Oct 23, 2007 at 07:27 AM.
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From: Forked River NJ
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gordonm, wow after seeing your pics and the action shot in your profile, I think I am swayed to going with the 17 18 combo. I like the painted center tt’s that’s what I was planning on going with. They look nice on a chrome bumper car. What brand tire do you run?
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From: Waterloo ontario Canada
I run 18's all around. I wanted 18's on the front to clear 14 inch rotors. The cost is the same so why not go 18's all around???
The stock rotors do look small inside an 18 inch rim.
The stock rotors do look small inside an 18 inch rim.
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From: Reno Nevada
2024 C3 of the Year Finalist- Modified
But I'm impressed with the 255/45/17 kumho's. I did a set of 5 hot laps and my brakes were gone completely so i had to go into the pits. They were actually pretty good. Nice control on the street. They have to much rain groove for my dry climate. I would rather have more rubber on the road.
Last edited by gkull; Oct 23, 2007 at 11:35 AM.
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From: Forked River NJ
The front tires I have on now are cheap Fuzion ZR1 tires. They perform pretty well for an inexpensive tire. The rears I have a set of Kumhos. I like them quite a bit. Also an inexpensive tire but a good tire and always gets good reviews. I will eventually go with the Kumhos on the front also. They are the same as Gkull is showing.