So if i run 15x10 rear with a 295 50 15 and 15x8 front how do i calculate what tire to use up front on the 15x8 wheels that will match or be slightly less sidewall than the 295s in the rear?

 

Just go to www.tirerack.com and look up your tires and what diameter they are.

Way back when i had 15 inch wheels I went to 8.5 American Racing with 4.5 bs all the way around. They fit a 255 width better

 

I think a 295/50R15 rear and a 265/50R15 front would look good. Hankook has the H101 tires in white letter (if that matters to you) in both those sizes and they are not very expensive. I have the 265/50R15 on all 4 on my car.

 

Thanks...thats what i was looking for, sweet car!

 

Are those wheels Ansen Sprint?

 

High jack away i got my answer and that car is sweet...

 

Glad to see that you are doing it. It will look super, and rare!

 

Yep alex, all your fault, i havent really looked at those wheels in years until your comments, i wanted something old school racy and that we dont see on every other car and these fill the bill...very cool...thanks!!!!

 

Bats, you could go with 255/60/15 & 295/50/15:

Front: https://www.summitracing.com/oh/part...7931/overview/
26.8"

Rear: https://www.summitracing.com/oh/part...2707/overview/
26.65"

Or

Front: https://www.summitracing.com/oh/part...6028/overview/
27"

Rear: https://www.summitracing.com/oh/part...6031/overview/
26.8"

Having the front a fraction of an inch taller is just fine.

 

I would believe that your loop experence cant be 100% blamed on rim diameter, afterall people with much larger diameter rims still loop cars today,
Since you went off from my op, i will share my plans and thoughts,
What i asked in this thread was what front 15 to run with 295 50 15s...some kind souls clued me in,
i also know that many tires are no longer made in 15, but what i desire is.
I also see so many classic c3s ruined with silly larger diameter rims made worse with rubber band tires, not my cup o tea,
I like the classic look of 15s on these classic cars, i do not drive illegal on the street putting inocent lives in danger so any tire i buy in 15 will still meet dot standards, good enough for me, then if i want to go faster i will do it legal on a track and likely buy track tires rated for such....if i live long enough perhaps i will be forced to larger diameter rims but no time soon,

 

Hey Bats,

I agree with you. Going with much larger diameter wheels throws off the look/profile of the car.

There are a couple of reasons NOT to go with 17-18-19" wheels. The wheel diameter gets bigger and the sidewall height gets smaller to maintain a constant tire OD. I don't know about you, but my car rides harsh enough. No need to remove the additional cushioning you get from the taller sidewalls.

As to the occasional, unintentional donut....Wheel diameter has NOTHING to do with losing traction. Contact patch is the key, and yes, the rubber compound.

And, while I am on my soapbox, let me say that I do not condone ultra high speed driving with non-speed rated tires. I am embarrassed to admit that there once was a time I got clocked (and apprehended) doing 144 mpg on Dunlop GT Qualifier bias belted tires in my 68 GTX. This was not the first time, as I ran that car as a showroom stock drag car at New York National Speedway with those tires, tire smoking burnouts, Sunday..Sunday...Sunday. Trap speeds well over 100 mph EVERY RUN.

Then, I forget if it was '72 04 '73, we had a corvette club convention at Indianapolis Raeway Park. I drove 2 full laps flat out, buried the speedo at 160 in my '435 coupe. Tires? Firestone Wide Ovals.

I also used Mickey Thomson L60 15's on my 65 396=-435 convertible. It was way faster than the GTX, but I never got to run it at the track, because it didn't have a scattershield. Drove that WELL over 125 many times. Never once had a tire problem, despite all that youthful stupidity.

My current beast has Dunlop GT Sport Radials. I know they aren't Z rated, but I don't care. I doubt if I'll double the speed limit too many more times. But I'm debating whether to use the Ansens I have, or Rallys.

both 15".

 

I try not to debate the larger diameter wheel subject, ive seen a rare few c3s that had larger than 15 that didnt look "off" to me, wheels make or break a look,
If the owner of larger diameter wheels digs it that is super and all that should matter, i wont try to sell anyone on 15s,
I did notice how crappy the 87 fiero i have rides and yep some op stuck larger diameter wheels with rubber band tires on it,
Some people mistaking believe that if a car rides harsher it must handle better but techs in the suspension biz will tell you that isn't so,
The c3 has a suspension designed about 60 years ago for 15s so going too much on larger diameter will hurt not help, again people in the biz will agree, but if a person likes it that is super,
Ansens or steelies...thats hard, slots are one of my all time favorite wheels not as overdone and played out like am thrusts but really nice for race tracks or street cars, rallys are nice but heavy, i guess i would go ansen

 

I would try 245/60/15, 295/50/15. If you put flares on the car, then you can fine tune the filling of the wheel well towards the Fender lip with custom made hub centric spacers. I just had a pair made by SCC for the back and the cost me €80.00. They are only 8mm, but fit like a glove.

 

My '72 was an old show car, so had the stubs of some old wicked flares left over when I bought it.....so '89 vette rims all 4 corners, moved the ebrake bracket, and limited the front steering radius a bit....255/50/17 in front 275/50 in rear clear and fit fine.....

I have a VBP plastic 360 spring in rear, and Billy Stein sports on all 4 corners 460 coils in front......

rides great, corners well, no issues.....the flares look like late shark fenders......

 

Here's a great site for picking tires. Just pick the rim size or tire diameter range you want and the charts will list all the possible tires and give width and overall diameter in inches. Very handy for finding what tires are available in certain overall diameters. Don't forget to scroll far enough down to find the second chart that lists tires by overall diameter.

https://tiresize.com/chart/


You really can't blame a car for the rough ride or claim that you can't use 17" wheels because it would make a car unbearable to drive when the ride is caused by the way you have set up your suspension.

No, one who's ridden in Dad's 78 C3 would say it rides harsh. We did swap in front springs with a lower rate since it came with very stiff front springs. It still rides on a steel rear spring which everyone claims rides harsher then a composite so maybe it could even get better.


The C3 actually has a suspension that has done a decent job at standing the test of time. It's way more capable then what the currently available all season 15" radials are capable of.

If you want to argue, then a claim could be made that going to a much wider tire hurts the car too because it adds unsprung weight which is harder for the suspension to control.

You can claims that any old DOT tire is safe enough for the street since you're just going to drive around. And most likely, they will work fine. But, the fact remains that a high performance summer tire will outperform an all season tire if you even get into an emergency situation where you have to brake or swerve to the limits of the tires.

Still, at the end of the day it doesn't much matter if you want a 295mm wide rear tire since there aren't any good tires available in 295mm wide 16" or 17" sizes either. Choosing this specific width of tire is like choosing a 15" rim. If it's what you want then it's what you want, but don't try to claim it's not a compromise and is best for the car.

 

I received the answer to this threads question and want to thank the ones who gave me what i asked for

 

Close per OP request.