ElectronZO6

Hello All,

I found a good deal on a set of square 18x9.5 Black Grand Sport Replicas. My concern is that 9.5" wide rear wheel may not be wide enough to get the traction I am looking for. Currently my car makes right at 440rwhp and with my current set up of 305 Nitto Invos, which have maybe a few thousand miles left, it still breaks loose pretty easily. If I got these wheels I was thinking possibly 285/40/18 Nitto NT05 or NT05R in the rear. Does anyone else run this size tire combo making similar power? How is the traction and any pics of this rear tire size on a C5?

Thanks!!!

ZigZag

Why not find a wider wheel like a 10.5 for the rear ? I have 18x9.5 front and 18x10.5 rear with 265 and 295 Conti DW's and my car is only 330 rwhp and 342 torque. They are Z06 replicas.

neutron82

if you are concerned about traction in a straight line then the sidewall and tire compound is more important than width but that being said I personally would rather have an 11" wheel out back... if you want a drag radial nt05r's are good if they have the size you need, same goes for the mickey thompson et street s/s

ElectronZO6

Yeah, I would rather have a 10.5-11" rear but I have not been able to find Black C6 Grand Sport Replicas in and 18x10.5-11. Not only that, I found a killer deal on gently used set if 18x9.5s locally.

ElectronZO6

Yeah, more for straight line performance and off the line traction. I was looking at the NT05R's but was not sure if 285 would be wide enough to keep traction.

grantv

Killer deals are usually killer deals for a reason. I'd pass and get some wider rubber.

Time for a C-5

I have a little over 400 to the wheels on 9.5" wheels with decent summer tires. 1st gear won't hold. Second will let go too. This isn't launching or power shifting either, just getting into the throttle when there's open road. My guess is you'll struggle even with the stickiest tires.

almosttherec5

i have 470hp and run a 285 nitto 555r drag radial with my 6 speed and 4.10s.... i can cut a 1.7 sixty if i feather the clutch real fast, if i dump it from 3k rpm i normal get a 1.8 sixty... i can prob get my sixty to a 1.5 with these tires, but iv only have 6 passes at the track with the vette and the set up.. so my seat time is very very low lol
plus with i bought the tires from discount tire, they was 220 each.... now they are like 280 lol
my first time to track with all the bolts on's and 285 nittos
best
60-1.70
330-4.80
1/8- 7.38
mph-96.9

fivelitrecobra

I've ran 412whp and 502whp thru an 8" wide rear wheel without traction issue's, its more about your tire choice then wheel width. I've had great results with Mickey Thompson ET Street S/S's and even better results with the ET Street R, consistent mid 1.5 60's on the S/S and consistent low 1.5 60's on the Street R, both were 275/50. Both are made for straight line performance, not good if you want to push thru some corners. The Nitto NT05R is a nice balance if you still want handling.

bigmackloud

FWIW, I have 295's on 18x9.5 rear wheels. They fit great. So you're not limited to just 285 tires (might open other tire options). I was in the same boat, the wheels I wanted (and could afford) were only available in a 9.5 width. I would have gone wider if I could have, but in the end, these tires are just street tires so I wasn't too worried about getting every ounce of traction from them. (I have a set of slicks that I use for HPDE track events)

I also agree that traction is typically more about the tire and less about the width. (within reason)