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Not a good idea to put a 345 series tire on an 8.5 inch rim. Not sure how they got it on there in the first place.
Exactly...even for 'limited use' straight line racing only (forget prolonged street driving or cornering which is part of the many benefits of even using DOT legal drag radials in the first place IMO) I wouldn't consider putting a 345 on a 8.5" rim and I'm usually the first one to push it when it comes to tire/wheel combos. Plus the potential sidewall/cupping issues of the tread make that combo quite inefficient for traction.
A 275 or maybe a 295 is about the widest tire I would ever try to squeeze on an 8.5.
Exactly...even for 'limited use' straight line racing only (forget prolonged street driving or cornering which is part of the many benefits of even using DOT legal drag radials in the first place IMO) I wouldn't consider putting a 345 on a 8.5" rim and I'm usually the first one to push it when it comes to tire/wheel combos. Plus the potential sidewall/cupping issues of the tread make that combo quite inefficient for traction.
A 275 or maybe a 295 is about the widest tire I would ever try to squeeze on an 8.5.
Not safe at all. I have a feeling maybe he misunderstood the question or something. Because I really don't think you could get a 345 series low profile tire on that rim. I had 315's put on a 10.5 inch rim once and the manager told me any bigger and they could not have installed it, to stiff.
Also if they are stock fronts I am sure it would rub on the inside. I use stock fronts on my DR's with 295's. There is not a lot of room left for clearance. The 18 inch wheels put the tire closer to the control arms. Actually when it is up on jack stands it just touches on top. When you let the weight off you end up with a little less than an inch.