I am about to get new aftermarket wheels and tires. I have been flipping back and forth and could use some direction from the Braintrust...

I would like to see pictures of some tires mounted on aftermarket wheels. The rim needs to be 18x9 (I am going with the DD bullets but not particular to style as far as the pictures are concerned as long as size is right).

The tires sizes I would like to see examples of are 275/40/18 compared to 255/40/18. (Both mounted on a 9" rim). My main interest is how far the 275's bulge out when mounted on the narrow spec recommended width rim and how they "look". I know some ppl say that when the min sized rim is used for a tire it just doesn't look "right".

I am going to get the same sized tires for front and back leading to an additional question: Is anybody running the 275's on front and back (to allow for normal tire rotation)?

The whole point is I drive A LOT. I have nearly 18K on my pony now with only 10 months of payments made. This causes me concern if I were to use the mixed front/back sizing. I am going to approach that issue by adding 1" spaces to my rear set whatever size I end up with (this should give the staggered look).

Thanks for all replies/recommendations/pics...

 

http://forums.bradbarnett.net/showthread.php?t=39902
maybe this thread will help

 

Don't run a 1' spacer on a dd Bullit wheel.The 18x9"DD Bullits have a 34MM offset and barely clear the fender wells with a 255/45/18 size tire.If you stagger the wheels run a 18x10 DD Bullits on the rear.They have a 45MM offset and the backspacing is deep enough so the wheel doesn't stick out.If the wheel sticks out the tire will rub and cause damage to your fender well.I now run a 295/45/18 18x10s(rr)255/4518 18x9(frt) for a staggered set up and they fit great.

 

Poco, that picture there in your post (looks awesome by the way ....does that show that set up you now run (295/45/18 18x10s(rr)255/4518 18x9(frt)?

 

I run 255/45-18 on 18 x 9's in front and 275/40-18 on 18x10's in the back...

I've seen 275's on 18's all around, though...

Here's mine:

 

You want 255/45/18, not 255/40/18. They are very close to stock tire diameter. 275/40's are a litter smaller in diameter than the stockers and are as big as you want to go on a 9" wide wheel and still look okay. I know some people have gone 285/40's on all four corners which is much closer to stock diameter than the 275's. However, you'd need a 10" wide wheel for that.

 

Yeah, I may want 255/45/18 but they are rare birds in all season tires, unless you have a recommendation?? All season really limits you expecially since so many of the all season seem to rated so poorly. I believe I will be using ContiExtremeContact from Continental, and as such, limited to their sizes available.

I will only lose .6 inches of height with the 40's over stock by going from the 235/55/17 to 255/40/18. Plus it will give me .6" additional clearance on my fenders (as given as a concern by Poco) should I choose to use 1" spacers. I am not lowered (nor have any intention to do so) so the fender clearance is not as important of issue on mine as some. If I use the 255/40/18's I will lose a bit more but not much.

Please keep in mind that I am trying to stick with a size that can be used all around, and not "stagger" rims and size tires...Staggered rims and tires would be easier (and look so much cooler) but would be strange looking when I rotated the front to the back

 

Not sure where you got 0.6" but the stockers are 27.18" tall and 255/40's are 26.03" which is a big difference if you ask me.

Also, they're a very common size, searching tirerack.com, the 255/40/18 gave me only 9 all season tires and the 255/45/18 gave me 18.

I would think that if you aren't lowering, it would be even more important to keep as tall a tire as possible to fill in the gap.

Sorry, I don't mean to disagree with everything you wrote.

 

I'm a big guy and am only on these forum to learn...

OK, this is my reasoning on the 255/40/18.

...If we take the radius distance, since the axle reference point is not changing (amount of height loss to the bottom of the vehicle related to the road compared to the center of the axle), I believe the radius distance would be the important factor. That would be 13.6" (27.2" dia, stock)- 13.0"(26.0" dia, aftermarket) = .6" total (Radius distance) lowered of body from stock height. It is my understanding that often lowering kits are 1 to 1.5 inches dropped...so -.6" is a lot to lower the vehicle with this tire?

and the other side, from axle center to top of tire would also be -.6". Additional clearance from bottom of fender edge to top of tire, thus allowing additional clearance distance for added load to vehicle without causing friction problems with fender well, and as such, would that not reduce any potential problems that a 1" hubcenteric spacer would cause? (lets not even address the backspacing issue at this point)

In realistic terms, I would even think that optically, with an increased 18" rim aftermarket, would tend to cause the wheel opening (needing to be filled) to visually look MORE filled than it would appear with the stock 17"rim with the taller stock tire given it is +1 inch larger, bright and shiny DD Bullet rim?

It would also deduce that if the above were true (which I could be wrong ) but there would even be less distance loss with the wider 275/40/18. It is also my understanding that you can NOT use 10" DD Bullets on the front... (per American Muscle website) and the 9" rims will work on the front (and back)...

sooo...it is 9" all the way around.

and...the All-Seasons I have chosen (at least for now) are not available in 255/45/18.

....sooooo....

Brings me back to the question at the first of the thread...

I need to see the difference between a 275/40/18 mounted on a 9" rim to compare it to a 255/40/18

...because of the need to have 9" rims around the car (read need to rotate tires and not stagger ), and 255 and 275 will both fit on a 9" rim...

"whew"... sorry to be so long winded...

Phorty, can I just buy you a beer somewhere and we can discuss it....

 

Thanks and yes,those are the tire and wheel sizes I now run.I took the 18x9'sw/255/45/18's off the rear.Way to dinky for me.

 

Poco, I agree...really cool pony you have there... I agree with the size issue and is why I was hoping for pics of the 275's on all 4 feet.

Question: Since you are in Colorado, do you switch the rears to snow tires in winter or do you keep the pony in the stable all the time? (I noticed you had other vehicles). If snows, what tire do you recommend?

 

The T/A KDWS all season tires that come on the stock 18x8 bullits are excellent winter tires and great in the rain.Tire rack had them for 97 bucks a tires on their website,only they run small on a 18x9 wheel.

 

This is my old '05 on Nitto rubber 275/40s out back, 255/45s in front on 18 by 9 all around

 

Thanks for all the great information and I really appreciate the pictures...