Good call. 285/xx is as wide as I'd ever suggest for 10" wide wheels.And Nitto says yes.
Always best to check the tire company website or tirerack etc. 10 inch is the minimum wheel width for the 555R. And 11 is the measured and preferred width.
A 285/40/18 is right on the Nitto preferred width at 10 inch.
I think the visual difference would be less than you fear. Ignoring wear (which brings the diameter of the existing 235/50 front tires down a bit), there's only about 1/4" difference in sidewall height, and the 275/40 would have only 1/4" more tire to fender gap than the 235/50 it replaced had.I would not do 275/40/18, because it will be shorter then the 235/50/18 you have up front and imo, look dum.
nitto NT-555 285-40-18 30-32 psi on the rears. 300 tread wear.
Why not go with a tried and true 18x10 setup with the Drifts or AMR's? I know they are common but at 150 per wheel with correct offset there is no guessing.I'm trying to take all the data in this thread in ,and I cannot figure it out. lol. Sorry. Wheels and tires have always been my weak points. I would love to do a square 18" set up, but I definitely need fore meaty tires and contact. I have 245/45-19 on forgestar f14 9 inches wide in front and 275/40-19 on forgestar f14 10 inches in rear. Would love to go down to 18's and at least 10 inches wide. I like the TSW Sochi wheels, but they do not have 10 inch available. They do have the 10.5 inch wide wheel. will these fit in the front? stock suspension. stock brakes. will be lowering soon.
As tires go, the NT-555 is an ancient line and even Nitto has other street tires with better dry grip. What the NT-555 does have going for it here is that it is available in 285/40-18 . . . and that's about it.
Norm
I respectfully disagree about the 'beyond stupid' part - that sort of description would be far more appropriate to Michelin's Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires ($400 and up).The michelin pilot sports are great too..but the price is beyond stupid.