255/45R18s? will they be good enough?

[BLKBULLITT]

8.5inch stock bullitt rims on my car, currently running stock 235s, Since I plan on hitting the track more often next year for practice will 255 Nittos be good enough for traction and launch? or should I just buy 2 10inch rear wheels and toss on a set of 285-305s in the back?

Tossing Nittos on my current rims will save me more money but Id like to get some drag radial tires on the back.

TIA.

 

[SilentScope]

265's will do you fine. stkjck used 265's on stock bullits on his supercharged vert and ran 11.4's i believe

 

[BLKBULLITT]

265's will actually fit on my 8.5 wide rim? How badly will the sidewalls stick over the rims?

 

[Chris B.]

I currently use 255/40-18 Yokohama ADVAN Neova AD08's. I couldn't get 45 series at the time, but it doesn't matter much. For track use, they last 20-25 minutes of laps around the road course before they get a little too hot and start losing some grip.

Most 265 width tires for road course and autoX use need 9" wide wheels or wider according to the tire manufacturers.

I'm not sure about drag racing tires on 8.5" wide wheels. You did post this in the corner carver section but seem more interested in straight line performance. I have seen people use 275 width drag radials on 8.5" wide wheels before. I'm just not sure if its advised by the tire manufacturers. BfGoodrich recommends 9" wide wheels for its 275/35-18 drag radials.

 

[G.T]

i've fitted Nitto NT555 255/45ZR18 on the stock 8.5" wide fanblades, and they were almost square on..
265 might just bulge out a bit

 

[mot250]

I always thought the stock 18s with 235s were too narrow of a tire for the wheel. I thought it was an odd choice by Ford since the 8.5 inch rim is listed by most tire manufacturers as the widest rim for 235s.

I see at least one tire manufacturer that lists the 8.5 rim as acceptable (minimum) for 265s. Is it generally thought that the 265's might offer too much sidewall flex for road course action?

I picked up a cheap set of Fanblades and I want to put on a set of tires to use on the track.

 

[SilentScope]

i just put 255's on my rears. they fit nice and square. i would even like to go to 265.

 

[S197gt07]

I have 255/45/18 in the rear of the stock 18" bullitt's, no issues for over a year.

 

[Gray Ghost GT]

Go as wide a tire that will safetly fit your wheels because they not only increase the contact patch for traction, but the additional mass also helps absorb and disspate the heat - the tires will last longer and will not lose traction as fast during a weekend of road course activities.

 

[kevinatfms]

get the 255's, they will sit flush and if you do go wider they will want to move too far during cornering and they car will feel spongy

 

[Gray Ghost GT]

get the 255's, they will sit flush and if you do go wider they will want to move too far during cornering and they car will feel spongy

+1 If you plan to do road course events - I would run 255/40-18 tires. Lots of options! IMHO, 265s are just a little too wide to run on a 8.5" wheel safely on a road course if you're really pushing them in the corners and esses.

 

[ArizonaGT]

Traction and launch? This should be in Wheels & Tires section or Drag Section

 

[Infamousjim]

Is anyone running GrandAm scrub tires on 8.5" fanblade/bullits? They're wide at a 275(35/18), but I autocross a 275-40-17 on a 17x8 now with little complaint

 

[RedMosesSC]

Is anyone running GrandAm scrub tires on 8.5" fanblade/bullits? They're wide at a 275(35/18), but I autocross a 275-40-17 on a 17x8 now with little complaint

Ive got 275-35-20's on an 8.5" W front wheels that i reused from my 9" w fronts of the previous wheels. 275 was was fine on a 9" but they bulge a lot on an 8.5, its fine for street driving but when your ride it hard or autocross you feel the spongyness, it tends to upset the balance of the car when the sidewall is flexing, i would not recomend it, stepping down to 255 for next season.

 

[mot250]

The wheels and tires section seems to be more cosmetically oriented with a lot of "look at what I ordered/installed", "what looks best on my color car?" and other such dribble.

Most of this thread is related to what tire size or model will work best on road course or autocross circuits so it fits well in "Corner Carving"

 

[ClassJ]

Lots of schools of thought here. Some say widest is better. BMW and Porsche all go with close to the narrowest tire they can put on a given wheel to reduce squirm and sidewall flex and rollover.

I am not sure I agree with either camp. 255-45-18's will fit the 8.5" wheels great I think.