Old School Stance

[MassMustang]

I'm going for the old school stance. Too much up front or not enough in the back?

Up front are 17x8's with 255/50R17 NT555's which are 27.1" tall.
In the rear are 18x10's with 295/45/18 NT555's which are 28.4" tall.

I'm pondering 305/45/18 NT555R's in the back. I spend 90%+ of my time cruising and will pickup some 325/45/17 M&H DR's on 17x10.5's for the track.

Thoughts? Keep in mind, I do want the old school raked stance with beefy tires and rims.

 

[TGR96]

If you are going for old school. I'd go with a narrower tire up front, AND a fatter rear tire.

I assume you don't want to go with a full on drag look, with big and littles?

Love the shaker hood, BTW.

 

[MassMustang]

If you are going for old school. I'd go with a narrower tire up front, AND a fatter rear tire.

I assume you don't want to go with a full on drag look, with big and littles?

Love the shaker hood, BTW.

I agree on the tire sizes. I wanted a 235/55/17 up front (and had Nexens) but I couldn't find much in a performance tire in 235/55/17 from Nitto, Mickey T or M&H. So I went with the NT555's in 255/50/17. 17x8 is the most narrow I want to go with. Trying to balance "spirited driving" on backroads and highways with straight-line racing.

Somehow, 18x9s with 255/50/18's make the front rims look taller than the rear. It's an optical illusion for me.

I'm definitely thinking of chunkier tires in the rear. The 305/45/18s are about 0.4" wider (side an extra 0.2" in sidewall "chunk") and 0.4" taller. The NT555R should be a decent tire for fair weather. I'll get some real DR's for the track, but 95% of my driving is during sunny days with the temp between 30*F and 90*F (welcome to New England! LOL).

Thanks for the feedback!

 

[eighty6gt]

Here's my favorite "old school look." Bias ply slicks and skinnys on a Boss 302.

 

[702GT]

"Back in the day" and I'm not talking about the rap song, it was a much smaller wheel diameter they dealt with. Traction used to be almost purely based by how much rubber was between the wheel and the ground. I've seen a lot of kids go after these 305/35/17 or bigger tires on bigger wheels (18, 19, even 20" wheels), take the car to the track and be disappointed their 60' didn't improve, or was marginal for the cash output. Wider tires are great for cornering traction, not so much for the straight line.

The Boss 302 above has the right idea, 15" + Beefy tall rubber in the rear, 17" skinny up front (15" would look better matched, but lets be real about those front brakes LOL). The rear truly represents the old school function of tire in all its glory, lots of rubber between the road and the wheel. "Back in the day" most muscle/pony cars had even smaller wheel diameters to deal with. The only thing the Boss 302 lacks is that raked leaf-spring stance. However, personally I prefer the modern muscle car, while we appease the traction gods with offerings of fat high-tech sticky tires, we also maintain the slick body line flushness with the overall wheel size. Boss 302 is doing it right.

 

[07 Boss]

ProKit springs up front with your standard 27" tires on 18" rims. The rear is on stock springs with a 29" tire on an 18" rim. That will give it a definite old school rake.




Old street stance with ProKits on all four.




Current Race stance with CJ RA springs all the way around and 28x11.5x15 QTP's on 15" rims.

 

[MassMustang]

I agree, the Boss 302 looks awesome! I don't want to run 15's in the rear or skinnies around town though. However, I love that meaty setup!

Boss - I love your setup too. What size and brand are those 29" 18's?

I thought the 17x8 up front would be the smallest rim I'd want to run up front with street or track tires. I thought 18x10's in the rear would give me the best option for a tall, meaty tire in the rear. I think the NT555R's in 305/15/18 offers the best option for the street. Racemasters in 325/40/18 are a close 2nd.

I think the SN95 17x10.5's are too wide on an S197. If I could find a 17x10 S197 rim, I'd consider it. The other limiting factor is I love Bullitts.

 

[MassMustang]

...and I love 18" rims on the rear. I was thinking 17" rims with 28" DRs to drive to the track and maintain a balanced look.

 

[07 Boss]

Those are 305/45/18 triple 5 R's. They are actually 28.8 but I rounded up. i run the MT's now though, same size.

 

[joedls]

 

[MassMustang]

Boss - Thanks for the info! I think the 305/45/18's are what I want. I can always sell my 295/45/18's.

joedls - Nice setup! What sizes are you running?

 

[MassMustang]

I bit the bullet (or Bullitt? LOL) and bought some 305/45/18 NT555R's for the rear. I think it'll give me an extra 0.2" in sidewall, an extra 0.4" in height (28.8") and an 0.2" in sidewall bulge, just to beef it up a bit in the back.

I'll swap out my 295/45/18's and should be happy with the overall stance from there. I love 17's up front and 18's in the back. I'll probably grab some 17x9 Bullitts and some 275/50/17 M&H Racemasters for the track.

Anyone else with some old school rake to their ride? I love the pics!

 

[bigmike06GT]

Let me know how those 305 Nitto's fit in the back as I wouldn't mind getting a set but am a bit worried about rubbing with the FRPP lowering springs I have in mine.

 

[MassMustang]

Let me know how those 305 Nitto's fit in the back as I wouldn't mind getting a set but am a bit worried about rubbing with the FRPP lowering springs I have in mine.

Will do!

Check out Boss's post above too. He originally lowered his car with the 305/45/18 NT555R's.

Old street stance with ProKits on all four.

 

[07 Boss]

Let me know how those 305 Nitto's fit in the back as I wouldn't mind getting a set but am a bit worried about rubbing with the FRPP lowering springs I have in mine.

With the right rims and a properly centered axle there is plenty of clearance. There is actually a lot more suspension travel than what it looks like in the pic.

Now I haven't ever had more than my munchkin in the back seat but I remember a bunch of h2o softener salt in the trunk once and though it was going to rub and never did.

 

[joedls]

joedls - Nice setup! What sizes are you running?

295/55 x 15 on a 15 x 10 wheel on back
26 x 6.00 x 15 on a 15 x 4.5" wheel on front

 

[1 Alibi 2]

.

 

[travelers]

.

Now that's old school

 

[MassMustang]

Now that's old school

+1 Looks great!

 

[Riptide]

Old school muscle cars ran larger diameter wheels on the front of the car than the rear?