Hello guys, before I click purchase on these Cragar soft 8's, I want to hear some feedback on what experience/opinion you guys have. I'm not sure wether to put: 255/40/17 in front 275/40/17 in rear OR 275/40/17 in front 275/40/17 in rear This is gonna be a street car that I plan on modifying to make it handle as best as it can (as budget allows). With that being said, will skinnier tires in the front such as 255's make a difference and make it handle better? Or should I stick with 275's all around? Thank you.
I hope you realize that those tires will be a bit short. The 255's will be just 25" tall, the 275's will be 25.66" tall. Most of our A body Buicks came stock with tires that were between 26 and 27" tall. I suggest you go with 50 series tires. You'll also want to make sure those Cragars have the proper back spacing for an 8" wide wheel. For a 70 Skylark, that will be 4 1/2". I would go with the 255/50R-17 in the front and 275/50R-17 in the rear. The fronts will be 27" tall, the rear, close to 28".
The backspacing on the Cragars is 5 inches, should that be ok? And thank you very much for recommending the 50 series, I will get those.
The Continental Contact Sport 285/40/17 is 26" tall. There is also a 255/45/17 which is 26" tall. i think a 275 up front will rub
Prob very similar. One good thing about the shorter 275/40/17 on the front is that you prob wont have to worry about the outside edge contacting the inner fender top bolt. That is usually the main interference on the A-body to the outside. Even if so, a change to a longer lower bump stop (urethane, energy susp, etc) could fix it. Now only if you can get the backspace right to avoid rubbing to the inside....
Thank you for the reply. I understand what you're saying and I agree. Just one thing I can't wrap my head around is backspacing. I sort of understand the concept but I don't know how many inches I need for the front and rears. So far I've got my mind set on 245/55/17 in the front and 275/50/17 in the rear. The rims have a 5 inch backspace which sounds ok, so I'm gonna hope for the best
For the 70-72 Skylark/GS, an 8" rim will want 4 1/2" back spacing to exactly center the rim in the wheel well. 5" back spacing will move the wheel in towards the center line of the car, an additional 1/2". Watch this video, Take a wheel off your car now and measure the back space. Say you measure 4". You know that a wheel with 5" of back space will move the wheel in an additional inch. Look and see if you have the clearance. Typically, if you have too much back space, it will hit the frame, inner wheel well, or bottom shock attachment. All you have to do is compare what is on the car now to the wheel you intend to use, and measure the clearance you will have with the wheels you intend to use. No reason to guess or hope for the best.
I am sure the 5" backspace will work but it will not allow you to use the MAX width of tire. What width of wheel are you using? That will effect the fit big time... I would use a 17x10 rim with 295/50R17 in the rear or a 315/40R17 even
I'd love to get wide tires you (305+ in the back and something wide in front as well) but I'm always worried about clearance and rubbing issues. It's literally my first car and it's hard to keep up sometimes with things that I don't know. Also, all the rims that I find 17x10 are expensive and so are the big tires that go with it. Everything else is " 15x7, 15x8, 14x7, 14x8" and it just not my taste 17x9 17x8 also happens to be the most budget friendly at around 95 per rim, that's why I'm so inclined to buy it. Currently its stock at 215/75/14 front and rear. After seeing the 17x8 17x9, I'm inclined to put 245/55/17 front and 275/50/17 front to fit the rim
Although mine's a '69, I'm putting this here 'cause, again, Larry was a GREAT help with deciding which wheel/tire sizes to get. I followed your instructions and they fit perfectly! (Also, your note on another thread about paying attention to the overall height was EXTREMELY useful. I would have tires that are way too short if I hadn't seen your suggestion.) Sport Torque Wheel Diameter & Width: 17 x 8" w/5.25 backspacing link: http://www.jegs.com/i/JEGS-Performance-Products/555/670046/10002/-1 Spinner Center Cap Link: http://www.jegs.com/i/JEGS-Performance-Products/555/670006/10002/-1 Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 - Size: 235/55R17 Max. Inflation Press Tread Depth Tire Weight Rim Width Range Meas. Rim Width Sect. Width Tread Width Overall Diam. Revs. Per Mile 51 psi 10/32" 27 lbs. 6.5-8.5" 7.5" 9.7" 7.9" 27.2" 767 https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Firestone&tireModel=Firehawk+Indy+500&sidewall=Blackwall&partnum=355WR7FHI5&tab=Specs
