I have an '88 GT - currently running stock wheels with Kumho Ecsta V700's. Ready for new rubber, want to try again on the wheels. I'm looking for a set of 4 that ar 16 - 17", 7 - 8" wide and keep the stock profile ..... 1" narrower wheel in front with the same backspace. I autocross and high speed trial the car and am concerned that if I go with equal width wheels front and rear it will impact the high speed stability. By the same token I want to get back to a rear profile that is closer to stock - I figure the current arrangement is costing me about 5 mph at the top end (hurts big time at Pocono and Lime Rock). I've got to believe SOMEONE out there has dealt with this before! Any help would be great. Thanks!
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09:16 PM
PFF
System Bot
Jul 23rd, 2003
FierOmar Member
Posts: 1644 From: Glendale, California, USA Registered: Dec 2001
For the moment, I will assume that you are running 225-50-15 on rear and 205-50-15 on the front. If you would like to stay with the Ecsta V700, consider the 235-40-17 on the rear and the 225-45-15 (or maybe 225-50-15) on the front. Part of the problem is the availability of tire sizes together with the availability of moderately priced light wheels. Team Dynamics makes their Pro Race 1 wheel in a 15X7 and should have a 17X8 available soon. If you check the Kumho tire specs you will see that these are the minimum width rims required for the respective size tires.
------------------ FierOmar
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01:43 AM
Raydar Member
Posts: 40976 From: Carrollton GA. Out in the... country. Registered: Oct 1999
Don't know if this is exactly what you're looking for, but I'm running Konig 17x7 wheels on all 4 corners of my 88. The front tires are Kumho Ecsta 712s in 215/45-17. The rears are 235/45-17. I thought that the handling was very "neutral". (Drove Waterford, last week. first time on a track.) Was very easy to control. The rear started to break loose once, but was very easy to recover. (Or else I just got really lucky. ) FWIW, these tires are within a fraction of a percent of being the same diameter as the stock GT/Formula tires. The front (base coupe) springs have had one coil removed, and poly bushings have been added to the front. The rear is bone stock Formula.
------------------ Raydar
88 3.4 coupe. 17s, cut springs 'n all.
[This message has been edited by Raydar (edited 07-25-2003).]
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08:44 AM
AkursedX Member
Posts: 2890 From: Lackawanna NY Registered: Aug 2000
I run Konig Tantrums, 17x7 in the front and 17x8 in the rear. I don't remember the exact offsets though. On these rims I run Kuhmo MX's 225/45-17 in the front and 245/40-17 in the rear.
I have Koni's in the front along with Fierostore lowering springs and KYB's with held coil-overs in the rear with 300lb springs.
With this setup I have a just about even balance in corners. A slight understeer if anything. I can't say if it affects my top end speed though. But I definietly have better exit speeds out of corners than what I previously had.
The only major issue I have with my setup is that I need more camber up front
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08:57 AM
FierOmar Member
Posts: 1644 From: Glendale, California, USA Registered: Dec 2001
While I like both the MX series and the 712 series, they are both street tires. Unfortunately the Ecsta V700 has a limited number of sizes available in the 17" wheel diameter. The 235-40-17 requires a minimum 8" wide wheel and has an overall diameter of 24.2". If a larger diameter tire is desired on the rear (and a 1" narrower wheel is desired on the front), then the the available sizes are 205-40-17 (*23.3"); 205-45-16 (*23"); 225-50-15 (*23.7"); 225-45-15 (*22.8"); and 205-50-15 (*22.9")
------------------ FierOmar
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09:30 PM
88 GT #38 Junior Member
Posts: 9 From: Burlington, CT USA Registered: May 2002
The 245/40/17 would be ideal in the rear with 225/50/15 in the front (especially because I have 2 good V700's in that size now) but as you say - that requires an 8" wheel (which is tough to find to say the least). I'm also afraid that would move the tire outside the wheel well ( a no no for most racing orgs). TRhanks for the info, though. I'm going to keep digging and see what I can come up with. If I find a solution I'll post it.
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10:21 PM
Jul 26th, 2003
88 GT #38 Junior Member
Posts: 9 From: Burlington, CT USA Registered: May 2002
Well, I may have found the answer. Tirerack.com - they have a Sport Edition TK5 in 17x8 ($149) and 16x7 ($129). For tires it would be the Kumho Victoracers - 245x45x17 rear, 225/50/16 front. Now to figure out if I can run that rear size without contacting the body.
Thaks, everyone.
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11:42 AM
Nashco Member
Posts: 4144 From: Portland, OR Registered: Dec 2000
The sizes you have chosen are an almost perfect match to the diameter of the original tires (205-60-15 = 24.7" and 215-60-15 = 25.2"). However the Victoracer is purported to be a slghtly harder compound than the Ecsta V700. Thus, I would recommend the Ecsta V700 in 225-50-15 on a 7" rim in front and 235-40-17 on an 8" rim in the rear. I have not looked at the wheels you mentioned, but think you should look at Team Dynamics Pro Race I series. They have the 15X7 and should have the 17X8 within the next couple months. These are light weight racing wheels (15X7 = 13.2#) that be more suited to your application. (These same wheel are being used on many Spec Miata cars.) The price would not be significantly different from the wheels you are looking at.
------------------ FierOmar
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02:02 AM
88FormulaTTop Member
Posts: 15 From: Cross Lanes, WV, USA Registered: Jun 2003
I have yet another question along the same lines: My car is not a slalom car, but a stoplight-to-stoplight type. I have modified the engine a little too far, and now I can't get any traction on the stock 215 width tires. Does anyone know what the absolute maximum width is you can get under the rear end of a 1988 Formula without carving out the wheelwells or adding fender flares? I suspect it will be close to the numbers you guys are already discussing, but I need every bit of rubber I can get under there without scraping on a bump or curve. I think wheel offset will be an important factor in that effort...does anybody know what kind of offset I would need in the rear to be okay? Come to think of it, does anybody know of any tasteful fender flare kits out there for the Fiero? Does such a thing exist? I haven't looked. I am hoping to fit a 255 or so under there, if I can.
Thanks!
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04:20 PM
PFF
System Bot
FierOmar Member
Posts: 1644 From: Glendale, California, USA Registered: Dec 2001
I'm not so sure that the Kumho V700 is the best tire for straight line. You may want to look at the Nitto 555-R. The 245-50-16 and 245-45-17 are only about 1/2" larger diameter than the stock size, but 30mm (or 1.25")wider. If you want matching tires for the front, you can get a 225-50-16 which is almost identical in diameter to the stock size. These tires are street tires designed for drag type racing. If you don't need the soft compound on the front, try the regular Nitto 555 on the front. The tread pattern is the same (or very close). The 16" tires will fit on a 7" wide rim. You might want to look at the Rota Slipstream (16X7 = 13.2#). It is a nice looking 5 spoke design.
BTW, Chris West has a 255-40-17 on the rear of his car. (Yokohama A-032)
------------------ FierOmar
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08:05 PM
Jul 29th, 2003
88FormulaTTop Member
Posts: 15 From: Cross Lanes, WV, USA Registered: Jun 2003
I asked Chris about the offset... he didn't know for sure. As I recall, the wheels were TSW (??) The Yokohama A032 tire is designed for road courses. (They have recently added a softer compound option to some of the sizes)
For what you are doing, I would check out the Nitto tires and the Rota Slipstream wheels (5X100 w/40mm offset). Even though these tires are 10mm less (245mm vs. 255mm) than the others, they are designed for drag racing. Let us know what you decide.
------------------ FierOmar
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11:36 AM
KissMySSFiero Member
Posts: 5544 From: Tarpon Springs, FL USA Registered: Nov 2000
WOW! That is really great info, everyone! By the way, where can I get those tires? I looked at the Tire Rack's website, and they don't sell that brand (Nitto).
Thanks for your help!
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02:43 PM
montage Member
Posts: 164 From: Pelkie, Mi, 49958 Registered: Nov 2000
88FormulaTTop - I running 265/50/15 Dunlop Qualifiers on my 88 formula on stock rims with no problems with fit. However, since my fronts are a lower sidewall than stock it has caused some handling problems. I will post my experiences when I get a chance.
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03:57 PM
Nashco Member
Posts: 4144 From: Portland, OR Registered: Dec 2000
88FormulaTTop - I running 265/50/15 Dunlop Qualifiers on my 88 formula on stock rims with no problems with fit. However, since my fronts are a lower sidewall than stock it has caused some handling problems. I will post my experiences when I get a chance.
265/50s on STOCK rims???? Those are so wide, I don't see how you could get a flat contact patch! Plus, those handling problems you're experiencing are probably a direct result of use a 7" wide wheel and a tire designed for an 8.5" wheel (BTW, I got that info from Dunlop's website).
88FormulaTTop: I said above my tire size on the rear (245 on a 8" wheel), but didn't mention that I could have gone to a 255 if I wanted. I considered it heavily when I bought my Kumho MXs recently, but opted not to. The 245/40 is rated for an 8.5" wheel, which in my opinion fits/looks *perfect* on my rear wheels. The 255/40 intended for a 9" wheel, which is quite a stretch; the 255/45 is intended for an 8.5" wheel, but I didn't want the tire to be that tall. I've seen a car with identical rims to me but with 215/45 and 245/45, and the rears looked much too tall for my tastes. In other words, there's space for a 255 on mine.
With my coilovers, tire width is not an issue up to probably a 265 or 275, but the 17"x8x40mm rim is within about 3/8" of the strut knuckle on the rear. Supposedly with an 18" rim you can go bigger on the wheel (I'm guessing 9"), which makes sense, but I haven't paid too much attention because it's just not in my budget.
Also, Discount Tire Direct has the Nitto 555R tires. That's where I got my wheels and tires originally, as well as my replacement rim when I bent a wheel on a MONSTROUS pothole. Actually, it was more like a wellhole. Discount Tire Direct has taken really good care of me (replaced my lost centercap for free and overnighted me a wheel when I was in a huge crunch). Their service is fantastic and their prices were the lowest I found for what I wanted.
Good luck, let us know what you decide and give us some PICS when you're done!
Bryce 88 GT
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06:19 PM
Jul 30th, 2003
88FormulaTTop Member
Posts: 15 From: Cross Lanes, WV, USA Registered: Jun 2003
Anybody know anything (good or bad) about the Dunlop SP Sport 9000 tires? They have the sizes I would need, and the prices are okay, but it looks like they want a 7.5" wheel up front for the 225/45-17 and an 8.5" wheel in the back for a 255/40-17. Would I have to change the offset in order to use the wider wheel on the back?
The Nitto tires I looked at didn't have the size I needed for the front. What should I put up front to go with those?
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12:21 AM
FierOmar Member
Posts: 1644 From: Glendale, California, USA Registered: Dec 2001
If you like the 245-45-17 Nitto 555R for the rear, you could run the regular Nitto 555 which is available in a 225-40-17. I believe it is the same tread pattern... just a different (harder) compound and a deeper tread. The 555R is specifically intended to give you the traction needed for straight line performance, even though they are o.k. for the street. If you have the $$ and only race on weekends, you could buy the regular 555 in the same 245-45-17 for everyday driving. Just swap the rears on race night.
------------------ FierOmar
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01:16 AM
Raydar Member
Posts: 40976 From: Carrollton GA. Out in the... country. Registered: Oct 1999
Originally posted by Nashco: ...Discount Tire Direct has taken really good care of me (replaced my lost centercap for free and overnighted me a wheel when I was in a huge crunch). Their service is fantastic and their prices were the lowest I found for what I wanted...
I'll second Bryce's comments. There's a Discount Tire very near my house. I've always gotten good service, and even better prices, from them. I *will* go back.