tire size question

[RC70SCoupe]

I have been searching for new tires for my SC flaired '70 S. I have 7" on the front, 8" on the rear. Previously, the tire sizes were 205/55/15 and 225/50/15.
The difference in the 55 vs. 50 I am assuming to give the tires equal height?

There really is a shortage of high performance tires sized at 205/55/15. The selection of 205/50/15 is dramatic.

Has anyone put 205/50/15 on the front, and 225/50/15 on the rear?
Does it "look" right? Too much of a gap in the wheel wells? Do you more have problems scraping driveways, bottoming out?
Any photos?

Thanks

[Chuck Miller]

I have been searching for new tires for my SC flaired '70 S. I have 7" on the front, 8" on the rear. Previously, the tire sizes were 205/55/15 and 225/50/15.
The difference in the 55 vs. 50 I am assuming to give the tires equal height

There really is a shortage of high performance tires sized at 205/55/15. The selection of 205/50/15 is dramatic.

Ray, your right... It's getting harder to find high performance tires in most of the 50 series size

A 205x55 is the same diameter as the 225x50, and, of course, a 205x50 is shorter yet...

Has anyone put 205/50/15 on the front, and 225/50/15 on the rear?
Does it "look" right? Too much of a gap in the wheel wells? Do you more have problems scraping driveways, bottoming out?

Almost every time you've seen my car on the street it has been on 205x55 - 225x50 'street' tires (for the last few years it's been Bridgestone S-O3's)

And every time you've seen my car at the track it's been on 205x50 - 225x50 DOT's

YES - The 205's make driveways even more challenging...

Any photos?

You bet...

The first is the 205x55 - 225x50 street tires

The next is the 205x50 - 225x50 DOT's

The third is the way I ran my car for years... 205x60 - 215x60 ... It's the way I think the car looks best... Unfortunately 'they' stopped make high performance tires in that size years ago ... (the Yoko AVS Intermediates was the best)

The forth is a set of BF Goodrich G-Force 225x50 Fronts - 245x50 Rears DOT's that I ran on the car back in '99 and I think it looked the best for the track... But I think only Hoosier makes a 245x50 now...

Oh, BTW- Looks and performance sometimes don't go hand and hand...

Hope this helps,

Cheers,

[thorsten73]

Hi Ray!

I think 205/50 will look WAY too short
I think 205/55 is about critical looking already, but performing well.
I was facing exactly that problem, waiting over three months for a pair
of 205/55. NOW I was told they have arrived, I am curious about the look
205/55 with 6'' on the front, 205/60 with 7'' on the back, no flares...
Cheers!

[HarryD]

As a reference, here is my car, lowered below "euro ride height" with 205/55-15's all round on 6x15 cookie cutters.



Here is the same car , same height, with 205/60-15's



My body is unflared as well.

Hope this helps.

[RC70SCoupe]

Guys, Thanks for the input.

Looking at the 2nd photo of Chuck's car, the 205/50 in the front does not "look" that bad. Not much of a difference in appearance, between the 205/55? There is a big difference in tire choices...

Performance vs. appearance?????????????????