Question about Wheel/Tire Size & Performance

[FracAG1980]

I am close to ordering my coupe. Trying to decide whether to order the Halibrand 17x9 & 17x10.5 wheels from FFR or go with some wheels I have found that would be 17x9 & 17x10. I have seen mixed answers and opinions on this on the internet and various forums around the web, but can you put a 315/35/17 on a 17x10 wheel and not lose performance or not have problems at racing speed and cornering? If there are safety issues, I won't even consider it, but is there any definitive engineering answer on this? I'm not asking about fit to the body and frame, just the issue of running a 12.4 inch wide tire on a 10 inch wide rim. It may depend on the lip on the wheel or several other factors. It seems all I ever see on this is yes or no and not "why no" or "why yes". Thanks, FracAG1980

[David Williamson]

The tire manufactures list the max and min wheel width for each tire size. For a 315 tire 10.5 or 11 inch look right. On my old mkll cobra I have 275/40/17 tires on 10.5 wheels and the tire fits well but looks slightly narrow for the wheel but that is the widest tire that fits the car. On my Coupe I have 315/30/18 tires on 11 inch wheels and they look right. The 9 inch wide wheels look good with 255 or 265 tires. On my Coupe I have the FFR 18 inch wheels that are 9 & 11 inch wide and 315/30/18 & 265/35/18 tires.
David W

[Logan]

You could put a 315 on a 10" wheel, but a 305 tire is already bulged on a 10" wheel. If you want to use the 315 tire and keep performance and safety in mind, you may want to consider 11"-12" wheels.

[Skuzzy]

You may find limited choices in 17" tires, when you get into those sizes. Might want to think about 18".

I think 10.5" is about as small a width you will want to consider using a 315/30-17 tire. I think the ideal width for that tire would be 11" to 11.5". Even on an 11" rim that size tire would have an approximate section width of 12.5".

[GoDadGo]

I'm running a 17X9 & 17X10 combo.
Tire sizes are 245/45-17 up front with 285/40-17 out back.
While I think you can squeeze the 315/35-17's on those 10" rims, they will likely be squeezed a tad tight.
If you go down that path, consider running 255/40-17 or 275/40-17 on your front wheels because they work really well with a 9" wheel.
Just know that the 275/40-17 mounted on the front end might not clear your fenders on a MK-4 but should be A-Okay on a Daytona.

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[Chris Wingardh]

Beutiful automobile and great presentation!