Hello,
This is only my second post(but I read the other posts all the time!) I would like some help on 17" tires. I have 15" now. Fronts are P195 60 R15 on 15"x7" wheels. The Rears are P235 60 R15 on 15"x 8" wheels Crager Drag Stars. Back spacing is 3-1/2 I think. Putting 17"x7 W/4"bs on front, Rears are 17"x8 W/4-1/2bs. I would like the new tires to be close in size because my car is lowered. Any help would be good! Thanks, I got the new American Racing Torqlites :hurray:

A 225/50-17 should work in the front on the 7" wide wheel and the overall height is listed at 25.9" tall. A 255/45-17 should work in the rear on the 8" wide wheel and that overall tire height is 26" tall. I wish you had a little more backspace on the wheels (about a 1/2") but you should be fine with those sizes. You could use a 225 or 235/45 in the front but it will be shorter than the rear and you said you didn't want that if I understood you correctly ("I would like the new tires to be close in size because my car is lowered."). Hope that answers your question.

Sorry, I ment close to the sizes of my 15" tires in height and width. Measuring the tires with weight of car on them the fronts are 23-1/2" tall and the rears are 25" tall on my 15 inch now on the car.
Ron

Here's my car

http://www.geocities.com/saling3@sbcglobal.net/classic_blue.html

Be prepared to lower your car if you go 17's. I was not expecting this when I put on my 17's on my car.

I don't think you can meet the 23.5" front tire height unless you want a tire that is either too narrow or doesn't have a high enough load rating. On top of that a 23.5" tall 17" tire will have NO sidewall (3.25"). Do you really want that? The closest I can get you and still feel that is somewhat drivable (unless your roads are smooth like the top of a pool table) is a 225/40-17 which is 24.1" tall and a 255/40-17 which is 25" tall. Take a look at this http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html maybe it will be of some help. Good luck.

A 255/45-17 should work in the rear on the 8" wide wheel and that overall tire height is 26" tall. I wish you had a little more backspace on the wheels (about a 1/2") but you should be fine with those sizes.
I think that 255 will rub in the back, I have 255/45/17's on my 67, wheels are 17x8 with 4.75"bs and if my well lip wasn't trimmed it would rub. .25" less bs and it would rub hard.

These are what your tires crossover to size wise now (I have no idea if these are sizes you could buy)
195/60/15 = 7.6w..24.2t
195/45/17

235/60/15 = 9.25w x 26.1t
235/50/17

Do yourself a favor and run NO shorter than 50's!!

I have 225 and 255/45-17's on my car and to me, they just flat look too short sidewalled.

Of course, I'm OLD-SCHOOL and my car had E- and L-60/14's on it when I quit driving it years and years ago!

And right, my car now sits the LOWEST it's ever sat in front after trimming my aftermaket 5536 coils a clock to stock and then a coil off the top!! Sucker still has fine ground clearance tho! And is plenty STIFF at like 525 pounds or thereabouts up front to hold up my iron-headed 496!

I wished I could have found some 55's back then..................

pdq67

The 255/50/17 looks big to me. Here's a pic of my car with 255/50/17 rear and 225/50/16 up front. (No longer on car)
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d143/sej275/IMG_0175.jpg