I currently have old-school American Racing 200S wheels (15x7 & 15x8 1/2) on my '69 Z/28.I love the look of these period correct wheels and want to update to the new 2-piece AR 200S's in a 17' format.

My car sits very low so I want to be sure I can fit the new tires with a minimal amount of rubbing.

Should I measure the height of my current combo and match it with a like-height 17" tire?Any advice on what size and width tire would look good on a 17x7" wheel?I don't think I want to go with a 17x8" wheel (because of clearance issues) but I am open to suggestions.

Thanks guys...in advance.

Anybody...?

I just got off the phone with www.newstalgiawheel.com they are recommending a 17x7 (4 1/2" BS) with a 235/45-17 for the fronts and a 17x8 (4 3/4" BS) with a 255/45-17 for the rears on lowered '69 Camaro's.

I'm itching to pull the trigger...these are custom made and will probably take 6-8 weeks to build...someone must have some input on this combination.

I'd certainly appreciate your guy's input...

Those sizes are exactly what I would recommend for a comfortable fit.
What sizes are on it now? How tall are they? If you have it stuffed pretty full and nothing rubs, best bet might be to get what you have now, or a lil bigger if it will fit. Compare cross sections and overall diameter... a 25" tire is a 25" tire regardless of rim size, and a 255 on a 17" rim is the same width as a 255 on a 15.

I would go with a 245/45-17 tire on the front. It fills the wheelwell a little better.
You can also go with a 17x9.5" rim on the back with a 5.5" B.Space. Use a 275/40-17 tire.
Here is a picture of my buddys.
http://www.pro-touring.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=5638&d=1129348920

Those sizes are exactly what I would recommend for a comfortable fit.
What sizes are on it now? How tall are they? If you have it stuffed pretty full and nothing rubs, best bet might be to get what you have now, or a lil bigger if it will fit. Compare cross sections and overall diameter... a 25" tire is a 25" tire regardless of rim size, and a 255 on a 17" rim is the same width as a 255 on a 15.

Currently,I am running only a 235/60-15 on the front (only rubs on inside of the wheelwell when cranked lock to lock) and a 265/50-15 on the rear...no clearance issues there.These wheels/tires came on my '70 Z/28 when I bought it...I didn't pick this combination.

I think the 235/45-17's are about 3/4" shorter and the 255/45-17's are about a wash compared to what I have in the rear currently.

The 9.5" (5.5" BS) rear wheel sounds interesting but since these will be custom-made,I need to make the right decision since I own them once I order them.

Thanks for your help guys...

I have 225 and 255/45-17's on mine AND wished I would have hunted up a set of 50 series!!

Big-n-little 50 series 17's are out there but not ALL that common..

pdq67

I've got 17" American Racing 200s on my 69 Camaro. I have the ones with the gray centers. I'm running 17 X 8 all the way around with 5" backspacing. Front tire size is 235/45/17 and the rear is 255/45/17. My car sits very low in the front. I think the general rule is 4.75 to 5" on a 17 X 8 wheel. I've seen 9.5 in the rear but it's tight. I choose to go with the more conservitive sizes.