hellspare

Hey guys I bought my car used from a lot, and the car currently has

205/50 on the front
225/50 on the back

the tires are bf goodrich traction t/a

I really don't like how the wheels tuck into the fender. (esp the rear)

I'm just wondering if I can upgrade to a wider tire in the front and or back to make it more flush?

1nate7

You could run a 245/45 in the rear. It really won't give you the look you want though. If you want to stick with stock wheels you will have to add spacers to the get the flush look.

hellspare

Thanks for the response. Perhaps I will just wait until I get new rims, seeing as how getting new tires are not really worth it.

Jim@tirerack

Plus if you have a 205/50R16 on the front the front tire is too short. It should be 205/55R16 front and the wider tire would be the 245/45R16 for the rear.
If I can help let me know.

hellspare

Oh okay, thanks a lot for the information.

One more question, is it harmful to the car in any way to run these current tires until they bald?

$Piker

Hey Jim,

Along these lines, what is the disadvantage of running the shorter tire in the front? And how will the wider rears affect handling?

Sorry for stealing your thread Hellspare...just kinda thought you may want to know the answers to these too.

hellspare

No problem

ZDan

FWIW, I've run a set of track tires with a LOT more difference in front/rear diameters: 205/45-16 fronts with 225/50-16 rears and also with 245/45-16 rears. It is not optimal, but not dangerous. Shorter front tires works the fronts more than the rears during maximum braking (with and without ABS), which is better/safer than the opposite. Braking distances probably suffered, but not enough to prevent me setting a class record at three tracks with those tiny fronts

The tires were given to me, I didn't choose those sizes.

Having shorter front tires is "safer" than having shorter rears, but within a reasonable range I wouldn't worry about it. My personal preference is for 205/50-16 over 205/55-16 fronts for use with shorter-than-stock 245/45-16 rears. I'd rather have slightly shorter (-.5") front tires than slightly *taller* (+0.3") front tires.

With 225/50-16 rears, my preference would be for 205/55-16 fronts, but I wouldn't worry at all about running 205/50-16 fronts with 225/50-16 rears, go ahead and use 'em up.