I bought a small tire to put on a 9 inch rim

[Caboose302]

I had drag springs on my Mustang and let me tell you, you feel it. It feels like driving a boat on the highway. They also make it sit up higher. Let me see if I can find a picture of mine when I bought it.
*edit* found one

That is with drag springs in the front and 90/10 Lakewood struts. They make any kind of high speed driving where you actually have to "turn" miserable.

 

[mcglsr2]

Yah, like everyone is saying, something is off with your fitment. 255's fit with no issue whatsoever, and many people have gone larger with little to no issue, even on very low cars.

 

[thelastofthem23004]

I got it! The picture where you almost cant tell what you are looking at is a shot I took right between the spokes to try and show the inside back of the rim.

 

[thelastofthem23004]

Oh and since I'm kinda DUMB, I am talking about my front tires. I have 275s in the back and never hit anything...... My fronts were 255s and they rubbed the inner fender and the front sway bar. course it may not be a sway bar but i do know it isnt a tie rod or anything, that'd be an amazing feat if it rubbed on the tie rods........

 

[lutter94]

where did you get the rims? Curious what the offset might be.

 

[thelastofthem23004]

they came on the car. The manufacturer is AFS. I believe that this is the link to another set of them http://www.shop.afswheels.com/94-04-Mustang-03-COBRA-17-X-9-Wheels-CHROME-Set-of-four-S1C.htm . It says there that the offset is +26

 

[lwarrior1016]

I remembered hearing somewhere that anything bigger than 225 would rub on my inner fenders and whatnot so I bought 2 225 45 r17 pirelli tires. I didnt even think about my rims being 9 inches wide until the tire shop had them aired up. They look like ass! Now for whatever reason they don't ride like ass. They are a huge improvement from the old 255s that came off of them. Here's the issue. I do plan on buying a different set of tires or maybe 8 inch rims, but for now I'm stuck with them. They were a great deal at 80 bucks a peice and unfortunately that was one of the selling point of these tires. I'm probably a month out from switching tires or rims. In the meantime: am I ok to run these without blowing one off a rim and ending up in the ditch or something worse? Curbs are a mortal enemy for me until I get things straightened out, but I understand that risk. Thanks in advance for anything you might have to say. Thanks. Also I heard rumors that once upon a time there were such a thing as 8inch 03 cobra style rims. I have 03-04 cobra rims and would like to keep the theme alive but I can trade them off if it has to happen

Right here you asked if there are 17x8 cobra style wheels, then you said you had AFS wheels. Right off their website they have the 17x8's http://www.shop.afswheels.com/94-04-Mustang-03-COBRA-17-X-8-Wheels-CHROME-Set-of-four-S37C.htm


Also lutter94 He said he has AFS wheels, and from that site it says +26mm offset for the 17x9 set.

 

[lwarrior1016]

Nevermind, im too slow again

 

[lutter94]

today just ain't your day.

 

[thelastofthem23004]

Ill just go back to 255s and rub the plastic off my inner fender. thanks for the advice

 

[mcglsr2]

Ill just go back to 255s and rub the plastic off my inner fender. thanks for the advice

Not sure if you are being sarcastic or not. If people are giving you a hard time, it's because 255 tires fit up front with no issue. That's not to say that *you* aren't having trouble; however you have to understand that 255 is a normal fitment for the front. Now, if you are rubbing (as you say you are), there *is* something wrong. The obvious culprit is the offset on your wheel is wrong. If that's correct, and you are contacting stuff inside the wheel well, then either your steering rack is shot and you are able to turn the wheel more than you should, or something else in your front suspension is messed up.

FWIW, my wheels are 17 x 9, +22mm offset. My tires are Nitto 255/40's. They most absolutely do not rub. Here's pics of clearances:

The only rubbing here is on my brake duct hose (which I didn't realize, glad I took the pic lol). Otherwise, tons of space:

Clearance to the front fender well:

Clearance on the rear of the tire and towards the top of the wheel well:

Plenty of space all around. If you are rubbing, then something is wrong. The first place to start is your offset on the wheel and if that turns out to be correct then go from there.

 

[mcglsr2]

Do you have pics of where it is/was rubbing? Can you turn your wheel to where the rubbing was occurring? I understand it might not actually rub now with the skinnier ties but it would at least give is an idea where the contact is happening.

 

[thelastofthem23004]

I'm sorry I get real douchy when I figure out I wasted a lot of money. This is the best thing I've been able to put together as far as why 255s work for others and not for me: My rim offset is slightly wrong for my car. Ive got a buddy with a 94 cobra and he runs 265 35 18s on his and does not rub. His car is lowered almost as much as mine, but he has rims actually made for a 94-98 mustang. I think they are saleens, but thats not what is important. What is important is his rim offset, which is +24. The AFS cobra clones I have are +26. All of you run the 255, so what is wrong with my car? It almost has to be the offset. The 94 cobras had a larger sway bar on the front too and he still reports no rub. The info dispensed here really was helpful and even though I was kind of a dick about it when I said it earlier, Thanks for the advice. I mean that this time.

 

[lutter94]

I don't think anyone here got offended. Can you "full steer" the car, stationary, then take a pic of where it might be rubbing? It has narrow tires now, but it would help diagnose. Some thought you might have something wrong with the steering rack where you can steer tighter than normal or something.

 

[mcglsr2]

I'm sorry I get real douchy when I figure out I wasted a lot of money. This is the best thing I've been able to put together as far as why 255s work for others and not for me: My rim offset is slightly wrong for my car. Ive got a buddy with a 94 cobra and he runs 265 35 18s on his and does not rub. His car is lowered almost as much as mine, but he has rims actually made for a 94-98 mustang. I think they are saleens, but thats not what is important. What is important is his rim offset, which is +24. The AFS cobra clones I have are +26. All of you run the 255, so what is wrong with my car? It almost has to be the offset. The 94 cobras had a larger sway bar on the front too and he still reports no rub. The info dispensed here really was helpful and even though I was kind of a dick about it when I said it earlier, Thanks for the advice. I mean that this time.

No worries dude.

Assuming your friend's Cobra has 9" wheels up front, then yours, compared to his, are tucked in only 2mm (a little over 1/16th of an inch) more than his. This is not a lot. I don't consider this offset to be "way off" - tight perhaps. Maybe tight enough for rubbing. But I honestly was expecting you to have an offset like +18mm or less. So I think something else may be going on. Pics of steering locked where rubbing was occurring will help I think. Point out the contact areas (or what were the contact areas before the tire change) if possible. Compared to my setup with the 255, 9" wheel and +22mm offset, you are 4mm (about 3/32") closer in.

Don't sweat it too much, you can always get different front wheels, and if the tires have good tread on them (which they should because they are new) you can probably sell them if you decide not to keep them. Or rock them until they are bald. In the grand scheme of things, this isn't so bad. I don't think you wasted all that much money, a some certainly, but not a lot. You should be able to recoup a good portion of it if you decide to go another direction.

 

[thelastofthem23004]

I've already got a guy interested in the 225s. Im taking an 80 dollar hit on it but its a small price to pay for experience. I'll get pics tomorrow when I get up. I have work here in a bit. Also the 94 cobra in question has 9s in the front. Im starting to think that maybe my aspect ratio before made the tires too tall and whatnot.

Here is a pic of the old tires

I cant quite read the numbers but I'm seriously starting to think that they were 255 50's. I didnt pay attention to the tires other than the increasingly worse weather rot. I'm down to thinking it is the offset or the aspect ratio.

 

[Caboose302]

Oh wow yeah 255/50R17s are 27" tall tires. Stock is 25.6" iirc. That could very well be it.

 

[thelastofthem23004]

I got the new tires on yesterday. Not to much change in driveability but I did something right before I got em switched. I rubbed the 225s on the inner fender! Is it possible that the aftermarket rack they put on this car just doesnt have turning limits set? Something is ****y here. Other than that, these 255s really hit the spot

 

[thelastofthem23004]

And had I slowed down I would have read what lutter said....... Ill get pictures and get back to you

 

[Caboose302]

What aspect ratio did you get on the new tires?