93' Chevy S10 4.3L RWD / Anyone using the Firehawk Indy 500 Tires? 1984 Vette Wheels Going On.

Sorry, but a 205 or 215 is not a sharp look....it's a 16 year old with a Honda look. I have 285-40-17 on a 9.5" wheel...As for the Firehawks...those were the 1st tires I had on it...didn't care for them at all. Next set were Nttos...better than the Firehawks. Currently I have Continentals on it...much better.

Rhotpursuit said:

Sorry, but a 205 or 215 is not a sharp look....it's a 16 year old with a Honda look. I have 285-40-17 on a 9.5" wheel...As for the Firehawks...those were the 1st tires I had on it...didn't care for them at all. Next set were Nttos...better than the Firehawks. Currently I have Continentals on it...much better.

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Im not looking for a bulky tire, nor does the 4.3L make an adequate amount of power to do anything with the meat. Mind you its only a 16" x 8.5" wheel, I was more so worried about clearance issues, as the truck has been lowered a bit. Ideally a set up somewhat close to picture below is what I'm looking for, of course with the smaller wheel size factored in. This is what " I " am wanting it to look like.

I replaced the factory Goodyear run on flat tires on my Camaro SS with a set of Firehawk Indy 500 tires. They had a more comfortable ride than the factory tires thanks to not having the run flat tire supports, but peak handling was affected. For everyday driving they were fine, but if pushed they could feel a little mushy, both during hard acceleration and in curves. The reason I chose them was cost. I really wanted Michelin PS4S, but they were $1,500 for the set back in 2020. I paid $828 out the door for the Firestones. The rears were 275-35-20.



I agree with the notion 205 or 215 will be too skinny looking. But that's just my opinion. As for reality, I see two issues with your plan. That 70's Corvette looks really good with those wheels, but those are not the same wheels you have. They look custom with a dished look (I like it).

Your other problem is selection. With the general migration to taller wheels combined with the effects of the pandemic, there aren't many options in a 16" tire sized for your wheels. I have 16"x8" factory wheels and for most of the life of my truck I have run 255-50-16 tires. The last few years there's only been one street tire in that size: BF Goodrich G Force Sport Comp 2. I have had a set previously on my truck and they performed great, and lasted over 30K miles, too. I have been trying to get a set of these tires for my S10 for a couple months now, but the tire shop I use says Michelin has no plans in the near future to make any more. Not only that, I can no longer find the next size down in the same tire: 245-50-16. I ordered some General GMAX in 245-50-16, since they are the only Summer tire in that size that's available.

Joe Cool said:

I replaced the factory Goodyear run on flat tires on my Camaro SS with a set of Firehawk Indy 500 tires. They had a more comfortable ride than the factory tires thanks to not having the run flat tire supports, but peak handling was affected. For everyday driving they were fine, but if pushed they could feel a little mushy, both during hard acceleration and in curves. The reason I chose them was cost. I really wanted Michelin PS4S, but they were $1,500 for the set back in 2020. I paid $828 out the door for the Firestones. The rears were 275-35-20.

I agree with the notion 205 or 215 will be too skinny looking. But that's just my opinion. As for reality, I see two issues with your plan. That 70's Corvette looks really good with those wheels, but those are not the same wheels you have. They look custom with a dished look (I like it).

Your other problem is selection. With the general migration to taller wheels combined with the effects of the pandemic, there aren't many options in a 16" tire sized for your wheels. I have 16"x8" factory wheels and for most of the life of my truck I have run 255-50-16 tires. The last few years there's only been one street tire in that size: BF Goodrich G Force Sport Comp 2. I have had a set previously on my truck and they performed great, and lasted over 30K miles, too. I have been trying to get a set of these tires for my S10 for a couple months now, but the tire shop I use says Michelin has no plans in the near future to make any more. Not only that, I can no longer find the next size down in the same tire: 245-50-16. I ordered some General GMAX in 245-50-16, since they are the only Summer tire in that size that's available.

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Yes, correct that they are a custom C3 dish wheel. And I know that it will not look the same, but I do like the stance it has but with a little more sidewall. I would merely just be changing the ratio to find that similar profile. The truck, Mini Truck, should I say isn't ever going to see any off road or winter seasons. I live in South Florida, so it's nothing but flat ground and sunshine. The goal is just to have this as simply a weekend beach cruiser up and down A1A. Perhaps the 205 may be too narrow, which is why I am trying to play with numbers and find the ideal fitment.

My old man had the Indy 500's on his 392 SRT Charger and down here in FL all the tires wanted to do was hook, but also got the mushy feeling under aggressive handling.

Just looking to see some set ups and piece this *** together. Lol it's been long overdue, and needs get back on the road.

If you're mostly concerned with profile, then aspect ratio is what you need to look at. I'm just guessing, but those tires on that corvette look close to 20" diameter and about a 30 aspect ratio. Also, they seem to be too narrow for those wheels. Your wheel width should dictate how wide your tires are. I know you said this will be a cruising vehicle but properly sizing your tire will make a big difference in ride quality. The best advice I can give is check out Tire Rack's website for tire height and width specs. Their prices and selection seem to run pretty close to local prices and availability too, so you'll know more of what to budget and plan for.

Also, be careful how small you choose for profile. My wife and I owned a 2008 Malibu for 9 years. For the first 7 years/150,000 miles I ran 225-50-18 factory sized tires on it and had no issues with the horrible roads around here. I scored some barely used Bridgestone RE970 tires for $200 in 245-40-18. They looked good and handled better but they weren't designed for that car. Over the next year we broke 5 wheels, yet all 4 tires survived. I ended up going back to the original tire size and never had another problem. Newer cars like the Camaro SS have suspensions developed with those profiles in mind. Just something else to think about.