Rear tire question

[Catfish]

I have an 04 with traction control and 4.10 gears. I need rear tires but want to keep the stock size in the front (235/50/18). What are some sizes I can go with on the rear that won't throw off my traction control? Besides stock that is. Thank you.

[Mr. Man]

A 255/55/18 will work. Not sure if a 265 will.

[RubberCtyRauder]

only 1 tire i know of in 265, Nitto 555, 265-50-18 ..same height as stock, wider, fits on stock rim.

[Comin' in Hot]

255/55s work fine. Gear ratio doesn't mean anything, the ABS sensors read off the tone rings at the end of the axles.

[1Marauder]

Have 255/50 and 265/50 on three cars. No issues.

Some people say the traction control will kick in a millisecond sooner w 265/50s but In 4 years I have never noticed.

[Svashtar]

only 1 tire i know of in 265, Nitto 555, 265-50-18 ..same height as stock, wider, fits on stock rim.


This is exactly what I went with. I did the math at the time and the 265-50-18 NT 555 is less than 3/16" shorter than the OEM tires (132.50 vs. 134.75mm) but almost an inch wider IIRC. I really like how they look. They are getting a bit harder to find, and Nitto recently changed the tread pattern on the G2 series, so they won't exactly match my new Nitto fronts, but that's OK.

Last price I was quoted was $238 each, but the fronts actually went down in price. Our OEM fronts are used on all 4 corners of some BMW's. I know the M-3 used them, so we get a break because of that popularity I think.


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[Catfish]

This is all great info. Thank you very much!

[Bigdogjim]

A 255/55/18 will work. Not sure if a 265 will.

I run 265/55 on all 4 corners, 300A,2003

[1Marauder]

I run 265/55 on all 4 corners, 300A,2003

Do you have a photo? Must look cool!

[Svashtar]

Do you have a photo? Must look cool!


Yeah, I'd like to see that. There are advantages to having the same sized tire all around.

Which reminds me, I need to check my full sized spare. Been a while...


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[Bigdogjim]

There are photos on Face Book. Do you use it? There a cool picture of the car sitting in the middle of corn field.:):):)

[fastblackmerc]

OP - If you have 4.10's you must have a tuner.... correct?

Have you tuner change the tune to match whatever tire you get.

[GetMeMyStogie]

With traction control, your rear tire needs to be 5% larger, +/- 2%, than the front. So, for stock front size, your 18" options are:

265/50 @ 4.3% larger;
275/50 @ 5.8% larger;
235/55 @ 3.4% larger (near edge of range);
245/55 @ 5.0% larger;
255/55 @ 6.6% larger;
235/60 @ 6.8% larger (near edge of range);


Btw, your gear ratio makes no difference on the size of tires you can use on the rear.

[crouse]

only 1 tire i know of in 265, Nitto 555, 265-50-18 ..same height as stock, wider, fits on stock rim.

I run this size in the summer only on the rear and the Nitto NT555-G2 255/45-18 on the front. The G2 is the newer design that has better dry and wet performance. They do not offer the 265/50-18 in the G2 series.

[Svashtar]

I run this size in the summer only on the rear and the Nitto NT555-G2 255/45-18 on the front. The G2 is the newer design that has better dry and wet performance. They do not offer the 265/50-18 in the G2 series.


I haven’t had any trouble with my 265/50-18’s in the back, but then again a few weeks of spotty rain is all we usually get here. I have the G2’s in the front in the stock size.


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[Svashtar]

With traction control, your rear tire needs to be 5% larger, +/- 2%, than the front. So, for stock front size, your 18" options are:

265/50 @ 4.3% larger;
275/50 @ 5.8% larger;
235/55 @ 3.4% larger (near edge of range);
245/55 @ 5.0% larger;
255/55 @ 6.6% larger;
235/60 @ 6.8% larger (near edge of range);


Btw, your gear ratio makes no difference on the size of tires you can use on the rear.


So, refresh my memory: what is the stock OEM size rear, and what % larger than the stock front is it? (I thought they were like 245/50.)

I kept my fronts stock, but changed the rears to wider 265-50/18 years ago.


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[Bluerauder]

So, refresh my memory: what is the stock OEM size rear, and what % larger than the stock front is it? (I thought they were like 245/50.)


Stock rears are 245/55/18 and are 5% taller than the stock 235/50/18 fronts.

[Svashtar]

Stock rears are 245/55/18 and are 5% taller than the stock 235/50/18 fronts.


Thanks; so I remember crunching all the numbers at the time, and coming up with the 265/50/18’s in the back being close to an inch wider, but 3/16” shorter than the stock rears, so that’s the .7% you show I guess.

TC never had a problem with them, at least I don’t think it did; I hardly ever bothered to use it, but it stopped working when the ABS module failed.


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