Pic Request: Cutlass sideview 245/45-17 or 245/40-18 tires

[GnatGoSplat]

My 245/45ZR18's (26.7" tire) rub a lot on that gutter on the plastic fender liner, right side especially. For some reason, this right fender liner is especially troublesome, the 94 rubs even with OEM tire size.

 

I'm thinking to switch to 245/40-18 (25.7") which should eliminate rubbing, but will increase fender gap. Right now I have a MAX of 3-finger wide gap to the sides, horizontal to the wheel's center. It kind of has a BMW/Mercedes-like look to it since those cars have very minimal gap. Going to lower profile will increase that gap to 4-fingers wide. I'm almost afraid that will give me big Ford-like gap.

 

If anyone has any pics of a Cutlass sideview with 245/45-17 or 245/40-18 (both 25.7" tires) so I can check the gaps, l'd really appreciate it. I have to decide whether to buy different tires, or modify the plastic fender liners so they quit rubbing.

[jeremy]

I don't have them anymore, but I will dig through some pics on the cpu when I get home to see if I can find any....Slick has them on his Z right now, but his car is lowered and I don't know about the Z wheel well in comparison to the Cutty one.....

 

for the best look though....I would probably modify it, if possible, so the current ones don't rub...

[GnatGoSplat]

I thought slick had 225/45-17? That's a 25" tire that would have way too much gap on a Cutlass I think... a fist could fit in the gap.

 

I sure like how BMW and Mercedes wheels fill out their wheel wells though, this tire size does it well on the Cutlass, so I'm definitely leaning more along the lines of modifying that annoying plastic... warping and bending it with a heat gun might work. It's almost to the point I need a new plastic though. The tire has almost chewed through this one, but still rubs. I think the tire has been pushing on the plastic so much that it even yanked the screw out and stripped out the hole. Ugh. Oh well, a plastic push clip would probably work better anyway. I've never thought exposed metal screws in a wheel well is a very good idea.

[jeremy]

I thought slick had 225/45-17? That's a 25" tire that would have way too much gap on a Cutlass I think... a fist could fit in the gap.

 

whe swapped rims/tires....his chrome rims with the 225/45s for my lightweight Enkei rims with 245/45/17s.....the 225s definitely leave an undesirable wheel cap on the cutty....

 

here is the huge wheel gap with the 225s....

[GnatGoSplat]

I'm not too worried about top gaps since that can be cured by lowering. How are your side gaps?

 

Hmmm, slick needs to update his sig pic.

[slick]

Shawn, I get out of class at 1:50, get home at approx. 2. I'll go right outside and take a few pictures. What all angles are you looking for?

[jeremy]

Shawn, I get out of class at 1:50, get home at approx. 2. I'll go right outside and take a few pictures. What all angles are you looking for?

 

he wants a direct side view.....like this but closer

 

[slick]

Gotcha. Easy enough. I'll just have to park out in bfe here at my apt.

[GnatGoSplat]

Only problem is I think Lumina wheel wells look smaller than Cutlass ones... width-wise anyway.

I know the wheel wells on my TGP are 1" smaller in width which I figured is why it looks good with 25.7" tires.

[slick]

Well, I do have a measuring tape, so I could measure it all out for you if you want me to.

[GnatGoSplat]

Well, I do have a measuring tape, so I could measure it all out for you if you want me to.

 

Sure, I'm curious! I know Luminas kind of have square shaped wheel wells too so they're very different overall, but it might give me some idea.

[slick]

Ok, I can do that. I'll measure at the bottom of the wheel well across, the top of the wheel well across, from the ground to the top center of the wheel well(remember, mines lowered...). Any other measurements you want/need?

[GnatGoSplat]

Ok, I can do that. I'll measure at the bottom of the wheel well across, the top of the wheel well across, from the ground to the top center of the wheel well(remember, mines lowered...). Any other measurements you want/need?

 

Nah, that'll be fine, although I'm curious how many fingers across will fit between the widest part of the tire and the fender (on the sides).

 

Yours doesn't even come close to touching the gutter on the plastic liner, does it?

[dykz34]

245/40-18's

[rudefyet]

off topic...

 

but...

 

x Infinity

[slick]

56K beware. Also, I have never said that my body was good, so ehh... Heres pictures:

[jeremy]

I love those rims on your car......

[GnatGoSplat]

That looks nice... might be my imagination, but it does look like to me that Lumina has smaller (narrower) wheel openings.

 

The Cutlass has almost exactly the same size wheel openings as my parents' 04 Maxima which has 225/55-17 on it (26.7").

[slick]

At the top of the tires(mind i'm a pretty small guy), I can fit about 3 fingers there. So thats about 2 fingers normal guy size. Front side of the tire to the bumper is the same width.

[GnatGoSplat]

At the top of the tires(mind i'm a pretty small guy), I can fit about 3 fingers there. So thats about 2 fingers normal guy size. Front side of the tire to the bumper is the same width.

 

If that's all you can fit, then it sounds like Cutlass wheel wells are a lot bigger.

 

I'm not too concerned about top gap since that can be fixed with more drop, but in front of the wheel between bumper and tire, I can fit 2-fingers. Behind the wheel, I can fit 3 with a little room to spare. On both sides on the rear, I can fit 3. Now this is if you drew an imaginary horizontal line right through the center of the wheel. This is with 26.7" tires, so it sounds like the Cutlass has big ol' openings.

[slick]

Not sure on that. Sounds like the top of the wheels and the front of the wheels we have the same gap.

 

My rear end isn't lowered yet though, so I can't really give any spec's on that.

[GnatGoSplat]

Not sure on that. Sounds like the top of the wheels and the front of the wheels we have the same gap.

 

My rear end isn't lowered yet though, so I can't really give any spec's on that.

 

Well, I'm not really worried about top gap so much.

Just the gap between wheel & bumpers and between wheel and ... doors? Lots of stuff between the wheel and doors, but that's the only way I can put it without drawing a picture (I'm at work so I have no picture drawing capabilities).

[slick]

Yeah, I know exactly what you mean. The gap is too big for my taste, but with the width of my tires, I'm afraid of it being any smaller.

[GnatGoSplat]

the side gaps really don't look that big on the Lumina though. It would look much bigger on the Cutlass and I know I would have 4-fingers width gaps. I haven't seen any Cutlass pictures with 25.7" tires yet (just some I photoshopped), but right now I'm really leaning towards keeping the 26.7" tires and getting creative with those annoying plastic liners.

 

I noticed the 94 has smaller gutters or whatever you call it on the plastic liner, so I might try to get ahold of some 94 liners AND heat gun them to flatten them out a bit more. On both the 89 and 94, the passenger side one sticks out a lot more for some reason and it rubs with stock size tires.

 

I'm thinking to go with 235/45-18 on the front and 245/45-18 on the rear of the 94 so I don't have to modify the plastic liners on it. I never rotate tires anyway.

[skalor]

My TGP wheels used to rub all the time on the inner fender lining. Then I realigned my subframe using the 1/2" holes on the passenger side of the subframe near both bolts/retainers. They haven't rubved since I realigned it. 8)

 

You could also look at getting a skinnier tire if it's possible since I doubt your CS needs a 245mm wide tire.