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narrow body w/ wide tires?

47479 Views 82 Replies 29 Participants Last post by Blkout, Dec 17, 2021

mrtexasfreedom

Discussion Starter · Apr 17, 2019

I'm in pre-purchase mode and wondering if the fender flares of the widebody trim actually are necessary for running wider rims / wheels than the stock narrow body. I see that the widebody benefits substantially from the additional surface contact, but the fender flares appear to be cosmetic add-ons. Can I buy a narrow body and run the same rims / wheels that ship on the widebody?

The reason I ask is that the widebody was issued in 2018. Used prices for these are in the mid-sixties right now. Meanwhile there are a lot of quality bargains to be had in the 2016 & 2017 model years. But alas, no widebody options for those years.

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piening2150

· #2 · Apr 17, 2019

2

The flares are there for a reason.

If you don't mind the tire-sticking-out look (and the tires probably crashing into the fender lips on full suspension compression) go for it, but there are a few companies that make 20x10.5 & 20x11 wheels that fit properly and allow for wider tires. Bolting on the stock widebody wheels to a narrow body car probably isn't a great idea. Do a search, especially in the wheel & tire area and you'll find plenty of info on wider wheels. Good luck!

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Blkout

· #3 · Apr 17, 2019

The tires will not make contact with the fender lips but they will poke out if you go with a tire larger than a 305 on the rear. The other option is to use Phillips Performance Lil' Devil fender flares like I did. I have a 295/35 on the front and 335/30 on the rear.

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Jonnjohns

· #4 · Apr 17, 2019

Blkout said:
The tires will not make contact with the fender lips but they will poke out if you go with a tire larger than a 305 on the rear. The other option is to use Phillips Performance Lil' Devil fender flares like I did. I have a 295/35 on the front and 335/30 on the rear.

View attachment 512949

Or......... These are 295-35-ZR20 rears and 245-45-ZR20 fronts without flares, they are not AS wide but compared to stock much better. (The rear rims are 11 inchers)

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Steven_sbs

· #5 · Apr 17, 2019

The flairs are on the wide body cars for a reason. They keep rocks, mud, water, etc from being splashed and flung all over your car and water spray from blinding the car behind you. You can get wider tires and rims for the narrow body car that will work well. Having too much tire past the outside edge of the car might possibly be a problem with motor vehicle laws in your state. You might have a problem with inspection in your state. Last and most important, ummm how do I say this nicely, i nmy opinion your car will look funny with the tires hanging outside the body. Looks more like a rice-burner-tuner-modified thing than a proper Mopar muscle car. Please don't do it. But hey, it's your car, and in America you are free to make your own person choices within the limits of the law. Post pictures when you are done.

Blkout

· #6 · Apr 17, 2019

Jonnjohns said:
Or......... These are 295-35-ZR20 rears and 245-45-ZR20 fronts without flares, they are not AS wide but compared to stock much better. (The rear rims are 11 inchers)

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Yea, but you can go 305 on the rear and 285 up front without needing any flares. If you got an 11" wheel on the rear you should be using taking advantage of it, and go with a 305.

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Jonnjohns

· #7 · Apr 17, 2019

Blkout said:
Yea, but you can go 305 on the rear and 285 up front without needing any flares. If you got an 11" wheel on the rear you should be using taking advantage of it, and go with a 305.

295's are plenty wide with no clearance issues and dont stick out any further than the stock wheels.

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TheRedKey

· #8 · Apr 17, 2019

^ Depending on the brand (ie Mich PS4) 295s are the widest vs Continental 305s. But 245/45s up front???? Uhhhh no.

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Jonnjohns

· #9 · Apr 17, 2019

TheRedKey said:
^ Depending on the brand (ie Mich PS4) 295s are the widest vs Continental 305s. But 245/45s up front???? Uhhhh no.

Well....since I'm not a tire expert, and I'm not going to the track, I put on what I think looked good, and they DO look good. I guess it DOES depend on the brand of tire.......

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tkracing1

· #10 · Apr 17, 2019

Jonnjohns said:
295's are plenty wide with no clearance issues and dont stick out any further than the stock wheels.

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What made you go with the 245's up front?

TheRedKey

· #11 · Apr 17, 2019 (Edited)

2

OP, appears your looking to be thrifty so my suggestion is, Buy the FR70 10.5 x2 for out back, throw Conti ECS 305/35/20 or a DR like Nitto NT555R or Toyo R888R, leave stock fronts alone. Now that I think about Pirelli has a 305 too I believe (search DTD or Tirerack)
If your OCD, like me and have to have all four tires match, buy the FR70, keep the stock front, Find a 305/35/20 and a 275 or 285/40/20 you can afford. You want the meat in the rear.
Some have said 10s fit up front but its all about offset. Plenty of rim/tire threads, you have time so research until you find something you like someone else has already been the guinea pig for. GL

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275 & 305 Continental ECS.

Tire Automotive tire Synthetic rubber Auto part Wheel

285/35 Toyo R888R on OEM 9.5

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Jonnjohns

· #12 · Apr 17, 2019

tkracing1 said:
What made you go with the 245's up front?

I bought them for a R/T Shaker that I had with the recommendation from a installer, and like them. In all honesty, i probably would have gone with a tad wider if i knew then what i know now, but they looked pretty good I mounted them on the Hellcat to show how they look since I put them up for sale.

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HellishCat

· #13 · Apr 17, 2019

PK auto 20x11 with 315/35r20s fit great. No rubbing.

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T_Trahan44

· #14 · Apr 17, 2019

You've also gotta keep in mind that to run the wider tires safely, it is recommended that you "modify" the fenders to allow for suspension travel. I.E, cut the fenders to allow taller suspension travel, lest you hit the sheetmetal and slaughter the wheel.
I believe the fender flares actually allowed for those cuts to be made, and the flares cover the ugly work. I believe the user JeffL has a thread somewhere with pictures showing the both the widebody wheels on a narrowbody, and the cuts he made to allow for suspension travel when he added the flares.

Blkout

· #15 · Apr 17, 2019

T_Trahan44 said:
You've also gotta keep in mind that to run the wider tires safely, it is recommended that you "modify" the fenders to allow for suspension travel. I.E, cut the fenders to allow taller suspension travel, lest you hit the sheetmetal and slaughter the wheel.
I believe the fender flares actually allowed for those cuts to be made, and the flares cover the ugly work. I believe the user JeffL has a thread somewhere with pictures showing the both the widebody wheels on a narrowbody, and the cuts he made to allow for suspension travel when he added the flares.

No body work needs to be done unless the car is slammed to the ground. My car is lowered with 335s on the rear and the tires make no contact with the body.

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TheRedKey

· #16 · Apr 17, 2019

T_Trahan44 said:
You've also gotta keep in mind that to run the wider tires safely, it is recommended that you "modify" the fenders to allow for suspension travel. I.E, cut the fenders to allow taller suspension travel, lest you hit the sheetmetal and slaughter the wheel.
I believe the fender flares actually allowed for those cuts to be made, and the flares cover the ugly work. I believe the user JeffL has a thread somewhere with pictures showing the both the widebody wheels on a narrowbody, and the cuts he made to allow for suspension travel when he added the flares.

Theres also a threshold here you need to mention, such as definition of "wider". Ive got 305s on 10.5" +25 with no modifications that imo are a perfect fit, any wider youre gonna stick out and/or rub. But again this depends on offset. I also dont think the OP wants to break bank so here he can get WB size tires (rear anyway and where it matters most) on a non-WB Challenger. Chargers have more play with a wider wheel(s) btw.

T_Trahan44

· #17 · Apr 17, 2019

Blkout said:
No body work needs to be done unless the car is slammed to the ground. My car is lowered with 335s on the rear and the tires make no contact with the body.

At full suspension compression do you have rubbing anywhere? Granted, there are setups that work well with this. But in most cases, when running tires that stick out past the sheetmetal, you wanna either modify your suspension(bumpstocks, or adjust coilovers) as to not allow the tire to make contact with the sheet metal.

T_Trahan44

· #18 · Apr 17, 2019

TheRedKey said:
Theres also a threshold here you need to mention, such as definition of "wider". Ive got 305s on 10.5" +25 with no modifications that imo are a perfect fit, any wider youre gonna stick out and/or rub. But again this depends on offset. I also dont think the OP wants to break bank so here he can get WB size tires (rear anyway and where it matters most) on a non-WB Challenger. Chargers have more play with a wider wheel(s) btw.

Yes, I didn't think to include variables such as offsets, tire dimensions, and such. I'm still learning a lot as I go, and I admit I'm no where near an expert level.

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Blkout

· #19 · Apr 17, 2019

T_Trahan44 said:
At full suspension compression do you have rubbing anywhere? Granted, there are setups that work well with this. But in most cases, when running tires that stick out past the sheetmetal, you wanna either modify your suspension(bumpstocks, or adjust coilovers) as to not allow the tire to make contact with the sheet metal.

I've never been able to compress my suspension enough to get it to touch the bodywork.

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T_Trahan44

· #20 · Apr 17, 2019

Blkout said:
I've never been able to compress my suspension enough to get it to touch the bodywork.

That's a fair point. I'm more of a worrier about such things. As much as I watch the roads, I've managed to hit a few potholes in my time of driving. It's a painful feeling. I hate it.

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