Lowering a short bed stepside and tire height

[Mike C]

I am closer to getting started on my '69 short step. Since I am converting from 6 lug to 5 and going from 15" wheels to 17" wheels, I need to have tires ready to go. With 40,000,000 threads about "what size tire" and "what backspacing", I can't find a thread that really addresses all (or most!) of the questions.

My dilemma is how short vs. how tall a tire I can run that I will be happy with clearance, gear ratio, and appearance. Oh, and cost... Hard parts are Early Classic 2 1/2" drop spindle disc conversion and 2" lowering spring in the front. DJM flip kit in the back with EC 1 1/2" shackle if I need it/want it. Powertrain is currently 307/TH350 with 3.73 rear.

Wheels are Summit Racing, 15x8 4 1/2" backspace front and 15x9 5 1/2" bs rear. My narrowed down tire choices are: 275 55 17 in the back with 235 55 17 front. This is ~29" rear tire and a 27" front. These are $528 plus shipping (Hankook Ventus AS RH07 SUV All-Season touring). And secondly, Sumitomo HTR AS PO1. W speed rated ultra high performance all season. 275 40 17 rear and 235 45 17 front both of which spec out at 25.5" tall. $358 plus shipping. Price isn't a complete deal breaker, because I'll ammortize it over the time lifespan of the tire before it wears out (10 years). But cheaper tires would leave me nearly $200 for other accessories.

How goofy will the back look with such a short tire if I go with the 26"? 28" appears to be a great look and 29" is pretty close. Same in front, with 4 1/2" drop, how close am I going to be to the inner fender as well as the lip with the taller tire? The shorter set would be comparable to 235 60 15 all the way around height wise. With the truck sitting pretty low, how valuable would the additional 1 1/2" of ground clearance be with the taller tire?

I think I know the answer in my head, but looking for valuable input!

[lolife99]

A 27" front tire and a 29" rear tire will be fine with the correct backspace wheels,... on a 4.5/6 drop.
That is what is on thing sweet stepside owned by member hot trux.
But his wheels are 20" wheels,...

[Mike C]

If mine sits like that I'll be stoked! Thanks. I had mostly made up my mind on the taller tires, but the extra $175 was swaying me. I pushed the button about an hour ago. $592 delivered and should be here Tuesday. Need to verify center pilot hole on my rims is big enough, order a couple of parts for my tire machine, and set aside a weekend to get my finger nails dirty.