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Depends on offset, backspacing, and need for spacers. Lotsa 9.5" wide wheels fit just fine so long as the car isn't slammed.

Expanding on R/TErnie's point, the bigger wheels in back will tend to promote understeer which these cars already have plenty of. Putting the bigger ones in front won't be hellacool (which I assume is what you're going for) but will be hellafunctional.

 

I know a lot of people that run different widths front and rear (usually wider front) to get the car to have more grip in the front and rotate better. You'll be fine as long as the tire is the same size. I'm planning on going with a 10.5 front/9.5 rear setup w/ 285/30/18s all around on my autox car.

 

The OP has an 8, so neither of these are true. For ACD equipped cars, I could see the extra resistance causing more power to be transferred to the rear tires, thus activating the diffs more often.

It might take a long time to cause any noticeable damage this way. Unless your doing cross country trips...

And more specifically, the difference in diameter will engage the differential(s) at all times. This will overheat the fluid causing it to break down and no longer protect the gears. Once this happens, I think you can burn out a t-case pretty fast.

So the faster and/or longer you drive, the more damage you will do.

 

You beat me to it.. I agree though, run same OD or within a percent or so. For instance 25.4+/- 0.1 over a mile you would have about 3 revolutions difference, insignificant. Id even argue crowned road changing the weight distribution would cause a larger difference.

Some autocrossers have been somewhat successful running wider front tires than rear for more grip just making sure to keep the OD as close as possible.

 

The track guys have been know to do what R/T Ernie mentioned to enhance handling, and as a way to cater to track needs. Again, the diameter is what matters, not the width. However, as a daily driver, you prolly dont want to do that.

 

doesn't the lambo that has awd run different width wheels?!?

 

Has anybody measured roll out length difference between the same tire on different wheel widths?

Just curious if it changes roll out diameter at all.

How the hell do you fit a 10.5" up front without wider fenders though? With tires wide enough to justify the 10.5s anyway...

 

don't turn the wheel all the way

 

I bet somethink like a 10.5 front and 9.5 rear with 285 hoosiers would be awesome. Same tire, but we all know the hoosier grows a bunch going from a 9.5 to the 10.5. Sure it'd require a few fender mods, but I bet it would be amazing.

 

The 18x10.5 +15 Enkei RPF1 fits very well up front with a minor roll. I don't have them, but one of my friends has them on his stock fendered (rolled) IX w/ 285 A6s. Very minimal rubbing, surprisingly. That's also w/ 5* caster and -4ish* camber though.

 

My 285's on the 18x9.5 fit with room on rolled stock fenders. I also run 4 degrees up front though