295 50 15 in the FRONT?

[odcics2]

couple of more pics

[RCCDrew]

That's taller and wider than I thought. 

[HPP]

Don't forget he also said they varied some in height and width. They also used offset heights on inside positions compared to outside positions.

[odcics2]

Don't forget he also said they varied some in height and width. They also used offset heights on inside positions compared to outside positions.

I can't say if they used stagger yet.   I have sets of tires that are all identical, marked that they were all used for a particular race.
Tire in the photo was used at MIS.

To clarify, I have some tread tires that are different than 'slick' tires, size-wise, but sidewall size are all the same.
Have a set of Firestones that are an inch wider and an inch taller.  The set of 4 are all the same, though... 
They also say 8.00-8.20-15.

Hope I didn't add to the confusion.   

[HPP]

Original sizes of 8.00x15 Goodyear Blue Streak were about 27" tall and around a 10" tread face. However as bias ply tires, these sizes can also be manipulated plus an inch or so. It was not uncommon to pump them up around 60 psi and leave them in the sun to create larger and wider tires that all had similar size original measurements. Its also worth nothing that just because a sanctioning body had a maximum and minimum  tire size, not all competitors used the widest allowable size all of the time and track conditions on any given day could produce a differing combination of tires.

I'd also say that unless your running a dirt track sprint car, most racers typically didn't use large amounts of tire stagger.

[odcics2]

Stagger isn't good with a locker.   

[HPP]

On a super speedway, I'd tend to agree. On tighter tracks, the stagger and locker play quite well together.

[RCCDrew]

I think the 295 50 15 would have been a better choice for the front of my car. Eventually I will sell them and buy the 295s. I also found some 26x12.00x15. May be a good choice?

[mopar0166]

I had something like that but it rubbed, I dunno if a back spacing or different wheel could help get a bigger tire under there but It was tight

[darbgnik]

My car has 295/50-15 in the front and it is terrible to drive, it tracks and follows the curves in the road like a locomotive on rails!
The fenders are cut out a lot, the rims are offset alot outwards so I can almost get full lock on the steering without rubbing the inner frame rails.
There is no other good reason to have such wide wheels in front other than looks. 

Sometime I want to fit smaller wheels in front, but not before I can find two front fenders in good condition for a 71, hard to come by espescially in Norway.

Front end grip on a road course is the only reason for wide fronts. My '15 Viper has 295 width front tires, and it followed ruts in the road as described above, as any wide tire will have more mechanical advantage over the steering. The grippier the tire, the worse it gets. I did a full track alignment on it, got -2.6 degrees camber on the front, and it tramlines a lot less. Tires also last a lot longer on track. Who would have guessed I'd go through 3 sets of fronts for every 1 set of rears on a RWD 645hp car?

BTW, I may upsize the 245 fronts on my '70 to 255 some day, but she's not a corner carver......