It's time for new rear tires. I'm running 265/40/18 on a 18x9.5 rim and I found a good deal on 275/35/18. My question is, will the 35 sidewall add more gap between the tire and the fender or, since I'm not stretching, will it look about the same as the 265/40?

Thanks.

 

http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html

 

Nope , but that size does make a great and proper sized front tire.

 

Perfect, thanks!

 

Which? The 275? I only have a 18x8.5 in front for the time being.

 

You can check overall tire height as well as I can.

 

275/35 is shorter than 265/40, so you'll make "more gap". If you have more gap than you like with the 265/40, then you should shop for 275/40.