Rynil2000
Stinger Enthusiast
I definitely don't want to speak on behalf of everyone here. I am not a tire size expert, but I have been doing some research. It certainly can be . . . confusing.
When staggered, a wider than stock 9.5 tire in the rear needs higher (lower?) offset (>+40) so that the front face of the wheel sits relatively similar in position (flushness to the fender) to where the front wheel sits. This puts more of the tire under the car toward the center and not toward the outer fender.
You can certainly run a square setup if you want, but you're limited to the size of tire that you can run in the rear. If you are AWD this is more advantageous. If you are RWD you are relying on wider rear tires to get better power transfer. AWD Stingers come with 18x8 +34 on all corners IIRC. So a 19x8.5 +30 squared setup should be fine. The challenge comes when you want to go wider and still be square. The front will hold 8.5 at best, some have done 9, but it's close. The rear can hold up to 10.5+ in some cases. The wider the front tire, the more negative offset will be needed to keep away from inner fenders and suspension bits. However, eventually you'll get too close to the outer fender, which may rub and/or stick out or poke. You might look more like a pick-up truck at that point
As far handling, the articles that I have found state that staggered with larger rear tires are a "safer" setup because they tend to produce understeer or push through a corner at the handling limit. This safety assumes you have a good run off area. Square setups are more likely to produce a balanced feel, but may lessen the feel of responsiveness on turn-in. It really depends on your goals for the car and driving preferences.
Don't get too discouraged. It's a tough search, but there are some good resources out there. Try clicking through Tirerack or Discount Tire to get a sizing recommendation.
