New Charger SRT wheels on a Cuda?

[miketyler]

While my 72 cuda has been been sitting idle I am still thinking of cool wheels. A lot of manufacturers are doing their own spin on the classic and bold 5-spoke design. I like both the new Charger wheels but REALLY like the SRT8 wheels as they look more similar to those used on the new Challenger concept car.

The bolt/hole patter is 5-4.5" and wheel size is 20x9. Offset is +18mm which I think is only around ~4.75 backspace? I really like the look of these and the other charger wheels but dont like running spacers. Has anyone checked these out? I know one board member has installed the Charger wheels on his Challenger and had to use spacers on the front to clear the hub on the front rotors. Can anyone speak to fitment issues relative to the SRT-8 wheels?

     

[GoodysGotaCuda]

i'd bet 20x9 up front would cause some issues real quick. Not to mention upgrading the components (brakes, and suspension) to handle all that new rotating mass. 

[miketyler]

hmmm...thats an interesting thought that I didn't really consider. I have seen other folks running 20's with no reports of instability or reduced brake affectiveness. I suppose it would come down to what the finished tire/wheel assembly diameter would be as opposed to that of a standard 15" wheel/tire combo?

I havent seen what this 20" wheel would like like under the car. In reality it may be too tall for my taste. I could photoshop the rims onto the car but not sure the scaling would be correct 

Goody - you're pretty good with Photochop. Can you place the SRT wheels on the car and scale it properly?     

[GoodysGotaCuda]

hmmm...thats an interesting thought that I didn't really consider. I have seen other folks running 20's with no reports of instability or reduced brake affectiveness. I suppose it would come down to what the finished tire/wheel assembly diameter would be as opposed to that of a standard 15" wheel/tire combo?

I havent seen what this 20" wheel would like like under the car. In reality it may be too tall for my taste. I could photoshop the rims onto the car but not sure the scaling would be correct 

Goody - you're pretty good with Photochop. Can you place the SRT wheels on the car and scale it properly?     

Well probably you've never heard of issues because nobody cares to look into it. They throw huge wheels on their SUV or whatever and it just looks cool. And sorry i cant photoshop it to scale, or at all with those pictures you posted. I will be running 17/18" wheels, but with the 11 3/4" police brakes up front that were made to stop a mid 4000lb car..it should be no problem. 

[Super Blue 72]

Well probably you've never heard of issues because nobody cares to look into it. They throw huge wheels on their SUV or whatever and it just looks cool. And sorry i cant photoshop it to scale, or at all with those pictures you posted. I will be running 17/18" wheels, but with the 11 3/4" police brakes up front that were made to stop a mid 4000lb car..it should be no problem. 

   Rubber (tire) will weigh less than metal (rim). 

If you keep the height if the wheel/tire combo about the same but increase the rim size from 15" to let's say 20", in theory the larger rim combo will be heavier due to there being more metal vs rubber.

When the combo is heavier, there's more "inertia".

Inertia = the resistance an object has to a change in its state of motion.

What that means is that it take more power to turn the wheels from a stand still.

When you have the larger rims you may get better handling though, but on autocross cars, you may see more "average size" rims and not 20"s because of the inertia issue and also you want "a little give" with the tires to compensate for over zealous driving.  (Not that I know anything about autocross!)

I may be wrong on this stuff but it's just my  .

[miketyler]

Yes, this is all good information to consider. The SRT wheels have a cool modern look. However, I am not crazy about the wagon-wheel appearance that the 20"+ wheels give a car. Also, I am less interested in the ultra low profile tire look where the car appears to be riding on the rims. What a rough ride those cars must be!

A safer bet would probably be the smaller 18" Magnum wheels. I need to do more research here and maybe look at some other 20" wheel ebody cars before I get too involved. Would be nice if they had a smaller dia aftermarket wheel that looked like the SRT-8.   

[GoodysGotaCuda]

as you can see my dads car has 19/20/huge wheels on it. But the suspension and brakes are the best you can get 

[miketyler]

Your dad's Challenger looks great and is agood example of what a 20" wheel looks like on the car. However, that isn't the look I am after so the 20" SRT-8 wheels are definitely out. However the 18" Charger wheels are still on my list. Total tire/wheel dia shouldn't be too much larger than a 15" tire/wheel assy.

I would also like to lower the car just a smidgen but will have to see what the stance and driveabilty is like with the 18's 

[ShelbyDogg]

Mike,
Look into the offset a little more. The measurement may be positive instead of negative. Most of the new wheels don't have any "dish" to them requiring your rear end to be about 3" wider on each side to even bolt them on.  Look at all of the new cars such as Mustangs, 300s, Magnums, etc. and you'll see what I mean.

Be carefull about ordering CUSTOM wheels.  Most aftermarket wheels don't come with the proper sized indexing hole for the axle or spindle. Remember, the lugnuts keep it tight, but the center keeps it centered.

Rob

[GMachineDartGT]

Goody - While the car looks nice, the "suspension and brakes" are NOT the best you can get. Far from it actually...Just my