E-Body Tire Combos

[nz70cuda]

hi new wheels just put on 18x9.5 with 275/40/18 and 18x8 with 245/40/18 going for a different look cheers

[Carlwalski]

hi new wheels just put on 18x9.5 with 275/40/18 and 18x8 with 245/40/18 going for a different look cheers

I like it Terry!! What brand rims mate and what rear end? E or B-Body 8-3/4"?

My Dad would be interested in a set of those rims for his "g-machine".

[cudazappa]

wow, that is stunning!

[71cudajoe]

hi new wheels just put on 18x9.5 with 275/40/18 and 18x8 with 245/40/18 going for a different look cheers

Thanks for the pics. These are exactly the rims I bought for my car. Since mine is not done yet, it's good to see what they might look like when it is. Here's a picture of mine with the wheels mocked up on it.

[PlumCrazyChris]

hi new wheels just put on 18x9.5 with 275/40/18 and 18x8 with 245/40/18 going for a different look cheers

Those look great, I bet it handles much better too.   What backspacing did you use?  4.5" for both? 

I like the 18" rims better then the 17", they seem to fill the wheelwells better.    I wish you could get 45 series for the back to give it a little more sidewall, but what are ya going to do...

Chris

[Jim]

I'm shopping around for new wheels/tires for the Challenger. I've been leaning towards the 17" American Racing AR500s with 285-40-17 and 225-50-17 tires. More I look at the 18" combos though, the more I like them.

There's a narrow selection of 17" tires that get the tire height to 27", but you sacrifice width. A 255-50-17 comes to mind.

Just thinking out loud....

[nz70cuda]

hi guys thanks for the comments ,  im glad you like it carl i know you like that old school look give us a call sometime i can bring the car around for you to have a look .anyway  the wheels are made by eagle alloys they are a boss  motorsport wheel   front b/s 4.5 and rear b/s is 5.5  also the rear  end is a stock e body 8 3/4 with no mods  cheers terry

[Carlwalski]

hi guys thanks for the comments ,  im glad you like it carl i know you like that old school look give us a call sometime i can bring the car around for you to have a look .anyway  the wheels are made by eagle alloys they are a boss  motorsport wheel   front b/s 4.5 and rear b/s is 5.5  also the rear  end is a stock e body 8 3/4 with no mods  cheers terry

Hi Terry, thanks for the info bud! At this stage I won't bother you with coming around but thanks heaps for that kind offer, something of which closer to the date when we get it running (end of the year) I may take you up on. You are right, I am one for 15" white letter setups but as far as modern rims go, your setup sure looks smart and sits well, you nailed it. Ps: I got your email thanks mate but since I've replied here, won't repeat myself by replying to that.

[Redline]

@gcbeeper in a post way earlier...   Though it will be really hard... I will attempt to dig up my specs of how I engineered the suspension / tire combination of our Challenger.   

[Redline]

gcbeeper-   the combination of tire size AND rim with PLUS the super stock springs did the trick for the back - and the front was one size lower in the wheel-  I think we had 14's on there...  I think the receipts I had from Summit are long gone- and so are my old posts where i documented it-  but Mike is probably right-- he has a great memory

[Redline]

I think the back was 15x7 the front was 14x7  we tried a 15x8 but the tire was too wide.  as i remember-  the large tire and 7" size made it taller so it fit right --  and 4.25 -- also we did a disc brake conversion and i recall we adjusted some things there

[OzCuda]

Ok, finally my chance to contribute to this thread.  After much agonising and measuring, and measuring, and measuring...well you get the picture...I finally bit the bullet and bought new wheels and tyres for the Barracuda.  Had been running the original 14x5.5 Magnums with 225/70R14s all round but wasn't happy with the skinny look or empty guards.  I had always liked the Keystones and was looking to go a Day Two period-correct look so this is how it ended up.

15 x 7s with 235/60R15 BFGs on the front.
15 x 8s with 275/60R15 BFGs on the rear...but my diff was off-centre so clearance on the right side was the problem.  Had to get both rear centres relocated 1" to max backspace possible (4.85"), and also had to skim 5mm off the mounting face of the RH wheel.  End result was pretty even spacing each side and no rubbing as yet.  Cheers!

[Tom Quad]

I am really confused as to why anyone would put a tire wheel combo on these cars that compromises the ride and handling as well as the "look" of the car.  I guess bigger is better and looks cool with modern day type wheels supersedes a good ride, great handling and looks like a 1970's muscle car...then again if you get your jollies at 10-14 seconds at a time or just pedal back and forth to car shows and cruises just ignore me and do what you like.

The right size  tire and wheel combination for most mopars is 16x8 on a 4.5 backspace with a 255-50-16 tire.  26 inch tall tire with 10 inches of tread. A 17 inch tire in the same diameter has a sidewall that is too short.  27 inch tall 10 inch wide or more tires tires create fitment problems and compromises in clearance, handling, stopping etc. If you spend any amount of time at the road course [like I do] the American "track cars" mustangs camaros and the lone Cuda[me] run a 245 or 255 -50 - 16 competition tire and they run fast and hard.  Faster than me... There are good tire choices available in 255-50 ZR16.  I just bought 8 of then for a couple of mopars, 70 Cuda and 70 Charger.
BF Goodrich   
 *  Size: 255/50ZR16
    * Blackwall
    * Serv. Desc: 99W
    * UTQG: Treadwear: 340
      Traction: AA
      Temperature: A340 AA A

    * Price: $119.00 (each)

I don't understand the bigger is better mentality that pervades this subject. It should be what fits without compromise and looks right for the 70's. With the hood closed and the car not running my p-o-s looks just like it should...an old muscle car with 5 spoke mag wheels.  As I tell the new comers to my track event-don't let looks deceive you...

[73Chally]

You talk about traditional wheels/tires for a 70s look, but they never had a 16" wheel back then.  If that size suits your needs best, then great, but what's wrong with a 17" wheel/tire package, or the traditional 15" package?  Most people don't autocross their cars, but we do drive them so obviously fit and look are high on our list.  If you want to stick with the 70s look, then get a set of 14 or 15" Cragars/rallyes/Keystones, etc.  Otherwise, to each his own.

What wheels did you go with?  The tire size you use is for a C4 Corvette, so definitely plenty of them out there.

[HP2]

I don't understand the bigger is better mentality that pervades this subject.

I thinkit is much more than simply bigger is better and I don't think I could hit on all the variables that seem to drive those decisions, but I don't doubt that is part of it. But I think a large portion of it is that so many, many owners are casual owners in that they use the car for a simple pleasure vehicle with some improved capability, therefore they do not do the research to fully understand capabilities and options other than typing on a web board about "what can I fit?" types of questions.

A good example of this is all the various threads we all see on various boards about how I want to make my car handle more like a modern car and will this $5000 suspension do that, when in reality all they really need is a $50 alignment.

So, IMO, a lot of the 17" and 18" wheel migration is because of the proliferation of cheap tires and retro styles that are now available in those sizes, which means the average, "casual" owner can step up to some improved grip with a good look for very little brain power and credit card damage.

There is also the migration towards bigger and brigger brake rotors as well, which necessitate bigger wheels to accomodate them. Now, does everyone who buys a 13 or 14 inch brake assembly fully utilize its capability, I doubt it, but if it makes them feel better having them, then buy away.