18 inch Rims

[cjm]

I'm debating getting new rims/tires.....  I might go Rallye 15 X7...   or I might go Boyd Coddington 18 X 9 (275 45 18) rear or (275 40 18)  (backspace 5")  18 x 8 (255 40 18)........    I have seen other Cudas with these size combos ...............

Any advantages, drawbacks,,,,,,,,,,,, ??

[burdar]

There used to be a yellow cuda that came to the Mopar Nats that had 17" Rallye wheels on it.  It looked really good.  17" seems to be a decent compromise between the guys who hate large wheels and the ones who like them.

I love the look of the 18" Magnum wheels.  I'd like to put those on something someday.

[the_engineers]

Very, very firm (harsh) ride, depending on the front tire size. I'm running 235/40ZR18's and you feel everything...running Hemi T-bars too, so that doesn't help. Unless you're set on the "lowest" look possible, think about 17 fronts.

[cjm]

What would be a good tire size for the 17x8 rim ? 255 50 17??      Do you know of any member that have 18 on the back & 17 on the front....   I'd like to get an idea on how it would look on a 70 Cuda.......

[cjm]

Also, along with the harsh ride, wouldn't you get better handling with a low profile tire??

[dodj]

I think Goodysgotacuda has 17 fronts and 18 rears. Just look for a thread where he posted and there will be a pic.

[the_engineers]

You will never see the handling difference between 17 and 18 on the street. Also, there is frequent debate about the flex/mass trade-off. Basically, 18" wheels are so much heavier than 16's or 17's that they may handle worse. HP2 or one of the other suspension experts here can throw in on this

[burdar]

You will never see the handling difference between 17 and 18 on the street.

That maybe true with an E-body but I noticed a definate handling increase going from 17" to 18" wheels on my 02 Stratus R/T.  I think the factory tire size was around 215-45-17's and I went to 225-40-18's.  I also went with 2" drop springs.  That car handled really good.

As far as the ride is concerned, it all has to do with the aspect ratio.  A higher sidewall is going to ride better than a tire with a short sidewall.  It's all about finding the balance between the look you want and the ride you want.  A good shock can also help mask the harsher ride of low profile tires.

I went from 15" wheels/tire on my Durango to 20" wheels/tires.  The ride was a little more harsh but it wasn't too bad.  The shocks were junk so I replaced them with Monroes.  That was the worst thing I ever did.  Those shocks made the ride soooooo much worse.  A higher quality shock would have helped the ride.  I'm not putting Monroes on anything anymore that's for sure.     

[the_engineers]

True, I should've been more specific. Modern suspensions are amazingly responsive to upgrades.

[GoodysGotaCuda]

I think Goodysgotacuda has 17 fronts and 18 rears. Just look for a thread where he posted and there will be a pic.

Here is a thread of my 17/18s on a '72 Cuda. I didn't really notice a change in ride quality, it's firm, but was always. My tires are pretty tall (rears are 28.5" (18" rim) fronts are 26" tall (17" rim)

http://www.cuda-challenger.com/cc/index.php?topic=74307.msg755337#msg755337

[cjm]

Thanks for all of the info........