Hey all,

I'm looking to upgrade a stock '65 Satellite with better rims and tires. Not competition, not exotic, just a decent improvement over stock. Looking for some guidance or recommendations.

I've always run stock rims on my Mopars. Never bought mags, etc. The extent of my tire experience is to head over to the tire shop I've used for decades, talk with the owner about the choices, pick a good set of radials and keep it balanced and aligned (my '67 Satellite currently has a set of GoodYear Assurance's on it and they are fine).

Basic Facts:
- The car is a freshly restored '65 Satellite factory big block. For a margin of improved handling I've equipped it with Firm Feel front and rear sway bars, Monroe Gas-Matic shocks on front, and Monroe Sensa-Traks on the rear.

- The current rims are stock steelies 14" (x 5.5"?), 4.5" bolt pattern that are pretty well used, dented, etc. Time for new ones.

- Tires that came with the car are General Tire 215/70R14 296's on stock steelie rims. Nothing refined about them. Time for new tires.

What should a rookie like me be aware of in terms of basic dimensions before selecting a new set of slightly larger rims for a little more handling & road performance? I assume I keep the stock backspacing to avoid rubbing on the sway bars?

My goals are:
- Keep pretty much stock appearance. So I think I'd buy a new set of steel rims that I can keep the stock 14" push-on full hubcaps on (I recall a supplier who has an option on 15" steel rims that allow the stock 14" hubcaps).
- Size the rims to accommodate a future upgrade to disc front brakes. Eventually rear discs are possible too. I see a lot of discs that fit behind 15" rims.
- Don't want such a large size that I have to modify fenders or wheel wells to accommodate them.
- I am attracted to Radir's Tri-rib style mags and might buy a set of them to change the look and "show category" of the car. Not sure whether I'd buy the same dimension as the steelies.

Based on the wide use of 15x7 rims, I assume this is a size that is a good starting point for my needs that doesn't demand modifications elsewhere in the suspension, plus it has a lot of product selection. Is this true?

Driving habits:
- Personal, daily twisty country road pleasure driving.
- Occasional long distance all day family highway trips.

Thanks!
-Art

Here is the car:

My take on the Radir's is that they don't really match with the period and 'stock style' of your car.
Those Radir wheels these days are considered a wheel for '50/60s custom cars or certain '30/40s hotrods when built in the '50/60s.

If you like to drive a lot and turn the wheels in the corners a lot, I would strongly advice to go with aluminium wheels.
The car will feel more 'nimble' with lighter weights on it's feet.
I agree it's unfortunate no one has ever stepped up to the plate to recreate the factory steelwheels in an aluminium version.
You could perhaps get a set of alum. wheels, then paint them black and fab little brackets on them so you can still mount the wheelcovers if you want.

As for tires I'm a fan of 15" 60-height tires. I would use something like a 215/60/15 on the fronts and 235/60/15 on the rear. The lower 60-height tires will give more stability.
Choose a good brand of 'touring' tires.

Nice car. I'd think a +1 concept would be best-ie the same overall dia with a wider/shorter tire. Size wise I come up with a 235/60-15. Tire Rack only shows 3 tires in that size. You could go to a 225/60-15, lose a little diameter but more options. HTH, Steve

You did a pretty good job of laying out all the background, regarding car, improvements, and your expectations for this upgrade, except for one thing, the other cars you already drive, I think that would add to the equation.

Just be aware that varying the height from stock will affect the speedometer and odometer. There are ways to compensate if the variance is too much.

T70R

There are some "period-correct" options if that's what you want - Cragar S/S, American Torque-Thrust come to mind; and I've seen chrome Magnum 500s on those cars that looked nice, though it's a bit later wheel. Given the colors on your car, I'd likely prefer a chrome or polished wheel, but your opinion may differ.
When I wanted to run 14" wheels on a Road Runner, I bought 14x7s and they helped the cornering a bit compared to the 5.5 width; I ran 225/70 or 235/70 tires. A larger wheel, say 15x7, and a 60-series tire, will step up the cornering, and a 235 front and maybe 275 rear are about as big as you can fit. You can also get a 15x8 rear wheel in there with 4.5 backspace. I think Firestone's Indy 500 series is still the best bang-for-buck street tire, but that may have changed.

Thank you all for the input, guys. I appreciate it.
I'll take a day or two to digest the options and narrow down some of your collective ideas. Thanks especially for the tire size input.

The Radir's would be a future upgrade, for now my desire is to stick with steelies. The Radir Tri-Rib is actually very close to period correct, I got the idea from a period photo posted here of some USAF Officers in a brand new '65 Sat with similar mags. It looked sharp. And there are some guys running Radir's on their '63 and '64 Dodge drag cars at Lebanon Valley, so I even have personal exposure to them - they looked great, yes polished but not chromed.

Hi JC!
Is this what you're asking about...
?

Yea that's it , thought it would bring some background to the discussion.

15x7 wheel
235 60 15 tire which translates to 26.1 inches tall & 8 inches of tread.
This is what will work best on your car and you will not be disappointed

Back on topic -

Quote:

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15x7 wheel
235 60 15 tire which translates to 26.1 inches tall & 8 inches of tread.
This is what will work best on your car and you will not be disappointed

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Thanks Tom, I appreciate the direct recommendation. I talked briefly with the tire shop. We agreed I'll bring the car over there and have a look at their offerings. I'll roll a sample tire or two outside to the car so I can see the size and how it looks, before I pull the trigger

-Art