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Taller 17" tires for classic Mopars?

Posted By: Slant6pak

Taller 17" tires for classic Mopars? - 10/26/14 08:30 PM

Hey guys,

Both me and my father are considering the new 17" YO wheels for our cars (1971 Road Runner and a 1970 Challenger).

I seem to remember a while back somebody found a source for taller 17" performance tires to cure the "o-ring" look of most available tires.

For the life of me I cannot remember the source and cannot locate it by doing a search...

Can somebody help me out?

Thanks
Posted By: 68LAR

Re: Taller 17" tires for classic Mopars? - 10/26/14 08:42 PM

MY opinion..... I don't like that type of wheel/tire combo on ANY old muscle car. To me, it just don't look right. 15 inch wheel is max in my book.
Just my opinion and
Posted By: m88mark

Re: Taller 17" tires for classic Mopars? - 10/26/14 08:45 PM

Quote:

Hey guys,

Both me and my father are considering the new 17" YO wheels for our cars (1971 Road Runner and a 1970 Challenger).

I seem to remember a while back somebody found a source for taller 17" performance tires to cure the "o-ring" look of most available tires.

For the life of me I cannot remember the source and cannot locate it by doing a search...

Can somebody help me out?

Thanks

Got 255 50 17 Nitto on a challenger, wish I had 55. Quite a few choices.
Posted By: Challenger 1

Re: Taller 17" tires for classic Mopars? - 10/26/14 08:45 PM

Quote:

Hey guys,

Both me and my father are considering the new 17" YO wheels for our cars (1971 Road Runner and a 1970 Challenger).

I seem to remember a while back somebody found a source for taller 17" performance tires to cure the "o-ring" look of most available tires.

For the life of me I cannot remember the source and cannot locate it by doing a search...

Can somebody help me out?

Thanks



If the rim is 17" then I don't see how your gonna make the tire sidewall appear larger?

I agree with the above poster, anything over 15" don't look right to me. Good luck to you.
Posted By: m88mark

Re: Taller 17" tires for classic Mopars? - 10/26/14 08:58 PM

Quote:

Quote:

Hey guys,

Both me and my father are considering the new 17" YO wheels for our cars (1971 Road Runner and a 1970 Challenger).

I seem to remember a while back somebody found a source for taller 17" performance tires to cure the "o-ring" look of most available tires.

For the life of me I cannot remember the source and cannot locate it by doing a search...

Can somebody help me out?

Thanks



If the rim is 17" then I don't see how your gonna make the tire sidewall appear larger?

I agree with the above poster, anything over 15" don't look right to me. Good luck to you.

I agree also, but I put the road wheels on the 66 Ply sooo until I get the funds for orange wheels & dog dish caps I'm stuck. when your at a show parked next to 18 & 20 they don't look quite so bad.
Posted By: DAYCLONA

Re: Taller 17" tires for classic Mopars? - 10/26/14 09:16 PM

17" rims look good on the larger B bodies (71 up) as long as the tire's sidewall is somewhat generous, 17" tires are somewhat limited in choice, the best available are 255 and 275/50/17 to fit the YO 17X8 or 9 inch rims are from Nitto, Nitto Extreme 450 they are 27 and 27.8" tall, about the wideset/tallest 17" tire for that YO rim available


The ride/stance of this 71 looks great on 17" YO rims IMHO

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Posted By: Pacnorthcuda

Re: Taller 17" tires for classic Mopars? - 10/26/14 09:23 PM

I consider 15 the absolute MINIMUM and 17 the absolute MAX. Tire selection sucks in 15. I like the tread width that 16 and 17s provide with there lower aspect ratios.

I wish someone would make a 275/55/15 other than the $500/ea Avons.
Posted By: AndyF

Re: Taller 17" tires for classic Mopars? - 10/26/14 11:27 PM

A 235/55-17 tire should fit most Mopar wheel wells. Use a 17x8 rim with stock offset if you can find one. A 235/55-17 is fairly close in size to the larger optional tires that were available in the 70's. It is also a fairly common size since it is an OEM tire on several new vehicles.

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Posted By: Mr T2U

Re: Taller 17" tires for classic Mopars? - 10/26/14 11:35 PM

i mounted 235/55/17" tires from a 08 mustang GT on a 72 road runner.
i THINK i used a 17" X 8" rim
looks great if you lower the car a little.
my car was lowered 1 1/2".

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Posted By: GoodysGotaCuda

Re: Taller 17" tires for classic Mopars? - 10/26/14 11:35 PM

I had to go to 18s on the rear of mine to get a tall tire on it, but that was several years ago. I exhausted all of the options that 17s had to offer and couldn't get close to the 295/45/18 that I have back there now.

They are 28.5" tall....a tall tire, to compare, the 235/55/17's mentioned in this thread are 26.75". Also the beloved 275/60/15 is 28" tall.

You won't get everyone to like larger wheels, but you can sure get a lot of them to appreciate the attempt if it's executed well. Tall tires are required to help keep a relative wheel to sidewall height ratio.

For some reference Cuda-Challenger has a very large "wheel thread" that has lots of different configurations.

Posted By: AndyF

Re: Taller 17" tires for classic Mopars? - 10/26/14 11:46 PM

Here is an old picture of my Coronet on the chassis dyno. I think this was about 15 years ago. Not very many Mopars running 17 inch wheels back then. I had custom Fikse rims and I think these tires were 325/50-17. They were big. Eagle super tires OE fitment on the McLaren.

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Posted By: feets

Re: Taller 17" tires for classic Mopars? - 10/27/14 01:18 AM

I put 295/45-18 on the hot rod years ago. It looked good.

The fronts were 245/45-18 and I wish they were a bit taller.

If the Imperial gets 18" wheels I will have to move to a mid size SUV tire to get the height necessary on that car.

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Posted By: 71birdJ68

Re: Taller 17" tires for classic Mopars? - 10/27/14 01:33 AM

I think they look awful.
Posted By: GoodysGotaCuda

Re: Taller 17" tires for classic Mopars? - 10/27/14 01:42 AM

Quote:

I think they look awful.



Ok.
Posted By: feets

Re: Taller 17" tires for classic Mopars? - 10/27/14 01:57 AM

Quote:

Quote:

I think they look awful.



Ok.



Some people gotta stick with original.

Others, like us, would rather have a far more capable (and safer) car.
Too many loonies on the road in cars that far outperform the old stuff from the 60s, especially in braking.
Posted By: blaze

Re: Taller 17" tires for classic Mopars? - 10/27/14 02:15 AM

It's already been stated, but I agree. 15" max
Posted By: OzHemi

Re: Taller 17" tires for classic Mopars? - 10/27/14 02:23 AM

15" is for trailers.... 17" or 18" is the way to go.

(plenty of size choices out there now too, especially in 18" even it seems) so you can really narrow it down to just what you want/need in sizing.
Posted By: GoodysGotaCuda

Re: Taller 17" tires for classic Mopars? - 10/27/14 02:46 AM

Quote:


Some people gotta stick with original.

Others, like us, would rather have a far more capable (and safer) car.
Too many loonies on the road in cars that far outperform the old stuff from the 60s, especially in braking.




As long as the "original" guys don't run into minivans full of people, they don't have much to worry about.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nAx2jtr3K8

Posted By: AndyF

Re: Taller 17" tires for classic Mopars? - 10/27/14 05:09 AM

I wrote a chapter in my B-body book on modern wheels and tires so you might start there. Basically the trick is to stay with an overall tire size that is close to the largest size that the factory put on the cars. If you do that then the car will look "correct" since the tire size fits with the body style.

You can break the rule if you're willing to lower the car or move other things around, but generally you do want to stay with the factory tire size.

Wheel size doesn't matter much as long as the tire size (diameter) is kept close to OE. For most Mopar cars that means that you need a 27 inch diameter tire to fill up the wheelwell. The cars can look funny if the tire diameter isn't close to 27 inches.

The 235/55-17 tire is close to the same dimensions as an old G70-15 tire which was used in the muscle car days. The 17 inch wheel gives you enough room for a 13 inch brake package which is far superior to the factory disc brakes. Since the tire is basically the same size as a factory tire the overall look will be roughly the same. If you use a fairly conventional looking wheel then a lot of people won't even know that you have 17 inch wheels on the car.
Posted By: beecrazy69

Re: Taller 17" tires for classic Mopars? - 10/27/14 05:12 AM

Feets and Goody

I think both of your cars look great! Sure stock tires/wheels look good on a bone stock resto, but having a car that has upgrades needs better tires too!

My 69 Bee is looking silly with 275/60R15s and 255/60R15.... too much sidewall. I do like the 17/18 look Goody, the sidewall ratio front to rear looks absolutely perfect with that side shot.

Don
Posted By: Supercuda

Re: Taller 17" tires for classic Mopars? - 10/27/14 06:50 AM

It's all perception. Feets and Goody's rims look good, imo. 17" ralleys something is off in how they look.

But that is my opinion.

I got 17's on my DD and 15's on my 65 Cuda, when you consider that the Cuda came with 13's it's a big step up. I can't imagine how it'd look with 17's.
Posted By: feets

Re: Taller 17" tires for classic Mopars? - 10/27/14 07:25 AM

I will agree on the plus sized rally wheels. They look like poo. The proportions are all jacked up. The center cap is too small for the outer diameter and the wheel bolt pattern is dwarfed in the middle of it.
When you get used to seeing a wheel in certain proportions it looks out of sorts when only part of it gets stretched.
Posted By: Silver70

Re: Taller 17" tires for classic Mopars? - 10/27/14 03:41 PM

On e-bodies and 71 and up b-bodies, 17s look right at home. I ran 20s on the back of my challenger and I admit they looked too big but they were actually cheaper than going 15, 17 or 18. The problem with 15s is there are only so many options, even 17s don't have as many as 18 or 20s.

Google tire size chart and you can see the tire sizes and compare to known 15" or other combos that are known to work.... then pick the size you want.
Posted By: skicker

Re: Taller 17" tires for classic Mopars? - 10/27/14 04:37 PM

the 70 Satellite wheel well openings are huge.
My rears are 17" tires are 275-60-17 and measure at 29.98. Sadly these are no longer available, so no more burnouts for me.
Increasing the wheel diameter is fine when increasing the sidewall to match.
Ultimately its your car. Screw it if the rest don't like it.

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Posted By: Butterscotch71

Re: Taller 17" tires for classic Mopars? - 10/27/14 06:38 PM

275/40 17s all around, just put on a couple weeks ago. Thinking I may want to lower it a little. I wish someone made a 275/45.

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Posted By: DPelletier

Re: Taller 17" tires for classic Mopars? - 10/27/14 07:36 PM

Quote:

Quote:

Quote:

I think they look awful.



Ok.



Some people gotta stick with original.

Others, like us, would rather have a far more capable (and safer) car.
Too many loonies on the road in cars that far outperform the old stuff from the 60s, especially in braking.



Admittedly, I prefer the stock look so nothing bigger than 15's for me. OTOH, some with larger diameter rims don't look bad and I always thought the hotrod looked good.

I would, however, like to address the alleged safety issue; though it is true that most modern cars outperform our old cars as it relates to handling and braking, it isn't as though they are inherently unsafe; my car with radial tires and factory disc brakes does just fine...you need to keep in mind that there are many vehicles on the road today that can't come close to even 1970 passenger car braking and handling....tractor trailers, pickups with campers and travel trailers, motorhomes, etc. etc. My Superbee outhandles and outbrakes my Ram diesel with my camper on board....and I have no safety concerns driving either one....you just have to THINK about what you're driving. Otherwise logic would dictate that we are all insane for driving anything other than a new Corvette (or similar).



Dave
Posted By: Sxrxrnr

Re: Taller 17" tires for classic Mopars? - 10/27/14 08:36 PM

275-60-15 rear(28 inch), 235-60-15 front. Excellent stance, good ride, so so handling and braking.

'O' ring tires on oversize rims, DUBS is the man, IMHO.

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Posted By: AndyF

Re: Taller 17" tires for classic Mopars? - 10/27/14 09:34 PM

Yeah, the 275/40-17 is a little too short. Even a 275/45 is short. You really need to stay larger than 27 inches to fill up the wheelwells. A car like that has big wheelwells so you can go even larger than 27 inches of diameter. You can probably fit a 275/60-17 in the rear, not sure about the front. Perhaps a 275/50-17 will fit up there?
Posted By: jose jones

Re: Taller 17" tires for classic Mopars? - 10/27/14 11:18 PM

Don't listen to these guys that a 15 inch tire and wheel is the only way ,17 inch wheels are awesome on these old cars The quality of a 17 inch Nitto tire is far superior to a 15 inch BFG radial T/A. several years ago on the way to a Mopar show in November I blew a 235-60-15 BFG Radial T/A about tore the front fender off the car, NO ONE in the USA had a new one, BFG was not scheduled to make another batch until the following February
No more 15 inch tires for me you are just screwed if you mess one up out on the highway
Posted By: feets

Re: Taller 17" tires for classic Mopars? - 10/28/14 06:55 AM

Quote:


I would, however, like to address the alleged safety issue



I don't see it as an alleged safety issue. Instead, I see it as giving me a fighting chance to either stop or get out of the way.
It's not possible to win every battle on the street but I'll take any advantage I can get.
Posted By: Tom_440

Re: Taller 17" tires for classic Mopars? - 10/28/14 07:25 AM

Quote:

Yeah, the 275/40-17 is a little too short. Even a 275/45 is short. You really need to stay larger than 27 inches to fill up the wheelwells. A car like that has big wheelwells so you can go even larger than 27 inches of diameter. You can probably fit a 275/60-17 in the rear, not sure about the front. Perhaps a 275/50-17 will fit up there?



I agree. But I wanted to keep all tires the same size so went with 275-40-17 for autocross. I kept the Cragers and BFG's on the shelf, but really like driving with the Nittos far better!

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Posted By: feets

Re: Taller 17" tires for classic Mopars? - 10/28/14 04:07 PM

Quote:

I kept the Cragers and BFG's on the shelf, but really like driving with the Nittos far better!



A good set of tires makes an amazing difference.
Posted By: DPelletier

Re: Taller 17" tires for classic Mopars? - 10/28/14 05:09 PM

Quote:

Quote:


I would, however, like to address the alleged safety issue



I don't see it as an alleged safety issue. Instead, I see it as giving me a fighting chance to either stop or get out of the way.
It's not possible to win every battle on the street but I'll take any advantage I can get.



Peterbuilt has your ride then!


Seriously, if you seriously want to do everything you can to mitigate risks then you should drive a new car. Stability control, traction control, airbags, ABS. etc. etc.

OTOH what do I know about risk mitigation, I ride motorcycles.



Dave
Posted By: AndyF

Re: Taller 17" tires for classic Mopars? - 10/28/14 06:06 PM

It also depends on the car. We ran 275/40-17 tires on all four corners on Tim's road race Valiant. Those tires really fill up the wheelwells on an A body but they might look small on a late B-body.
Posted By: GoodysGotaCuda

Re: Taller 17" tires for classic Mopars? - 10/29/14 01:54 PM

Quote:


Peterbuilt has your ride then!


Dave



There's no "U" in Peterbilt. Sorry, I had to fix that one for personal reasons.
Posted By: 6PKRTSE

Re: Taller 17" tires for classic Mopars? - 10/29/14 03:11 PM

There are alot of nice rides & wheel & tire combo's posted here. I am a 15" tire & wheel guy myself on all of my cars. Although, I have never been able to afford anything larger to ever try out on my cars anyway. They have all always rode, drove & stopped just fine for the last 40 years. My 2012 Challenger however does have 20" wheels & tires on it & I think they also look to big on this car too but it is growing on me.
Posted By: 69/70 Plymies

Re: Taller 17" tires for classic Mopars? - 10/29/14 03:26 PM

Quote:

MY opinion..... I don't like that type of wheel/tire combo on ANY old muscle car. To me, it just don't look right. 15 inch wheel is max in my book.
Just my opinion and



A BIG 10-4 on that opinion. I agree 110%!
Posted By: feets

Re: Taller 17" tires for classic Mopars? - 10/29/14 04:56 PM

Quote:

Seriously, if you seriously want to do everything you can to mitigate risks then you should drive a new car. Stability control, traction control, airbags, ABS. etc. etc.

OTOH what do I know about risk mitigation, I ride motorcycles.



Dave




I drive a 2014 Chrysler 200 daily. It performed fairly well in crash testing.

The Imperial gets driven for pleasure and you never know what will happen on the streets.
Posted By: filmsurgeon

Re: Taller 17" tires for classic Mopars? - 10/30/14 06:48 AM

Quote:

Quote:

MY opinion..... I don't like that type of wheel/tire combo on ANY old muscle car. To me, it just don't look right. 15 inch wheel is max in my book.
Just my opinion and



A BIG 10-4 on that opinion. I agree 110%!



I'm of that "old" school of thought as well. I personally prefer the 15" wheel look on this era of muscle cars. Granted, I did briefly consider going 17", but in the end, I decided to stay 15". Here are some photos of my new American Racing AR500 (aka VN500) wheels.





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