RE: IML: 11.00 x 14 ?

[Chris Hawkins <imperial1966@xxxxxxxxx>]

11:00 x 14's were last optional from the factory in
early 1959, before the changeover mid-year to 15"
wheels.  They ran at 16lbs(!) of air pressure and a
road test of the era with these tires found they gave
a pillowy ride, but were a little squirmy otherwise. 
They certainly did no favors for handling.  

With air suspensions being the rage in 1958, the big
thing for autos was a soft ride.  I suspect the
11:00x14 tires were specified as a companion option to
be used with Chrysler's rear air-assist suspension. 
No doubt the plan was to get the Imperial's ride as
soft as a Cadillac on full air suspension.  (At least
when the Cadillac wasn't dead on the ground when all
the air leaked out!)

Chris H.


--- DickB@xxxxxxxxx wrote:

> If I recall correctly, the previous owner of your
> car, Kenyon, had me look
> up for him the original tire size for his car, and I
> believe the original
> size was 8.90X15, which he then bought for the car. 
> That size is getting
> very hard to find, as it was used only on very heavy
> cars.  I believe those
> tires that he bought were supplied by Coker.  A 1955
> would not have had 14
> inch rims on it, as far as I know.
> 
> If anyone else wants me to check my listings, I have
> the material from the
> recap plant that I worked in as a teenager in the
> mid-50s, with listings of
> the OEM sizes for all US cars of that era.   Chryco
> cars went to 14 inch
> wheels in 1957, and woke up to reality sometime
> during 1959 and went back to
> 15 inch.
> 
> Dick Benjamin
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: mailing-list-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> [mailto:mailing-list-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
> Behalf Of Kenyon Wills
> Sent: Tuesday, September 04, 2007 5:34 PM
> To: mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: Re: IML: 11.00 x 14 ?
> 
> My 1955 came with Denman 8-ply Super Cushions on it.
> 
> Don't recall the size.
> 
> These were 8 ply, and were of larger outside
> diameter.
>  I know this because the trunk would not close on
> the
> vertically-mounted spare due to keeping one as a
> spare
> and trying that when I got 4 new BFGoodrich
> Silvertowns to drive on.
> 
> Bought an additional BFG and mounted to that spare
> rim
> and I was OK.
> 
> The larger, heavier duty tires specified for Ghias
> have been recently discontinued at Coker, and I'd
> encourage you to look at the BFGoodrich SilverTowns
> -
> have been VERY happy with them, and I don't think
> you
> need the extra durability that the larger tires
> provide/don't know how they'll fit on your car.  
> 
> Interesting question:  As the Ghias were built on
> stock Imperials, were the wheels, rear axle, or
> wheel
> arch/housings changed to make the larger tires fit?
> 
> If not, then the answer is that they'll interchange
> with no problem.  I suspect they'll interchange
> without a clearance problem, but that's guessing and
> nothing more.
> 
> 
> -Kenyon
> --- ChiPieAlandPaula@xxxxxxx wrote:
> 
> > Hello All,
> >  What I am about to say is strictly an opinion.
> > Always heard that the  "super 
> > cushions" were designed to take the extreme weight
> > of the Ghia limos.  This 
> > from a salesmen that specialized in New Yorkers
> and
> > Imperials during that  era. 
> > Really do not have any idea either way. Just a bit
> > of "trivia" to add to  
> > this thread.
> >                                                   
>  
> >           Allan from 
> > Billings, Montana
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > ************************************** Get a sneak
> > peek of the all-new AOL at 
> > http://discover.aol.com/memed/aolcom30tour
> > 
> 
> 
> 
>  
>
____________________________________________________________________________
> ________
> Shape Yahoo! in your own image.  Join our Network
> Research Panel today!
>
http://surveylink.yahoo.com/gmrs/yahoo_panel_invite.asp?a=7
> 
> 
> 
> 
> -----------------  http://www.imperialclub.com 
> -----------------
> This message was sent to you by the Imperial Mailing
> List. Please 
> reply to mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx and your
> response will be 
> shared with everyone. Private messages (and
> attachments) for the
> Administrators should be sent to
> iml.webmonster@xxxxxxxxx
> To UN-SUBSCRIBE, go to
> http://imperialclub.com/unsubscribe.htm
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> -----------------  http://www.imperialclub.com 
> -----------------
> This message was sent to you by the Imperial Mailing
> List. Please 
> reply to mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx and your
> response will be 
> shared with everyone. Private messages (and
> attachments) for the
> Administrators should be sent to
> iml.webmonster@xxxxxxxxx
> To UN-SUBSCRIBE, go to
> http://imperialclub.com/unsubscribe.htm
> 
> 



       
____________________________________________________________________________________
Got a little couch potato? 
Check out fun summer activities for kids.
http://search.yahoo.com/search?fr=oni_on_mail&p=summer+activities+for+kids&cs=bz 

-----------------  http://www.imperialclub.com  -----------------
This message was sent to you by the Imperial Mailing List. Please 
reply to mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx and your response will be 
shared with everyone. Private messages (and attachments) for the
Administrators should be sent to iml.webmonster@xxxxxxxxx
To UN-SUBSCRIBE, go to http://imperialclub.com/unsubscribe.htm