Re: [FWDLK] Tires for a '57 Chrysler....
[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Re: [FWDLK] Tires for a '57 Chrysler....



Thanks Wayne. I will stick with the 14" wheels. I will post pictures on the website when I get this all together. Should be next month.
 
James
-----Original Message-----
From: Wayne Graefen [mailto:wgraefen@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Thursday, December 20, 2007 5:20 AM
To: Forwardlook; James Z
Subject: Re: Tires for a '57 Chrysler....

James, you have a lot going on here. 
 
I think 99% of everyone would agree that the ONLY reason the '57-60 Chrysler products and most others had 14" wheels was to enhance the look of the car.  They are SO MUCH more attractive on 15" wheels - they look RIGHT on the cars.   And so many high dollar auction cars have the reproduction Chrysler style (not others) wire wheels because they look FANTASTIC on the cars.  Many Chrysler dealers still had them in their parts rooms because of their option status from '52-56 so they were put on then and are still being installed now!
 
The original wheels on your car were 6" wide for those 8.50 tires.  The Letter Car 300C had 6.5" wide wheels for 9.00 tires.   Those 9.00s had 2.5" wide whitewalls.   The turning radius of a car is not at all relevant to the width of the wheels or tires.  That radius is determined entirely by the travel of the suspension components from side to side.
 
You can certainly get 7" wide wheels in your wheel wells - the rear being the start of the concern.  You don't want to have to drop the springs to change tires on the rear axle.  8" wheels with wide tires would be about the start of that problem.  7s are not any problem.   Remember as you add wheel and add tire you are adding weight and this is "unsprung weight" which you will feel inside the car and in the steering wheel on any rough road.  Wheels must be measured inside the bead of the wheel, not the measurement of the overall width of the entire wheel.
 
The relevance of the width of the wheel to the width of the tire is all about safety.  If the tire is too small relevant to the width of the wheel, under hard cornering it could be pulled off the stressing side and blow out its air.  Conversely, if the tire is too wide, it will not seat perfectly to the rim and may lose air simply because of that.  Whether too wide or too narrow for the wheel, you can also expect wear problems due to the altered profile and possible balancing problems.
 
The desk people at Diamondback can advise you on correct wheel width for any tire you choose.  Each tire manufacturer provides engineering specifications of a maximum and minimum wheel width suitable to each size tire.
 
Since you have mentioned wanting to go with wire wheels, may I offer a suggestion?   Buy a set of the Chrysler style reproduction wire wheels and center hub caps.  Get the standard 15 x 6 size.  Talk to Diamondback about what brands of tires they have that would come close to a 8.50 x 15 OEM tire which is what Chrysler had on those wheels.   Buy a brand you like or take their professional recommendations but mention you don't want some tread design that looks too modern.  Specify whether you want a 2.25 or 2.5" whitewall.   
Doing the above, you should get a highly favorable look for your car that will add value by enhanced appearance, enhanced handling and enhanced ride.
 
And let us know how it all comes out.
 
Wayne
 

*************************************************************

To unsubscribe or set your subscription options, please go to
http://lists.psu.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=l-forwardlook&A=1




Home Back to the Home of the Forward Look Network


Copyright © The Forward Look Network. All rights reserved.

Opinions expressed in posts reflect the views of their respective authors.
This site contains affiliate links for which we may be compensated.