Discussion Forum - Northstar Chevelle Club

BB502 · Active Member

tires and wheel sizes

bowtie · Secretary

When it comes time for me again, I will be looking at 17s. I like the look of a little less sidewall, plus the added benefit of stiffness.

Some cars can get away with larger wheels and still look good to me, but not many.

SShink · 3K+ Club

Sorry Roger, not much help but I'll be watching this thread as I have the same question for the 17 X 8 fronts and 17 X 9 rears with 4.5" backspacing that I have on the vert now as it's time for some new tires. The $60 swap meet set just don't have the width in the back I want.

BB502 · Active Member

Hey Stan tough to figure out, other feedback i've got is if you go wide on the front they tend to grab the road more, do want that.

Chris R · 2K+ Club

Once you figure out the size wheels you want. Then you can figure out the tires that will fit on those wheels.

SShink · 3K+ Club

I have new rims on it now since last year. Bought a $60 set of 17" tires at a swap meet so trying to figure out new tires over the winter. So what is this mystery method of figuring it out Chris R?

BB502 · Active Member

Stan, Are you talking the blue mags or did you get some others again??

Chris R · 2K+ Club

SShink wrote:
I have new rims on it now since last year. Bought a $60 set of 17" tires at a swap meet so trying to figure out new tires over the winter. So what is this mystery method of figuring it out Chris R?

I wouldnt say its a mystery Stan. It just depends on how wide the wheel is your going to be using and how wide of tire is the best suitable that will fit those wheels. For instance, if the plan was to use an 8 inch wide wheel, then the next step IMO would be to start looking into the best tire size. Sometimes, it depends on what size sidewall you want and sometimes, some brands fit better then others. Ive seen recommendations all over the map.

Lost in the 60s · President

Roger, are these for the '67 ? The first gen body doesn't have as much room for a tire/wheel combo as the second gen in the back. I have 275/60/15 tires that clear well but I don't see getting a much wider tire under there. Tire rack has a good chart for average width/height of each tire size. You can use the chart to compare 17" tires that are the same as a 275/60/15.

On the front, the 2 bodies seem to accommodate the same size. The big consideration is height/width of the overall combo and potential rubbing on the frame at full turn or on the fender with a lowered car. The sidewall on a 17" tire has to be shorter than a 15" to keep the overall diameter the same. My wheels are stock '71-72 7" SS wheels. Going to a wider wheel will bring the tire closer to the frame also. Again, using a chart to compare will get you close. I have 215/65/15 tires on the front of the '66 with no rubbing. A 235/60/15 will rub so something less than that should be ideal for the widest/tallest tire diameter without contact issues. Of course the all important wheel offset will play a big part of the equation too.

BB502 · Active Member

ya it's my 67, I want 17'' i think ? 215 or 225 seems to be better choice. I don't need anything till spring, I have 18'' on my impala i'll put them on and get a better idea.

Lost in the 60s · President

17" are getting popular on the '66-67 cars and do look good...

Derek69SS · Founding Member

SShink wrote:
Sorry Roger, not much help but I'll be watching this thread as I have the same question for the 17 X 8 fronts and 17 X 9 rears with 4.5" backspacing that I have on the vert now as it's time for some new tires. The $60 swap meet set just don't have the width in the back I want.

I'd go 245/40 and 275/40 on those sizes.

Derek69SS · Founding Member

...on 2nd thought, if you're not going to lower your car much, a 40-series tire will look too short. Since your car has stock-ish ride height, I'd go with a 45 or 50 series.

SShink · 3K+ Club

Derek69SS wrote:
...on 2nd thought, if you're not going to lower your car much, a 40-series tire will look too short. Since your car has stock-ish ride height, I'd go with a 45 or 50 series.

As always Derek, you are probably spot on. I did a bunch of research, and so far have landed on 245/45's for the front and 275/40's for the rears. That should fit good, and fill out the rear pretty well with it lowered since I have the 1" lowering springs.

Now on to tire selection... I'm trying to stay more with a touring tire than a competition based tire to keep the road noise down, but still have good handling. Any tire recommendations?

Lost in the 60s · President

We're kind of walking on Rogers thread here but, I put Cooper Zeon RS3A's on both my HHR and the wife's' TSX. These are great dry and wet traction tires and are reasonably quiet. They come in the sizes you are looking for and are quite inexpensive compared to many others.

http://www.discounttiredirect.com/direct/tires/cooper/product/byName.do?tmn=Zeon+RS3-A&typ=Passenger%2FPerformance

BB502 · Active Member

Dont worry about the thread i want to know about tires also.The nitto 450's look good.

SShink · 3K+ Club

BB502 wrote:
Dont worry about the thread i want to know about tires also.The nitto 450's look good.

Thanks Roger. From your original post, it looked like you wanted feedback, and we are talking about the same size rims and sounds like tires, so I kept building on your thread.

Mitch, thanks for the tire suggestion. Those do look pretty good, and a decent price. I'm tempted to go down the performance tire route, but will probably be happier with an all season touring tire like you suggested. I'm still researching though since there's no rush...

bowtie · Secretary

Keep in mind that there's differing levels of "performance" tires too. a performance oriented tire will not only have improved traction, it will help corner better (which these cars need all the help they can get), and they will brake better too. Chances are, you'll only buy 2 more sets of tires for your Chevelle ever, might as well make them count.

I have $60 tires on my car right now and hate them. Once this winter's projects are done, I will be again looking into wheels. I really like the look of mine, but the 15" wheel has so tall of a sidewall that it handles mushy. My plain old all season tire doesn't feel confident on highway curves, the feel like they're on the edge of sliding.

Derek69SS · Founding Member

The real high performance tires don't work very well below 50 degrees, and actually permanently lose a lot of their grip if they are ever exposed to freezing temperatures.

-- Edited by Derek69SS on Tuesday 25th of November 2014 10:34:12 AM

SShink · 3K+ Club

So Discount Tire has a Black Friday sale, and this one looks interesting for the specs and price:

Overview

The g-Force Super Sport AS delivers ultra high performance plus reliable all-season traction on dry, wet or snowy roads. Attractive pricing, long wear and great curb appeal deliver value that’s hard to beat. The g-Force Super Sport AS is available in a wide variety of sizes from 16 to 20-inch and profiles that include 35, 40, 45, 50 and 55 series. Tread, Corner, Sidewall

Vehicle Fitment

Fits these vehicles as well as many others:

Acura RSX
Chevrolet Camaro
Ford Mustang
Honda Civic, S2000
Mazda 3
Scion tC
Toyota Corolla
Suburu Impreza

Any thoughts/feedback?

Lost in the 60s · President

Did you read any reviews on this tire ? I read a dozen on Tire Rack and they seem to have separation issues for some.

Their on-line division has $50 off any set of 4 tires also. I just ordered 4 more Cooper Cobras for the Malibu. Wish they had more sizes in 14"

SShink · 3K+ Club

Lost in the 60s wrote:
Did you read any reviews on this tire ? I read a dozen on Tire Rack and they seem to have separation issues for some.

Their on-line division has $50 off any set of 4 tires also. I just ordered 4 more Cooper Cobras for the Malibu. Wish they had more sizes in 14"

Yeah, for every negative review I found a positive one. I'm not locked in on these, they just looked like a good value for an all season tire. Many of the Tire Rack reviews were on lighter import cars, so kind of hard to know how they would perform on a heavier Chevelle.

Still looking... the hunt is part of the fun.

I'm also looking at these Mickey Thompson's from Summit (free shipping & maybe I'll add them to my 1 1/4" front sway bar order):

Mickey Thompson 90000001600 - Mickey Thompson Street Comp Tires

At least there a few review's with american muscle cars, and they seem o.k.

SUMMIT LINK

Scott Parkhurst · Super Poster

I liked the Nittos I had on the wagon.

I had the 450s at first, but then upgraded to the 555s later. BIG difference and would highly recommend the 555s over the 450s.

I also ran only 45- and 50-series tires to get the look I wanted (enough sidewall to not have a rubber band tire look).

The rears were 255/50-17 and the fronts were 235/45-17. They looked good, cleared everything (on 17x8 wheels) and were pretty sticky when I threw it around.

Chris R · 2K+ Club

Scott Parkhurst wrote:
I liked the Nittos I had on the wagon.

I had the 450s at first, but then upgraded to the 555s later. BIG difference and would highly recommend the 555s over the 450s.

I also ran only 45- and 50-series tires to get the look I wanted (enough sidewall to not have a rubber band tire look).

The rears were 255/50-17 and the fronts were 235/45-17. They looked good, cleared everything (on 17x8 wheels) and were pretty sticky when I threw it around.

The way you got the wagon to look is exactly the inspiration of how I plan to get mine to look with the 17in Billet Specialties I have on hand for my 66. I don't care for the rubber band look either.

BB502 · Active Member

Hey Scott did the 450's ride better that 555's, I know the 555's handle better in the corners.

Scott Parkhurst · Super Poster

There was no difference in ride- but I had fully adjustable shocks that I'd soften up on the street and stiffen up at the track, so the tire wasn't too involved.

http://www.nittotire.com/passenger-tires/nt555-summer-ultra-high-performance-tire/

-- Edited by Scott Parkhurst on Friday 5th of December 2014 02:06:23 PM

SShink · 3K+ Club

Looks like I'm locking in on 255/50r17's for the rear, and probably 225/50r17's for the fronts. When researching, I ran across Scott's old wagon, and the link to the pic looks good for the rears in this size:

Scott's Tire Shots

Mine might look just a little wider as I have 17 X 9 rear rims, and Scott's are 17 X 8's. I'm with you Scott, that the 50 series still has enough sidewall. Anything wider than that just makes the tire not have enough rubber for our old cars.

SShink · 3K+ Club

SShink wrote:
Looks like I'm locking in on 255/50r17's for the rear, and probably 225/50r17's for the fronts. When researching, I ran across Scott's old wagon, and the link to the pic looks good for the rears in this size:
Scott's Tire Shots
Mine might look just a little wider as I have 17 X 9 rear rims, and Scott's are 17 X 8's. I'm with you Scott, that the 50 series still has enough sidewall. Anything wider than that just makes the tire not have enough rubber for our old cars.

I also found this Youtube video of a '65 Malibu that has the same size tires as what I'm considering. Thought you guys might like it since it's also a Malibu!

Derek69SS · Founding Member

225 will look kind of small on an 8" wheel. I'd go with a 235 if they're available in the tire you want.

SShink · 3K+ Club

Derek69SS wrote:
225 will look kind of small on an 8" wheel. I'd go with a 235 if they're available in the tire you want.

Thanks Derek. The 225 shows as 8.86" wide and 25.86" tall, and the 235 shows as 9.25" wide and 26.25" tall according to the tire calculator I found online. For the fronts, I was trying to get close to a 235/60r15 in size, since I think that is as big as will fit on '68-72 fronts with 4.25 Back Spacing, and still will only rub once in a while. The 235/60r15 is also 9.25" wide, so maybe the 235/50r17 will fit. I just don't remember if a 235/60r15 fits the fronts without any rubbing...

SShink · 3K+ Club

SShink wrote:
Derek69SS wrote:
225 will look kind of small on an 8" wheel. I'd go with a 235 if they're available in the tire you want.
I just don't remember if a 235/60r15 fits the fronts without any rubbing...

So I was out in the shop and looked at the stock 15" stock 5 spokes I have, and the front tires are 235/60r15's, so the 235/50r17's should fit! I hate it when my 'old' brain lets me down.

Lost in the 60s · President

SShink wrote:
SShink wrote:
Derek69SS wrote:
225 will look kind of small on an 8" wheel. I'd go with a 235 if they're available in the tire you want.
I just don't remember if a 235/60r15 fits the fronts without any rubbing...
So I was out in the shop and looked at the stock 15" stock 5 spokes I have, and the front tires are 235/60r15's, so the 235/50r17's should fit! I hate it when my 'old' brain lets me down.

That's called a "brain fart" and they get more frequent with age...

Something for you to look forward to...

Scott Parkhurst · Super Poster

The 235/50 will look pretty tall. I went with a 235/45 for that reason. Yet 235/40 looked too short to me.

It gets to be a personal opinion at that point- we're only talking about 1/4-inch or so...

SShink · 3K+ Club

Scott Parkhurst wrote:
The 235/50 will look pretty tall. I went with a 235/45 for that reason. Yet 235/40 looked too short to me.

It gets to be a personal opinion at that point- we're only talking about 1/4-inch or so...

According to the tire calculator I'm using, the 235/50's are .79" shorter than the 255/50's, so it should have a small rake to it. The 235's will have a wider look than the 225's by almost an inch as well.

Now to determine which brand of tires... I'm trying to stay with an all-season for good performance in lower temps like the mid 40's or so, since I do drive them in the Fall when it can dip down to that temp. But, most of the tires in these sizes are summer performance tires, so might have to compromise a little.

Derek69SS · Founding Member

Widths can vary quite a bit by brand too... I had 265/40/17 Dunlops that were 1-1/2" wider than 255/45/17 Kumhos, even though they "should" have only been 10mm wider

Lost in the 60s · President

SShink wrote:
Now to determine which brand of tires... I'm trying to stay with an all-season for good performance in lower temps like the mid 40's or so, since I do drive them in the Fall when it can dip down to that temp. But, most of the tires in these sizes are summer performance tires, so might have to compromise a little.

I vote for the performance tires. All season tires are a compromise at all aspects. The performance tire will give you an edge on handling. Even if they aren't as good at 40°, a few miles of driving will warm them up and they should be fine.

The Coopers I posted have rave reviews for all aspects of driving EXCEPT snow in any amount. Perfect for me as they come off before the snow flies and have been super on both the HHR and TSX for wet and dry traction and handling. They have different tread patterns across the face for different conditions.

SShink · 3K+ Club

Update... I ended up going with Dunlop Direzza DZ102's. Got them installed on the rims today, but still need to put them on the vert to see how they work out. They were a a reasonably priced summer performance tire, plus I get a $20 per tire rebate since my father-in-law is a Goodyear Associate.

The fronts are 1" shorter than the rears, so I think it will give it a good rake, while filling out the rears better.

Front: 225/45R17

24 & 5/8" Tall

Rear: 245/45R17

25.5" Tall

Sorry for the giant size pics, but I don't know how to make them smaller since my phone camera is on 'normal' setting for the size...

5-11-15 072.jpg

5-11-15 069.jpg

5-11-15 071.jpg

Lost in the 60s · President

Nice looking tire. Be cautious the first time you get caught in rain as they don't have much sipping for wet traction.