Plus-sized Wheel/Tire Pics

[Jonnyuma]

Some of you have taken the plunge... put larger diameter wheels and tires on your F, M, or J body car(s). I've seen some pictures on the forum, but they're scattered around in various threads covering myriad subjects. Maybe we can consolidate them here for easy reference.

Doesn't matter if it's your personal ride or not, any F, M, J body with big rollers would be helpful. If it is yours, please provide the specs: wheel/tire size, backspacing, whether you lowered the car or did other suspension work, etc.

I've been looking into some late model Charger "Pursuit" (cop car) wheels. They're 18x7.5 and have 5.25"(+/-) of backspacing. A 1" bolt pattern adapter would net 4.25" of backspacing, which is just about perfect for an M body. Stock tire size is a small-ish 225/60 18.

Ironically, Ford Explorer "Pursuit" wheels look exactly the same, but have the correct bolt pattern (5x114.3), are 8" wide, and mysteriously cost about 200-250% more than the genuine Mopar units... weird.

The Mopar center caps are insanly expensive (for what they are) at $50-$75 ea.

 

[Jonnyuma]

Piggy-backing on the Mopar Pursuit wheels... some more numbers:
Wheels are $104 @ Summit.
Caps run +/- $60 ea
Quality Spacer/adapter $30ea
New lugs, valve stems, mount, balance, etc $??
Not quite the "low budget" alternative I was after...

 

[jasperjacko]

17x9 275 40 17 5 5/8 backspace. plenty of clearance. 18's would have been better, these tires were to short for my taste.

 

[Jonnyuma]

Well first, I think it looks great.
[QUOTE="jasperjacko, post: 84924, member: 399"... ]these tires were to short for my taste.[/QUOTE]I won't look at anything below a 45 aspect ratio for this car, and that's on an 18" rim... I'd prefer a 50 or 55 series. Ive found some wheels (17s and 18s) that I think are "Lebaron classy", not too sporty or "tuner"- looking for reasonable dough, but no matter what this is gonna be expensive

I like these too, but they might be a little too retro for a 79...

I prefer the closed vs open centers... I'm not too interested in showing off my tiny stock brakes, which would only look pathetic behind big ol wheels.

225/50 17s and 255/45 18s should fit. They're 26 and 27 inches in dia, the same as what I have now (235/60 & 255/60 15s). The sidwalls are w/in 1/4" of each other so the propotions will be right even w the different aspect ratios. But, like I said... it's gonna take money.

 

[Oldiron440]

The second one would almost look mopar with black where the gray is.

 

[Jonnyuma]

The second one would almost look mopar with black where the gray is.

Yep... I like these too...

Which are an all black version of the Magnum 500s (and the other OEM's versions... everyone used these)

I like them a lot, and prefer the all-black wheels, buuuut... they skip from 15" to 17" (no 18") and I think that 2" is too much difference at those sizes. I could go w 17s all around, but that tends to make the rears look small, imo. It's an illusion, yes... one that the right sized tires, rim width, and offset can help remedy... they're (the black ones) aren't off the table.

 

[Oldiron440]

I'm not a fan of all black wheels but painting the spokes silver would cure that.

 

[Jonnyuma]

I'm not a fan of all black wheels but painting the spokes silver would cure that.

I am. In fact, the only thing I don't like about the first one I posted is the polished lip. Again, it's an illusion, but the oversized black (or grey) wheel tones-down the low profile tire's low profile-ness.

Honestly, if I could, I would contract for a custom-forged set of aluminium (to keep weight down) cop wheels. I think I'd prefer 16s and 17s, but it's damn hard to find decent 16" tires in a size I like that ALSO have a corresponding 17" size I like. I may be getting too caught up in having the same brand front-to-back... but considering how much $$ this is gonna cost anyway, having it look "thrown-together" is not an option.

I think some chrome lug nuts on the all-black version would be enough contrast for me.

ETA: After taking a closer look at the AR "Magnum 500"s, it looks like painting the rim black on the polished version would be an easy masking job... you might be on to something there...

 

[Oldiron440]

With the all black look so popular and used so much I have thought about doing a set of wheels in medium dark gray with a silver white pearl mid coat with a mat finish clear cote. Kind of a spin on the all black look.

 

[Jonnyuma]

With the all black look so popular and used so much I have thought about doing a set of wheels in medium dark gray with a silver white pearl mid coat with a mat finish clear cote. Kind of a spin on the all black look.

I like the sound of that. Think outside the box. That's what makes car-guys hot-rodders.
I've been over the "murdered-out" thing since before it began. I'll never paint trim black unless it has a balancing "shiny"... I prefer to tone down brightwork w silver or argent grey. Blacking out window trim can make the glass appear more flush and streamlined... I do like that.

I like black wheels but I've been putting black steelies on everything I've owned since the 90s. Yeah, I still like the look, but yeah... maybe it's time to move on, even tho I still think it looks badass.

My Lebaron just isn't a badass type of car though. I've seen pics of 77-79 Lebaron coupes done-up pretty much the way I would have gone if I hadn't seen those pics... stripped chrome, nosed, decked, devoid of ornamentation... what's known (or used to be known) as a "Streetfighter". They just didn't look right, imo. It's a Chrysler Lebaron...
So, I think I'm going to push the "what if" zone on this one. That being, "what if" the "sport coupe" segment introduced to our shores by BMW had come a decade earlier and Mopar gave enough f**ks to try and build a competitor*. All of which, is an extremely long-winded way of saying "that's why I like the first wheels I posted".



*That's what I think today. Tomorrow may have me looking into Hemi swaps...

 

[Oldiron440]

On my little Ford project I perchance aluminum slots that resemble my first set of new aftermarket wheels I perchance in 1974. Sometimes no matter how far you go you in up in the same place.

 

[Oldiron440]

Ìf I was starting over in mopars I'd be all over the new hemi a turbos.