Thread: Whats the largest rear wheels i can place on my car???

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I have a 1953 Plymouth Belvedere and I want to run wider tires. How would i find out how big I can go on my rear wheels and my fronts? I want to run 14 rims instead of the 15's that are on there now.

Any help would be great.

That is always a difficult call. I am a design engineer and a 40 year plus hotrodder, and you know what----I still think the best way is either find somebody else running the tire/wheel combination that you like, and borrow a wheel for a test fit, or find a wheel in the 14" size and bolt circle you need and try a few different "junker" tires on it to test for fit. Sorry I can't give you a more precise answer.---Brian

Watch where you goto for tires ,out here in cali they only want to put the factory size thats on the door jamb back on the car and you have to hem haw with em to get a tire size you want,they even make you sign a thingy saying you understand these are the wrong size. Thats why I just take the rims in......I just had a shop refuse to flare a piece of exaust pipe because there was a exspansion chamber on it and it looked like a catylitic converter,scared I was setting them up for big fine or sumthing. It was just a piece of pipe with no car in sight and told them over and over it was for a race car ,not a street car{I lied} I guess the state sets up shops like that and them closes or fines them?
Sad stuff.

Here is an article on measuring for wheel size, there is a Part 2 on the same sight.

http://www.tirerack.com/wheels/tech/...currentpage=92

ANd here is another

http://www.bigblockdart.com/techpage...lspacing.shtml

hope that helps

Pat

First of all, a '53 Plymouth didn't even have a posted tire size on the door post - it, like most cars that era ran 670X15 or as an option, 710X15. Bigger cars ran 760x15 or like Caddy's 800X15. Sixteen inch wheels were gone by then.

My guess is that a 14" wheel is not going to have any tire tall enough to fill the wheel well enough so it looks 'right'. What you have to consider is the original tire height as a starting point and go up (or down) from there.

Might want to take a full side view picture of the car and have it Photoshopped as far as tires and wheels.

Originally Posted by brianrupnow

That is always a difficult call. I am a design engineer and a 40 year plus hotrodder, and you know what----I still think the best way is either find somebody else running the tire/wheel combination that you like, and borrow a wheel for a test fit, or find a wheel in the 14" size and bolt circle you need and try a few different "junker" tires on it to test for fit. Sorry I can't give you a more precise answer.---Brian

I agree with Brian on this one. I have been in process of buying tires and wheels for the DeSoto for about 2 months now. Sad thing, I found picture of Coddington wheels I like, but never seen in person, and no one had on display. I just measured back spacing, and ordered pretty much what I am now running, and keeping fingers crossed until they get in (about 8 weeks). What makes it worse, I am going from 14 to 15 on front.

Jack

Originally Posted by Irelands child

First of all, a '53 Plymouth didn't even have a posted tire size on the door post - it, like most cars that era ran 670X15 or as an option, 710X15. Bigger cars ran 760x15 or like Caddy's 800X15. Sixteen inch wheels were gone by then.

My guess is that a 14" wheel is not going to have any tire tall enough to fill the wheel well enough so it looks 'right'. What you have to consider is the original tire height as a starting point and go up (or down) from there.

Might want to take a full side view picture of the car and have it Photoshopped as far as tires and wheels.

Well i wanted 14's because Im dropping the car about 4 inches. I dont have much room in the wheel wells so im just going to get the width i have now but for 14" rims.

[QUOTE=Irelands child]

My guess is that a 14" wheel is not going to have any tire tall enough to fill the wheel well enough so it looks 'right'. What you have to consider is the original tire height as a starting point and go up (or down) from there.


I have to agree with Dave. I just saw this really nice '50 Merc at Daytona and he used too small of a tire/wheel combo on it. Something just didn't look right, and the tires detracted from the whole car.


Don