1969 442 Widest Tire - few questions - Driver's Inc opinions please
 

Hey all,

I picked up a set of 325-30-19s for DIRT CHEAP...literally $25 for the pair off the 'Bay for mock up purposes. With a little bit of frame sectioning I can get that sucker in there.

However, after reading some threads last night I noticed 305 width tires fit with little work under the '68-72 A bodies. That got me thinking a little bit. I don't car too much about rolling the fender, I will do that if need be. My big dilemma now lies on the actual wheel tire combo.

Originally I wanted 18s front/19s rear, but I am a very aggressive driver on my toys and I also live in NJ (those who live here know exactly what I mean....our roads are awesome! :faint: :rolleyes: ) That in mind, for rear wheels I am now torn between the following:

305/35-18s --> 12" section width/26.4" overall diameter/4.2" sidewall
305/30-19s --> 12" section width/26.2" overall diameter/3.6" sidewall

The 325/19s fall in the middle on sidewall height at around 3.83-ish"

So basically I am installing the rear today and I know the wheels will be Rushforth Rated-Xs - period, the end! I have wanted this wheel since the second I saw it. :hail: :hail: :hail:

I would really appreciate some opinions from those with these profile tires...how was the ride, is the extra .5" of sidewall really going to make much of a difference?

If I can stay 18's/19's that would be ideal. Shoot I may even consider 19's 20's if I could see how they look. JayR's been trying to swing me that way since our phone convos.

Driver's Inc, I could use some help! I would like to buy the rears first then save up a little money and eventually buy the fronts (trying to pay off credit card debt from my wedding so most of the tax return will go toward that, but I can peel away a little for a pair of wheels and tires! :thumbsup: )

I appreciate anyone's help in this matter - again wheels will be Rated-Xs but I am not sure between polished or brushed lip now...saw the brushed last night during my search and it screwed me up again...lol :willy: :willy:

For reference, here's the car:

http://i908.photobucket.com/albums/a.../Turowski1.jpg

Polished Lip:

http://i908.photobucket.com/albums/a...W31/RatedX.jpg

Brushed Lip:

http://www.norcaltruck.com/01_misc_p...Rated_X__5.JPG

As seen in this thread: https://lateral-g.net/forums/show...hforth+Rated-X

This is on a '70 Chevelle and may very well be the combo I go with...I just need some guidance.

http://www.norcaltruck.com/01_misc_p..._X%20%2006.JPG


Thanks in advance!
Dave

No problem! The issue I have with 305/30/19 is the overall height. Basically your front tires will have a taller sidewall than the rear. A 245/40/18 is ~25.7" tall with 3.85" sidewall height and a 275/35/18 is a tad shorter. A 305 will fit with the right BS and the stock exhaust out of the way. If you want to stagger with the 19" wheel we will have to find you a different tire. The BFG KDW2 is available in a 295/35/19 with a O.D. of 27". That would give you 4" of sidewall height and look good!!

Hey Justin! Geez, that was quick!

Could you shoot me a PM on a pair of 19 inch Rated-Xs (matte black, screws and polished lip - just like in the above pics) with the correct backspace and 295/35-19 tire?

I gotta wait till my refund check gets here...if I ever get my filing forms :mad: but I would like to get at least the backs now, so I can get the 442 out of the garage.

Thanks!!!

PM sent!

PM replied! One more questions I forgot about...can i also get the polished lip cleared?

i would go taller in the rear. im going to run a 315/35/20.

here you go.....

http://i858.photobucket.com/albums/a...i/IMG_9148.jpg

See now you got me thinking on the 20's on the rear and 19's in the front!!!

Thanks so much for posting your pics! What's the suspension set-up on this car and what is the size rim/backspace?

Btw, more pics please!

Thanks!

19x9.5/20x11 275/35/19 315/35/20 NT05's

the rear is a narrowed custom deal and the fronts havent been test fit yet so i dont have any accurate backspacing numbers for you. either way the 18/19s or 19/20s are nice, i just think the rears need a little more than 26.5 if the stance is right. i had to build new tubs to make it all work though.

Tim

OK, I figured as much on the tubs...I am still open to a different rim size/tire combo. I haven't ordered them just yet but your set-up has really got me thinking now! I will be looking your build up shortly...thanks!

Bandit Dave, I have 20x11's on my rear with a 305 and I love the way it sits and drives. I have coilovers on the rear and my shop guy nailed the ride height and dialed in the perfect compression on the coilovers. So, I have no complaints about my ride quality. All I did was roll my fenders and they tuck up under pretty nice. I think the 20's on the rear will be perfect. Especially on an A-body. I like the 20's on the A-body rears since the are larger cars. I run a 305/30/20 on my Chevelle. Take a look and tell me what you think. I cannot comment on the front, as far as 19's go, because I have 20 on the front too. :_paranoid

That car is pretty sharp looking man, but my biggest beef is with the sidewall. Here in NJ it would be considered rape to drive around with that little sidewall under it...I would be waffling rims like it was my job!

I like the ride height on the car, but I really like the wheel "tuck" of Widowmaker's...but that would necessitate new tubs, etc...

Considering I am going to go with something a little different on the interior, I may just go the route of the 20's with more tuck. I gotta get the damn rear under it tonight and see where I am at on ride height...then I can figure out if I am even in the ballpark.

Thanks for the pics guys, please keep'em coming...I really appreciate it!

Dave

I run an 18x11 wheel with 305/35R18 R888s in the rear of my 68 GTO.
http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/e...r/CIMG2550.jpg
http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/e...O/CIMG3429.jpg
I needed a little massaging on the inner tubs but did not need to roll the lip and I still have my wheel trim.

Hey Dave, Glad to see you're almost ready for wheels.

I would do a combination of Tim's and Justin's advice if it were my Olds and do a 28" tall 295/35/20 on the back with a 19x8 up front.

Personally i think roadbuster got it right. It looks (and probably is) more true performance oriented. There is a similar thread over on pt. It's amazing how different peoples tastes are. If somebody gave me a set of 20s I'd sell them and buy smaller rims. I'd save 22s for my massy ferguson. It won't notice the extra rotating mass.

Man that looks perfect! You mind giving me the back spacing on those - front and rear? I am actually pretty set of 18s all the way around - figured on 245/45-18 up front and 285/40-18 in rear because of NJ's **** roads, but Roadbuster, yours is DEAD ON!

i would agree with you if we were talking first gen camaros, but we're not. the wheel wells on these cars are huge and need a larger wheel/tire combo to look balanced. until somebody does a back to back test and shows me some significant number differences, i'll keep the 19/20s. i was going to go with an 18/19 combo, but most 18s wont fit my brakes and 19 rears suck for tire sizes.

red devil just tore up OUSCI with the following......

18X10 Forgeline wheels with Goodyear 275/30R18 tires
19X12 Forgeline wheels with Goodyear 325/35R19 tires

Early Performance Numbers

0-60 mph 3.29 seconds
0-100 mph 7.26 seconds
1/4 mile 10.91 sec. @ 130 mph

Braking
best 60-0 107.4' & 2.5 sec
0-60-0 with 1 ft rollout best 6.84 with overshoot to 61mph
0-87-0 in 8.0 seconds

40 foot slalom
Slalom best 48.34 mph

Skid pad 1.03 G

Is your car red devil? Are you running that large a diameter brake rotor? If you have really large rotors and require more clearance, thats a different issue. However, Physics are a bitch. You don't need a back to back test. Math is easy.

Like i said, it comes down to opinion. I have an a body. The wheel wells are not huge. There is actually less room than in an f body. But here's a question. Why do NO high end race cars run large diameter wheels? And I do mean NO cars running anything larger than what their brakes require. If you like the look more power to you. No problem. But for performance, I'd run 17s on a car if there was good rubber to support it and the brakes would fit. I know there are things about my car that some may not like. That's what makes them different.

no and yes.

does your car have a full interior? are you running glass windows? did you shave the extra off each bolt? what about a radio?

before you answer, we are on the same page. unsprung weight is a killer and thats before we get into the physics of inertia involved in larger wheel/tire combos, but we all make sacrifices somewhere on our cars. but if you really cared about the almost negligible difference between 18/19/20's, i would expect whoever to lose the interior and drop 20lbs themselves.

its actually not here. its more than just the weight difference. if it were a solid object it would be easy.

the whole friggin car is HUGE. these things eat the wheels and tires. most camaros with 18's look like they have a large wheel because with the appropriate tire they fill the wheel well. imho, a 26.5" tall tire does not appear to fill the well on the back of an a-body. i went with a 28.5" tall tire to mimic the height of the 275/60/15s i used to run. i ran a 295/50/15 for the last few years the car was driving and always thought it was too short. a 28.5" tall tire on 18s just has too much sidewall.

For an a body, the car is huge. The wheel wells are not. In fact, they're too small. They need work just to fit a decent combo. As I said, it's opinion. Personally since I knowmthe larger than necessary wheels detract from performance, I don't like them or the look. Too much "low rider" of a look. You have to get wheels, so you can't compare to removing glass or handles. We buy wheels and tires to improve performance and looks. To me, the really big ones satisfy neither. But that's why we have so many different looks. It's all opinion. As well, if your rotors demand those sizes, no problem. Problem is that so few do.

i think we're talking about different measurements. you are right in that they could be wider, but they are VERY long. roadbusters tires have a few inches in the front and the rear of the tire. look at the silver 2nd gen in the background. that is a tire that fills the well nicely. i like a slightly larger tire on the rear of the a-bodies. roadbusters is very nice though. he'd still be hated on the chevelle site for runing a nice car with anything other than 15's though :thumbsup: .

http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/e...O/CIMG3429.jpg

Look at an older pic of my ride below:

http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/m...rch2010219.jpg

Those are 18s. Looks like "room" on the front and back of the front tire, right? Sure. So long as you only want to go straight. There is less than 3/4" clearance when turning. It is already possible to rub if i hit a bump while turning sharp.

Beyond that, I personally think there is more visual impact by the hoop size than by any front/rear clearance issue. Just think ofnhow large a wheel it would take to "fill" a mid 60s cuda!