Finally, new wheels and tires!

[lloyd3]

It's only been some 22 (or 25) years but my rubber is definitely looking a bit shabby these days. Did a little jaunt in the car north to see an old drag-racer buddy (chevys, sigh!) on this past recent Federal holiday (Juneteenth) and... I noticed on his crushed limestone driveway that my back tires are looking a bit threadbare (if I do say so myself).

It's been a while since I've looked, but I've finally given up on keeping 14-inch rims on the car (at least on the back). Have any new (and better) options developed in the tire world since I last looked (a few years ago, like maybe 4?). Then, it was mostly just B.F. Goodrich TAs. Does anybody else make respectable tires for our old girls again?  Also, have the modern incarnation of the newer (& wider) Magnum 500s had any quality control improvements? Please say yes?

[Back N Black]

I just put a new set of B.F.Goodrich on the rear of my charger, I like em. Its the third set in 5 years.

[b5blue]

Universal vintage tire 1 877 231 9925
Coker Tire 866 708 1271
Both have 14's in many types and size.

[moparstuart]

These are 14's ,         were a great price on Amazon have the muscle car look but am amazing modern tread. Perform fantastic in the rain.

[lloyd3]

Those are neat rims but I'm pretty used to looking at Magnum 500s.  What I'd love to hear is what modern sized tire will fit into my stock wheelwells without rubbing anywhere. I'd really rather not have to resort to air-shocks if I can avoid them. In the old days I'd run L-60 14s no problem but...I had to use air shocks. Since my original stock rims are so-narrow (5 1/2-inch?) I'm going to go ahead and buy some 15x7 (or even 8-inch) Magnum 500s for on the back of the car. I'm assuming the new designators will have me looking at P285s or bigger and maybe even 50 series tires?

Also,  perhaps I'm asking in the wrong spot here?

[b5blue]

15x8" 4.5" backspace on my 70 Charger on all 4.

[lloyd3]

b5blue: Excellent! What size tires? No air shocks, right?

[b5blue]

P255 60R Cooper Cobra bone stock suspension. 

[lloyd3]

Super! Thankyou.

[b5blue]

[lloyd3]

I looked and I can get 14x8 Magnum 500s but....the tire options are very poor. If I want to fill these wheelwells it'll have to be with 15-inch rims.  Any known issues with running 14s on the front and 15s on the back?

[hemigeno]

Any known issues with running 14s on the front and 15s on the back?

I wouldn't think so - especially since your car was set up for 14" wheels to begin with.  Modern cars might have issues with staggered wheel/tire sizes (front to back), but not a II Gen Charger.

[lloyd3]

Thank you for that.  I suppose that I can always add 15-inch rims up front at a later date as well.

[triple_green]

the standard sizes that always fit are rear 15x8 with 4.5" BS and 275x60x15, front 15x7 with 4.25" BS and 235x60x15 tires, the 275s on the back are 2" taller than the stock tire height so they give a little raked look. Also though, they take a little bit of low end grunt away.

You can to with 15x10 on the back and 295x50x15 tires not sure if 5" or 5.5" backspace, seem to work for most but may require a little lift.

[lloyd3]

TG: Thankyou!

[lloyd3]

Every time I go to do something for this car a crisis in some form shows up on our doorstep. Minor stuff, really, but there always seems to be some complication. The joys of aging I suppose in that even if you're healthy, somebody somewhere in your circle of friends and family isn't. We've now got two in hospital and and even a job ending (my wife's). I went ahead anyway and ordered the rims today because I'm tired of not driving my car (I do miss it after a while). My son also informs me that the last of the big dragstrips here is closing this Fall (Bandimere) and he wants us to go for one last event there before it's too late. He's back off to school in a month so...time is running out. Now I must find tires and a place to mount them (that I trust).  Baby steps, right?

[6pkrtse]

I run 295's on 8" wheels on four different sets of different wheels on my Chargers.

[lloyd3]

A little update here. Those gorgeous 8x15" rims are sitting on the trunk of the car. My complicated summer just seemed to get more complicated and more expensive so...no action on tires here yet. The 275s sound like they'll be the ticket and I'll try to salvage the lug nuts and the centers but...we'll have to see (big expense if I can't). Snow on the ground here now and the car season, at least for me, is over.  She's now slumbering under her cover. Hopefully, next Spring is a more stable period and there will be time to do all this "right". I say all that and yet I now have to attend a funeral back in the old country next week (flying into Buffalo, NY and driving south, more of the getting older stuff eh?) so... I will at-least get to drive some familiar old-muscle car days turf. Hopefully that'll motivate me for next April or May. 

Sure didn't get much 440 4-gear time during this past Summer and Fall months and that's a drag.  The world is changing and, like it or not, I'm stuck going along for that little ride.  Lots of death and dying this year so-far, and... that takes a lot of the fun out of things.  Don't mean to whine as there were lots of bright spots too.  Hard to remember that sometimes.

[Mike DC]

BTW, here's a calculator to compare two different tire sizes. 

There are other ones on the net but I like this one.  It's visual and very simple/easy to use.


https://tiresize.com/comparison/

[lloyd3]

Hoping for better times to come.

[Kern Dog]

What do you mean by that?

[375instroke]

There's a sticky on wheels and tires.
http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,63191.0.html

[lloyd3]

KD: Sorry, that was a low moment.

Better times would be lighter and brighter, such as next Spring when I'll have the time and money to re-tire my car and go out for a spin. Looking forward to that.