My challenger has 14" and I originally was going to put 15" wheels on it. But it seems 14 and 15 inch tires are getting harder to find as modern cars are using 17+" tires. The 14 and 15 inch tires seem to be specialty tires now. I saw the sticky thread showing lots of challengers with 17 and 18 inch wheels. I am sorta thinking getting 17" aluminum ralley wheel instead of 15". Any reason not to? Thoughts?
For a car you drive I would. The 17 inch rallyes look really good and the lack of decent 15 inch tires pretty much makes it a no brainer. I wouldn't even consider 14's other than Polyglas GT's for show only. I know everyone says the Polyglas dsrive just fine but I beg to differ. I took off lowly Radial T/A's (which I have a low opinion of) and swapped on Polyglas GT's on my Charger and although it looked much better it degraded the driving enjoyment substantially.
The YearOne 17" Rallye wheel looks close to the original. It fits the Dr Diff 13" disc kit. However it is not the lightest combo. There is another brand of Aluminum Rallye wheels that don't look as well, forgot the brand name. Check out YearOne price. Their shipping is high. I think Jegs and Classic also carry them. Summit is free shipping and used to carry them too but I heard they no longer do.
I am running Hankook on mine. They look great and drive/ride ok and wear well.But I might try something more sticky when I change tires.
IMO, the Mickey Thompson SR tire line offers plenty of sizes in 15" to fit our E bodies. Every 15 rim size from 24x5 to 33x22 with an H speed rating and a soft compound means they are head an shoulders above a BFG or Cooper.
With 2 ply sidewall ratios from 40 to 80, they may not be the best for all out handling, but few of our cars are driven that way anymore and if they are, then 18" rims are pretty much required.
My next car will have the 17 rallyes on them. I'm a big fan of how they look and with the tire selection it makes sense
I have 18" wheels on the back and 17" on the front. I'm very happy with how they handle and look.
Quote from: HP2 on February 14, 2021, 09:19:31 AM
IMO, the Mickey Thompson SR tire line offers plenty of sizes in 15" to fit our E bodies. Every 15 rim size from 24x5 to 33x22 with an H speed rating and a soft compound means they are head an shoulders above a BFG or Cooper.
With 2 ply sidewall ratios from 40 to 80, they may not be the best for all out handling, but few of our cars are driven that way anymore and if they are, then 18" rims are pretty much required.
What are peoples feelings on the MT ST tires? Better or same as BFG/Cooper? I like the look of the raised white letters, the SR line seem to all come in blackwall only.
I'm partial to the Year One Mopar Rallye Wheels
I'm running the staggered set.
They are 25.7" tall front and rear.
I set my car with at most ~1/2" more height in back measured from ground to the center of the wheel openings.
Just my personal preference.
245/45-17x8 front and 275/40-17x9 rear
Tires are Firestone Firehawk Indy Wide Oval, Ultra High Performance Summer Tire. They have a "W" Speed Rating 168 MPH
Been driving on this set of wheels and tires since 2013 and I love them. Ride nice, grip great, zero complaints.
I will replace these Tires with the same ones again when the time comes. I almost want to buy a set now just so I have them in case they discontinue them...
Thanks. I'm looking at the YearOne aluminum ones. I would prefer ralley style wheels but would consider another style if need be. Whatever the weight, I would imagine it is lighter than the stock steel ones..... right? I just bought a 2 14" Cooper Cobra Radial G/T tires that are supposed to be OK. Not great tires but they are cheap and decent looking. I'll run those until I upgrade. The weird thing is, I expected the 17" tires to be taller but based on
@cudaragtop (https://forum.e-bodies.org/mlist/cudaragtop_51) description, they are essentially the same height as my 14" tires. Yeah I now the sidewall height is different, but I still thought it would be taller. So much for trying to lower my Highway RPMs. LOL
Quote from: Scooter on February 14, 2021, 10:53:27 AM
Quote from: HP2 on February 14, 2021, 09:19:31 AM
IMO, the Mickey Thompson SR tire line offers plenty of sizes in 15" to fit our E bodies. Every 15 rim size from 24x5 to 33x22 with an H speed rating and a soft compound means they are head an shoulders above a BFG or Cooper.
With 2 ply sidewall ratios from 40 to 80, they may not be the best for all out handling, but few of our cars are driven that way anymore and if they are, then 18" rims are pretty much required.
What are peoples feelings on the MT ST tires? Better or same as BFG/Cooper? I like the look of the raised white letters, the SR line seem to all come in blackwall only.
Yes, SRs are only blackwall. Technically, all MT tires are made by Cooper, since Cooper bought em back in 2003, but the ST is simply a rebadged Cooper Cobra. IMO, any tire that is speed rated S or T is a cosmetic tire and not a real performance tire.
FWIW, Cooper owns Mastercraft, Dean, Starfire, Roadmaster, Avon Tyres, Mickey Thompson and Dick Cepek.
Quote from: HP2 on February 14, 2021, 03:17:41 PM
Quote from: Scooter on February 14, 2021, 10:53:27 AM
Quote from: HP2 on February 14, 2021, 09:19:31 AM
IMO, the Mickey Thompson SR tire line offers plenty of sizes in 15" to fit our E bodies. Every 15 rim size from 24x5 to 33x22 with an H speed rating and a soft compound means they are head an shoulders above a BFG or Cooper.
With 2 ply sidewall ratios from 40 to 80, they may not be the best for all out handling, but few of our cars are driven that way anymore and if they are, then 18" rims are pretty much required.
What are peoples feelings on the MT ST tires? Better or same as BFG/Cooper? I like the look of the raised white letters, the SR line seem to all come in blackwall only.
Yes, SRs are only blackwall. Technically, all MT tires are made by Cooper, since Cooper bought em back in 2003, but the ST is simply a rebadged Cooper Cobra. IMO, any tire that is speed rated S or T is a cosmetic tire and not a real performance tire.
FWIW, Cooper owns Mastercraft, Dean, Starfire, Roadmaster, Avon Tyres, Mickey Thompson and Dick Cepek.
Thought so. Guess one could buy the MT blackwall and get a set of those Goodyear tire stickers for aesthetics. Wonder how well those last?
What MT size(s) would be the equivalent to 255-60r-15 102s & 225-60r-15 95s ?
Looks like I might have issues getting a matching set of the SR's for the front and rear due to size constraints. But if I move from a 225 up front to a 235 (think it'll fit) I can get a set of MT ET STREET S/S for all 4 corners. Any opinions on these?
Quote from: cudaragtop on February 14, 2021, 11:16:47 AM
I'm partial to the Year One Mopar Rallye Wheels
I'm running the staggered set.
They are 25.7" tall front and rear.
I set my car with at most ~1/2" more height in back measured from ground to the center of the wheel openings.
Just my personal preference.
245/45-17x8 front and 275/40-17x9 rear
Tires are Firestone Firehawk Indy Wide Oval, Ultra High Performance Summer Tire. They have a "W" Speed Rating 168 MPH
Been driving on this set of wheels and tires since 2013 and I love them. Ride nice, grip great, zero complaints.
I will replace these Tires with the same ones again when the time comes. I almost want to buy a set now just so I have them in case they discontinue them...
Just wanting to confirm 1). 245/45-17x8's front wheels and tires will work/fit on stock drum brakes and 2). Front Back Space of 4 1/4" and Rear Back Space of 5"? I'm thinking they should, but just want to verify ahead of time.
Please excuse if this is considered a hijack of the thread.
Ps: I absolutely love the stance of your car cudaragtop! Would this pretty much be the same stance for a 1970 Challenger?
Quote from: challengermaniac on February 14, 2021, 09:54:23 PM
Quote from: cudaragtop on February 14, 2021, 11:16:47 AM
I'm partial to the Year One Mopar Rallye Wheels
I'm running the staggered set.
They are 25.7" tall front and rear.
I set my car with at most ~1/2" more height in back measured from ground to the center of the wheel openings.
Just my personal preference.
245/45-17x8 front and 275/40-17x9 rear
Tires are Firestone Firehawk Indy Wide Oval, Ultra High Performance Summer Tire. They have a "W" Speed Rating 168 MPH
Been driving on this set of wheels and tires since 2013 and I love them. Ride nice, grip great, zero complaints.
I will replace these Tires with the same ones again when the time comes. I almost want to buy a set now just so I have them in case they discontinue them...
Just wanting to confirm 1). 245/45-17x8's front wheels and tires will work/fit on stock drum brakes and 2). Front Back Space of 4 1/4" and Rear Back Space of 5"? I'm thinking they should, but just want to verify ahead of time.
Please excuse if this is considered a hijack of the thread.
Ps: I absolutely love the stance of your car cudaragtop! Would this pretty much be the same stance for a 1970 Challenger?
Thanks.
Stance is with stock torsion bar suspension and leaf springs so should be pretty similar to stock suspension on a Challenger.
I think the backspace you have for the fronts is incorrect though... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ pretty certain they are 4.5" BS not 4.25" BS...
This is the set I have from Year One: MRWSL1
Year One Mopar Rallye wheel kit with light argent center caps and lug nuts.
Includes:
2 -
17x8" wheels with 4-1/2" Backspacing 2 -
17x9" wheels with 5" Backspacing 4 - Light argent early style center cap
All stock suspension. No issues.
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/IkrZOU70UoZN6jaDOVBkblZux5OAv4H85cVFhL-I648rlI2JsFutxB_cSRS3ciZpRNeETwAes90clxBZkJmqlo_ysAvpDeSBj5rq4O9zKiKUdndu5GapSfndcLF9QGsscMle_flqZGwon2mDZn3iHG4fLqnqU-cKQh2qxh2-LAhym-vS4iOTDebZ11rNjTTsPmDuHbRQiEE7bEh39bkZrqWVR4ej9afR9kBXflMN0qdDfcVLu-YwlGsqGhHpdcVhCBO76Un5z042-cQfGLFmcEdiZIi2c_tAC2AOb3RydC4swaB8LLimg5bBaxkU-gP-o5BnZLh17iFpDyp_Rhzw-fblMwGP8ypL23ncKDOp0ID3Kly7pkiNyCotiBh5tkcoT7ZoP-pR6jVSUeYDLsfPK0AZdFrOcipUjOZ2LKDEiQA7CZUgCVy00hHpQljpi3cqIpdBvHvifwf4DOjlVYmywNwVDYjdhALcmqL_Cr4jvhG3bolfcBcrS_j7CRemNBEXzeY_R7_EdsZWfag66OlW7-xV0kca14Aemho4cp4DaKH9Q5YuMTKuINmIQUtg4JItoHdGomN0VXKcLceOOgTbkqcQ3UjfXX8P70gWS-KB7C77JDcpsRMfPi5rMiKrOs9MZb8-SNbUQDI8HfmeP6XeeK_Bl79LXVqjGxUEM2eT1tYVOZ2fYqhJ5jVIRTBLcbc=w1024-h413-no?authuser=0)
Quote from: Scooter on February 14, 2021, 03:47:18 PM
Thought so. Guess one could buy the MT blackwall and get a set of those Goodyear tire stickers for aesthetics. Wonder how well those last?
What MT size(s) would be the equivalent to 255-60r-15 102s & 225-60r-15 95s ?
Quote from: Scooter on February 14, 2021, 09:04:21 PM
Looks like I might have issues getting a matching set of the SR's for the front and rear due to size constraints. But if I move from a 225 up front to a 235 (think it'll fit) I can get a set of MT ET STREET S/S for all 4 corners. Any opinions on these?
The SR 26x8 if .5 greater in diameter (which will raise the car .25 taller) and .5 narrower than a 225/60. The SR 28x10 is 1" greater diameter (.5" taller on the car) and spot on width wise to a 255/60. This actually would be a nice staggered combo that will appear very nearly the same as your current 225/60-255/60 combo.
235/60 will fit up front but will look small on the rear. If you run a staggered set up now, why not continue? I wouldn't run drag tires on a street car myself, but others have done it. Soft compounds will wear quickly and even though they have some tread, they don't handle moisture well. The old BFG G-Force drag tires were an exception to this as they were more of a street tire with drag characteristics than a drag tire with street tread, such as the MT ET series.
I'm currently running a 26x10 on the front of my Dodge, which is about equivalent to 255/50. But your backspace has to be spot on. Rear tires on mine are 26x12 (305/45 in metric terms). I might go 28x12 in the future. Dunno, depends on how well these grip.
^^ I was not in the market for a drag or super soft compound, just looking for something with a better ride than the BFG and a newer tread pattern. Car sits so low the extra .5 inch would be a blessing as long as I do not run into rubbing issues in the back.
So it looks like 26 x 8.00-15 front & 28 x 10.00-15 back would do the trick nicely. Thanks for the great info and sorry to OP if I dragged the thread a bit OT.
With the exception of race tires, the SR is, I believe, the newest technology 15" carcass on the street market. This is because the tire was designed for the 17 and 18 inch wheel crowd and then down sized for 15 molds.
I've run 275/60 street tires and 28x10 drag tires on the rear of my Challenger without any contact issues. Proved you don't have an unusual offset on your rims that put them into the wheel opening lip, you should be fine.
Hi Tom,
I was in the same situation (and very torn) but after trying out my friend's 17-inch rallyes, I decided to go with 15-inchers. I hated the fact that 15-inch tires are so awful but ultimately, it came down to aesthetics and my desire for white lettering. On my friend's car, the 17-inchers look great but on my car, the white lettering just seemed to look better imho. If 17-inch tires came with white lettering, I would've gone with them as the tires are so much better. The 17-inch rallyes look really nice too.
Here are some pics that may help you in your decision. Note: the 17-inch wheels didn't fill up the fender because the car was raised.
Quote from: cudaragtop on February 14, 2021, 11:16:47 AM
They have a "W" Speed Rating 168 MPH
Been driving on this set of wheels and tires since 2013 and I love them.
How close have you come to eclipsing the spec? :burnout:
Wow, appears they are coming out with a good selection of white lettered 17" tire stickers! How exciting!!!!
I have 17 inch Yearone Rallyes with 245/45 on front and 275/40's on rear w/ white letters from Tirestickers.
We are going Black 17" Year One Rallye Wheels on my son's 69 Barracuda Fastback.
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ACtC-3cQinA2ZQom6j-y363UlKoEA-gfgHv17Nl1mP1vjmRNFlLOTRkI-YN1JMX8pfOtj3dMKOoU3Miv4a5zKn0h67dcmEvZejUXaqJq2kVol14K5tU0qnslmH9svbGKkoX5gC8slVE4m1Ii5_VDQM9D0STc=w1666-h937-no?authuser=0)
We think they will look awesome in matte black with 2015 Viper Gunmetal Pearl paint on the car.
(https://s1.cdn.autoevolution.com/images/news/dodge-cuts-15k-off-the-2014-viper-srt-s-price-86250_1.jpg)
Got a ways to go still.
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ACtC-3dHCZOZN64m_FAG6SdjC6lWMU99uhWQdwV1bx7iBYKuPcherb3_U4mqV50HR50er-5odaWv3l1p9d5ywc_bCz8nwn61sEdpdrk2ZNZ-6vrugH8kYNb3ygylawU-DlJ3wQFK9RXl8pKFNgg5m6MyPRbMRw=w1431-h809-no?authuser=0)
Love the look on the 71 Challenger. Can you maybe expand on that a little? Couple more pics and is the car at stock ride height? I've been pondering a similar set up...
Hey guys, I am now ready to order my new wheels and tires. As noted, I have a 1970 Challenger Vert with drum brakes all the way around (which I plan to change to disc at some point) and I love the look and stance of Randy's 1970 Cuda Vert. My only concern is whether I would be better served with a slightly smaller tire width front and back just to ensure no tire rub. So, which does everyone think is best....Randy's 245's up front and 275's out back or more conservative 235's up front and 255's our back?
Skip the very small 235s.. just go 275-40-17 both front and rear on the Year One 17x9 rims... will fit A-OK because the backspacing/offset is correct.
I am going to try this and take my rear tires at 275R4017 to the front and see. I have 245R4517 in front now.
I hear you regarding the 245/45 17's in front and the 275/40 17's in the rear although look closely at D. Jones car with 225/50 17's in front and 255/50 17's in the rear. The 50's give it a little more sidewall which I like. It seams to fit so well because they are not pushing the extremes.