fatter tires

[turbomangt]

does anyone agree with me? I don't care for the low profile tires (as a matter of fact, I can't wait untill they wear out) The cruiser is a retro car, they never had tires like this, they had the BIG, FAT, THICK, WIDE, rubber tires/ I think the car would be much better looking with those, I don't know how it would effect performance though/ turbomangt[?]

[bcme136]

I agree. I personaly think the low profile takes away from the overall looks.

[turbomangt]

I wonder if clearence would be a problem with fatter tires?

[MichaelDay]

How retro do you want to be? Cars in the forties and fifties came with high profile tires that were relatively tall and skinny. The hotrodders started putting low profile, wide tires on their cars. Is this the look you are trying for?

It is really interesting to look at how skinny the original factory tires were even on the stock GTO's and Mustangs in the mid-60's. 70 series tires were the WIDE tires then from the factory. Most cars ran on 80-85 series tires (ratio of tire height, from rim to tread, to tread width). Cars in the 1920's ran on very tall wheels with very small tires (width and height) with a profile of nearly 100.

The narrow, high profile tires ride better but hurt your grip and therefore lateral acceleration and 0-60 times. The biggest problem with changing to a different tire size occurs when you change the overall rolling radius of the tire. This messes up the odometer and the computer which controls everything from the brake ABS to the engine. This is VERY bad and should be avoided unless you can recalibrate the speed sending unit.

If you are trying for a tire that maximizes the taller tire look (but has the correct rolling radius) you would need to go to a smaller wheel and a higher profile, narrower tire. Be sure that you maintain the correct speed and load ratings when changing tires (unless your car is show only).

Clearance would be a problem in trying to duplicate the BIG, FAT, THICK, WIDE look as would speed sender calibration.

[turbomangt]

hmmm interesting, when the time comes, can't I just get the same size tire with a different type of stance, like more rubber? without do all that stuff[:I]

[car guy]

MichaelDay,Very well explained
How well I remember those old sizes
Keep in mind also that 'going to a 15inch rim will allow for a higher profile tire and staying in ratio.As the base model PT carries
will also give a better ride on uneven pavement
Will not change the rear fender well space or gap.
[8]

[cruisergeo]

[^]Hey turbomangt,
I too enjoy the look of the wide sidewall and small wheel.
I've seen pics from Tony in Japan of his Cruiser with 15" wheels and BFGoodrich white wall tires. On the front he had 205/60R15's and on the back he had 215/70R15's. This is the look I want. Like we had back in the 60's with the larger tires in the rear, smaller ones on the front.
(see Tonys Cruiser here) http://www.ptcruiserlinks.com/arc/32.html
If you have 16" wheels, the tires are the standard "profile" (width of the sidewall), the circumference of the tire is critical.
If you change the size of the wheel to a 17", you need to get tires with a "lower profile" to maintain the correct circumference.
This means that the area between the tire and the wheelwell will remain the same as it is now.

This in mind the difference in the 205/60R15 and the 215/70R15's
is not enough to cause any problems, so I've been told.

Go to the following website and put in your year and model and when the cruiser comes up click on the tires under ASA JS5, it has three sizes and you will see what I tried to explain.
http://www.tirerack.com/index.jsp

Let me know what you think.
[8)]

[ote69]

I agree that the new style just doesn't blend in well with a retro look. For me the thin walls with a big wheel looks like a black rubber band applied to a rim. I loved walking in to a tire store and just saying put 50's on the back and 80's on the front of my 69 mach 1/4 mile speed and great hook up was where it was at, turning bah!
just my 2 cents
steve[8)]

[Basset Hound]

I just got my 15" wheels with www installed on Saturday. For those going to Cruiserfest, you'll be the first to see them. For those not going I'll post some pictures after the event.

[2sb]

For a daily driver, I prefer comfort. (I know...blah,blah) To this end (pun) I've added extra foam to the seats and considered 70 series tires.

However the reason I'm writing this is to offer a solution to "bigger tires mess up the computer". If all the tires are uniformly sized all it will do is throw off the speedometer, the odometer, and automatic's shift points. Since there are no longer physical speedometer gears in the trans to allow for tire sizes, we need another adjustment variable. What about checking for interchangeability of speed sensors with cars with larger rolling diameter tires such as the Pacifica, Concorde, minivans, etc. all front wheel drive?