Tires and wheel sizes

[Jay Negrin <jmnegrin@domain.elided>]

You guys are going at it again.  Tire and wheels, other than factory fitment
(not stock size, but the parts as fitted when the car was new) will mean some
sort of compromise(s).  Some of which you can live with, some of which you may not.

* Lower profile tires allow a wider tire for the same height.
* Higher profile tires hve a smaller contact patch, but will ride MUCH nicer.  AMHIK
* Wider tires may offer better ultimate grip, but will be harder to turn (all
that contact patch has to get moving somehow.  
* Wider tires also offer diminished performance when the weather get grim (wet
or COLD)
* Larger wheels (diameter and/or width) will weigh more and will change the
way springs and shocks work.
* Larger (taller, wider; your choice) may have clearance problems with
unmodified body work.  The wider and taller the combo, the more likely there
will be a problem.
* Of course, there is always the argument about speedo/odo error.  Some don't care.

Some or all of the above issues may be moot on a track car.  If it is a family
hauler/grocery getter, then the compromise biased more toward comfort, but
still with acceptable performance, may be the way to go.  The decision can
only be made by the owner/driver of the car.  If you make a mistake, you'll
have to go back and figure out how to rectify it.  

That said, I went from the stock 5 1/2 x 14 wheels on my Alfetta, fitted with
185/70 (mixed-brand tires) to 6 x 14 mag wheels fitted with 205/60 x 14 tires.
 They were smaller in diameter than stock, and the speedo was off by 7 - 8
percent.  Premium 14 inch tires are getting like hen's teeth, so I "traded up"
to a set of 7 x 15 Ronals which I have recently fitted with 205/55 x 15
Dunlops W-10 tires.  I can definitely tell that the 15" aluminum wheels and
new tires are much heavier than the 14" mag wheels with the old tires.  All
the old rubber in the front suspension let me know, that it was time for a
change, as well.  

Bottom line?  I have made my choice, and now I am going to live with it.  Whoosh.

Jay Negrin
ARO Southern California
76 Alfetta GT - Getting better alla time!
My 87 Cagiva/Ducati 650SS is officially up for sale. Less than 9K miles.  Will
likely need a new battery and a tune up.  I have ridden it very little over
the last two years due to injury/illness.

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