Help choosing new wheels please

[Corvairkarma]

I have my eye on Cragars for my 65 monza. Will these fit?
http://www.newstalgiawheel.com/wheel_de ... t3=1071101

I like the idea of having a bit higher tires in the rear, would I put on larger rims or a taller tire?

These are the tires I am thinking. I have limited funds, these fit my budget but if anybody has alternates to suggest for both rims and tires I am all ears!
http://www.newstalgiawheel.com/tire_det ... t3=2011100

Thanks!

[bbodie52]

The information below should give you some "food for thought". You will need to do some homework and research, and numbers crunching to determine the best options that will work for you. I would recommend that you read the technical paper and some of the performance reviews from the Tire Rack and feedback from the customers on the various tire designs that fit your performance preferences and price range. Once you have determined the right tire for you, you can match the wheels to the tires based on the technical advice below. See if your chosen combination is available on the Tire Rack, and what the total price would be -- mounted, balanced and shipped. Then shop around and see if any of the other vendors offer a better deal.

I have always liked the look of the classic Cragar wheels on the Corvair. I would recommend you make your tire selection and sizing based on the article below concerning sizing wheels and tires. You can do some comparison shopping for performance and pricing using the Tire Rack for tire specifications and for reading technical analysis and customer reviews. Then you can shop around to find the best pricing for the tire brand and features you have chosen. The technical information on the tire sizing article will help you to choose the correct wheels with the optimal diameter and backspacing for your Corvair. If you want to be able to rotate your tires to even out the wear patterns for longer-lasting operation on your Corvair, you will need to choose the same size for all four corners on your Corvair. If you can get the wheels and tires both from the Tire Rack, you can save some money by having them mounted and balanced there before they are shipped, rather than having the wheels and tires shipped separately from different vendors and then having to have them mounted and balanced locally at additional cost.

All late Model (LM - 1965-1969) Corvairs enjoy an excellent independent suspension design, with the rear suspension design emulating the design used in that era Corvette (except that the Corvette used a transverse leaf spring, while the Corvair uses coil springs). The Corvair responds well to modern radial tires, and a good all-weather, long-lasting radial tire would be a good option for a daily driver. My recommendation is usually to move away from the obsolete, difficult to find and expensive 13" diameter wheel and tire combination, and move up to 14", 15" or larger modern rims and matching tires of the correct overall diameter for your Corvair.

The lower recommended tire pressures for the front of the Corvair will not have a negative impact on the tire performance. The lower pressure was recommended by Chevrolet engineers to help balance tire performance for the rear engine and lightweight front end of the Corvair. It is always a good idea to monitor your tire pressures regularly and to keep an eye on tread wear patterns with a tread depth gauge, which can help you to spot uneven wear patterns that could be caused by improper tire pressures or wheel alignment issues. Of course it is a good idea to rotate your tires regularly to help even-out the wear patterns because of front vs. rear wear stresses and patterns. But if you were to choose larger tire sizes for the rear of your Corvair -- as had been done on my Corsa, the possibility of rotating the tires is eliminated.

This Web site seems to have the most comprehensive and well-researched data for fitting various tires and wheels to EM (Early Model, 1960-64) and LM (Late Model, 1965-69) Corvairs:
Sizing Corvair Wheels and Tires:
http://autoxer.skiblack.com/tires.html

Web sites like Tire Rack and Discount Tire provide a wide range of technical information and pricing data, as well as reviews and customer feedback with an extensive brand and size selection to choose from. After reading the material at the above Web site, and confirming the correct recommended tire size for your chosen Corvair wheel diameter and width, I would recommend that you spend some time looking at customer feedback and reviews for your favorite brands and in your preferred pricing range to develop a "short list" of final tires you would want to consider. You could then order directly on line, or call their toll-free number to discuss your options further with a tire marketing representative to narrow it down to a final selection.


http://www.tirerack.com/


http://www.discounttire.com/dtcs/home.do



Personally, I currently have Goodyear Eagle Raised White Letter tires on my 14"x7" Chevrolet SS rims.

Front: Goodyear Eagle ST P195/70 R14
Rear: Goodyear Eagle ST P235/60 R14

I am planning on moving up to 16"x7" or 16" x 8" custom aftermarket rims with 225/55ZR16 Continental ExtremeContact DWS Blackwall tires. I had these tires on my Lexus GS460 and liked the performance.

[4carbcorvair]

I work at an auto repair shop where we order tires very frequently. Multiple times a day. 14 inch tires are starting to lose certain sizes, along with 15's. Most base economy cars now come standard with 16 inch tires. Even my wifes Fiat Sport comes stock with 16's. I went with 16 inch on my 66 and couldn't be happier. :) A 205/55 16 will put you very close to having the speedometer accurate. At 65mph I'm off about 1/2mph according to GPS.

[bbodie52]

Beautiful convertible! Thanks for the tire and wheel info too. Valuable hands-on experience!

[Scott H]

Beautiful convertible! Thanks for the tire and wheel info too. Valuable hands-on experience!

That there is the VERY first ever Corvair of the Month car!

[Scott H]

I have my eye on Cragars for my 65 monza. Will these fit?
http://www.newstalgiawheel.com/wheel_de ... t3=1071101

I like the idea of having a bit higher tires in the rear, would I put on larger rims or a taller tire?

These are the tires I am thinking. I have limited funds, these fit my budget but if anybody has alternates to suggest for both rims and tires I am all ears!
http://www.newstalgiawheel.com/tire_det ... t3=2011100

Thanks!

I would agree with 4Carb. I would go with 15 or 16's. I like the American Racing Torq Thrusts better than the Cragars but thats only my opinion. You should be fine putting any 7-8" wide wheels on your car. Keep the diameter as close to stock for the fronts and then you can oversize the rears if you like.
http://www.wheelsforless.com/american_r ... px?ID=2592" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[4carbcorvair]

Thanks guys!

I went with a 16x7 TT2. Same size tire all around so I can rotate.

Choice of wheel is personal preference! We all have different tastes. The 80's Camaro, S-10, Buick etc... wheels do nothing for me. IMO, they belong on those vehicles. Even that is up in the air. LOL!! I do like the Chevy Ralley wheels too.

http://www.tirerack.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; website lists the tires revs per mile with each tire. You are able to pick a tire, size, check the revs per mile, over all diameter, width, etc. to help make a choice.

The only problem I have found is caravanning with other Corvairs. Their speedos read quite high on the highway with stock size tires. In other words, they think they are doing 65 when in reality, they are only doing just over 60. So I'm looking at my speedo reading 61ish when the speed limit is 65. LOL.

[Corvairkarma]

Thank you! I am such a noob that even just the bottom line basics are a great help. I appreciate all of your opinions, suggestions, tips etc.

Man, I am trying to match tires to rims and I feel like I am in kindergarten trying to do algebra. I think I have the idea of it but I am just not confident about it. Yes I have read all the links but having NO previous experience or knowledge it is still a bit confusing

I am still partial to the Cragars (70's kid lol), and I like the BFGoodrich radials with the white lettering. I havnt found a site that has both items that I can get them sent together mounted (Summit carries em but out of stock). I can have them mounted here so not too worried about that.

Help? Please? Suggestions as to which tire fits the rim? I can only find 14-15" Cragars SS so will be fine with doing 15". Idealy I would like a chunkier tire on the rear, as long as it isn't going to complicate things. I understand I won't be able to rotate.

edited to add that I found a better price on the rims I like http://www.jegs.com/i/Cragar/260/61715/10002/-1 , they are in stock, and they have the tires too. These will fit right?

I am still not sure which tires to get for them...advice please?

Thank you once again!!

[Corvairkarma]

since I am feeling far too confused about sizes maybe this will work. 15 in cragars, and will these tires be ok all around:

http://www.discounttiredirect.com/direc ... n%20false;

[bbodie52]

The URL link you provided apparently is invalid, or has expired.

The Cragar wheels you like are not really available in 16" diameter, so with that style you are basically locked in to a 15 x 7" size, which has a 4.125" Offset, which is appropriate for the Corvair.

With that wheel, the desired tire size for proper rotation speed (Revs per Mile) appears to be P205/60 R15. Searching the Tire Rack for performance tires in that size returns 7 brands, from Bridgestone, Firestone, Goodyear, Michelin, Sumitomo, Yokohama, and BF Goodrich.
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/TireSearc ... iameter=15

If you want Raised White Letter tires, BF Goodrich is the only option (BFGoodrich Radial T/A Performance All-Season). Based on customer feedback surveys, the best all-weather (rain and dry) handling, braking and performance in that size and category appears to be offered by Michelin (Michelin Pilot Exalto A/S High Performance All-Season) A set of 4 BF Goodrich tires in this size will cost $432, while a set of 4 of the Michelin tires sell for $4 less ($428). HOWEVER, THERE IS CURRENTLY A MICHELIN TIRE PROMO THAT WILL GIVE YOU A $70 REBATE! This reduces the price for 4 Michelin tires to $358 if you purchase the tires prior to 6/18/2013.



http://www.cragarwheel.com/

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/crr-61715/overview/

Cragar 08/61 S/S Super Sport Chrome Wheels $167.76 ea. Set of 4: $671.04 plus $12.95 S&H = $683.99
Wheel Diameter:15 in.
Wheel Width (in):7.000 in.
Wheel Material:Steel/Aluminum
Primary Wheel Color:Chrome
Wheel Finish:Chrome
Manufacturers Wheel Series:Cragar S/S Super Sport Series
Backspacing (in):4.125 in.

Previously Recommended/Specified 16" tire standard: 205/55 R16 Revs per Mile: 836 (24.9" Diameter)

BF Goodrich Raised White Letter Radial T/A (Performance All-Season)
Size: P205/60 R15 Set of 4: $432 Revs per Mile: 842 (24.7" Diameter)
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp ... mpare1=yes


Michelin Pilot Exalto A/S(High Performance All-Season)
Size: P205/60 R15 Set of 4: $428 ($358) Revs per Mile: 850 (24.5" Diameter)
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp ... mpare1=yes


Using Summit Racing as a wheel source, and Tirerack.com as a tire source, cost would be:

BF Goodrich Tires ($432) + Wheels ($683.99) = $1115.99 TOTAL plus local mounting and balancing. I believe wheel lugs/locks and valve stems would be extra.

Michelin Tires ($358) + Wheels ($683.99) = $1047.99 TOTAL plus local mounting and balancing. I believe wheel lugs/locks and valve stems would be extra.

Based on price and performance ratings, the Michelin tires appear to be the best deal, offering the best handling and braking performance at a lower price, due to the $70 rebate.

[Corvairkarma]

Thank you thank you! I needed that confirmation, I feel much more confident :)