14" Wheel size?

[Dmiller]

I'm a new member. I live in the NC countryside. My ride is a 1964 Spyder convertible with the turbo. The 3:27 rear end makes for high RPM's at road speed. Has anyone mounted 14" wheels? How did they help or not? Is there a problem using them? If you've done this, what wheels did you use that worked satisfactorily? What tire size is best? Thanks to all... This seems to be a great Forum!

[1964PORVAIR]

I'M ROGER FOUNTAIN FROM ASHEVILLE,NC 28804, 828-424-7798.I HAVE A 64 CORVAIR MONZA CLUB COUPE THAT I BOUGHT A MONTH AGO AND I AM PUTTING 1971 FORD MAVERICK WHEELS & TIRES WITH P205-70R-14" THAT MY SON TOOK OFF HIS CAR.THE FORD HAS THE SAME BOLT PATTERN "4X4.5" OR 114.3 MM LUG SPACING.I HAVE ALSO ORDERED REAR BRAKE DRUMS FROM ROCK AUTO FOR A 71 MAVERICK 200 CI 6 CYL.AS THEY ARE 9' WITH SAME BOLT PATTERN AN IF THE FIT I WILL ORDER BRAKE SHOES FOR SAME VEHICLE AS THEY ARE 1.500" WHERE CORVAIR IS 1.750" OR CUT DOWN SOME VAIR BRAKE SKOES TO FIT.BRAKE DRUMSARE SAME SIZE FRONT AND REAR AND ARE ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND.I HOPE THIS WORKS!!!! ROGER.

[millpondmonster]

Rambler used the same 4 bolt lug pattern, and offered a 15 inch wheel.
I used to run them years ago with no problems.

[bbodie52]

Welcome to the Corvair Forum!

Where in the North Carolina countryside? I live in rural NC, on Lake Chatuge, which is about nine miles from Hayesville, NC, four miles from Hiawassee, Georgia, and about 100 miles from Asheville, NC, Atlanta, GA, and Chattanooga, TN.

These links will provide you with a lot of tire and wheel sizing and wheel interchange information for early and late-model Corvairs...

http://autoxer.skiblack.com/tires.html

viewtopic.php?f=225&t=6066

13" tires are quickly becoming obsolete, expensive, and harder to find (except for inappropriate trailer tires). Upsizing to 14", 15", or even larger wheels is becoming much-more practical — especially with modern low-profile tires that permit large-diameter wheels while retaining the same outside tire diameter as the original 13" tires.

Upsizing to larger-diameter tires can lower engine speeds to some extent, but speedometer accuracy is impacted and body/tire clearances begin to be a problem.

[1949chevy]

Of course, the thinner the tire....the worse the ride ....but probably better the handling in the the curves.

I put 205-70-14's on my 66....they look really nice...they are on 7 in wide rims and no problems....my speedo with be about right. As to correcting the speedometer if your go way off stock diameter tire, you can use a gps system and pretty much estimate how far off you are...also, I know on reg chevy autos that are a little older, there are differnet plastic gears that correct for any size tire just about....its about 30 min fix if that long and pretty easy...a screwdriver is just about it...I have about 4-5 different color ones in a drawer downstairs for a precise calibration...well almost precise.

You can find engine rpm at a particular rear end and tire size easy on the internet....our tires are about 25 + inches high...go with a 26, your rpm drops...and of course so does the acceleration and milege change also. I think a lot of dragracers just change tire size vs rear ends to improve times at different tracks....can make a pretty big difference in performance.

My 49 chevy has an all electronic instrument panel and I can program any correction by changing a few slide buttons....little hard getting it out to do so though...( gotta love that mega buck 59 impala wheel, its real...not a chinese replica that is out there in droves, it took about 80 hours labor for me to get this wheel to look like that...I painted it twice...like I did the car).

[Mark8166]

I put 14in Buick rally wheels on my LM with BF Goodrich Radial TA 225 60 14 are the near perfect diameter as original 13 inch.

[64powerglide]

I'm a new member. I live in the NC countryside. My ride is a 1964 Spyder convertible with the turbo. The 3:27 rear end makes for high RPM's at road speed.

3:27's will give you the lowest RPM not high, if you go to larger diameter tire you will get lower RPM but lose a lot of torque but your gas mileage should be better.