Guest windjamer Posted October 13, 2011 Share Posted October 13, 2011 OK frends, after more than thirty years make that forty, working in the auto and tire bussness,can some one tell me what the he** we need 17 18 and 20 in. car tires for?? At 70 + yoa these things are starting to get heavy:eek: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R W Burgess Posted October 13, 2011 Share Posted October 13, 2011 Blame it on those darn Hot Wheels, Dick!The kids that played with them have grown up and found themselves at a place of authority. Of course there is not ever a time when a new fad doesn't make a little money for the originator.Wayne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R Walling Posted October 13, 2011 Share Posted October 13, 2011 How else could you make a Chevy look foolish without 20" tires"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bkazmer Posted October 13, 2011 Share Posted October 13, 2011 My daily driver's 17" alloys are a lot lighter than my Packard's 16" pressed steels.To answer more seriously, a larger diameter with a lower sidewall (aspect ratio) will handle better due to reduced sidewall flex. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
West Peterson Posted October 13, 2011 Share Posted October 13, 2011 OK frends, after more than thirty years make that forty, working in the auto and tire bussness,can some one tell me what the he** we need 17 18 and 20 in. car tires for?? At 70 + yoa these things are starting to get heavy:eek:Those are standard sizes for cars from 1929 to 1942. Not sure what your vitch is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest windjamer Posted October 13, 2011 Share Posted October 13, 2011 Roger please please do not post anymore pics. like that. The tires and wheels make my arms and back ache, but to put them on a outher wise beutiful 63/4 Chev. SS is down right stupid. IMHO,owner should be casterated. Wayne, have you tryed to dis-mt. and mt. these things lately? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest windjamer Posted October 13, 2011 Share Posted October 13, 2011 Those are standard sizes for cars from 1929 to 1942. Not sure what your vitch is. Come-on West, tires in the 40s did not weigh what they do today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe_padavano Posted October 13, 2011 Share Posted October 13, 2011 "Styling" issues aside, the reason for larger wheels is to clear larger brakes. The average size of rotors has grown dramatically in the last 10-15 years. I can't argue with that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bkazmer Posted October 13, 2011 Share Posted October 13, 2011 Joe's right on the brakes (unless inboard). Today's tires are generally wider and lower at equal diameter. So maybe the tire is heavier, maybe not. But the mounted wheel plus tire is definitely lighter now. Let's not even talk about getting old ones into fender wells. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poci1957 Posted October 13, 2011 Share Posted October 13, 2011 I am sure Dick's point is comparing the 17-20" wheels to the more mundane 14-15s" that were standard sizes for so long. I will concur that a 1930s sidemounted Packard wheel and tire is heavier than a modern alloy like on the Impala pictured, but those Impala wheels are much heavier than, say, a set of P235/75R15s. Joe is indeed right about the brakes too.Actually Wayne's reference to Hot Wheels cars is probably more to the point then one might realize. I have also said that IMO longing for a real life Hot Wheels car is the main motivator for most street rods and oversize wheel & tire combinations. Todd C Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest DagoRed Posted October 13, 2011 Share Posted October 13, 2011 The owner of this '66 High-Boy must have really big brakes, huh .. ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest windjamer Posted October 13, 2011 Share Posted October 13, 2011 OK sorry guys. guess I just needed to vent. We had one in the shop today and had to use a sledg to free it from rotor. Tire was worn to the cords and I think it was 10 in. wide. Red please your hurting my eyes:eek: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Dick Whittington Posted October 14, 2011 Share Posted October 14, 2011 The owner of this '66 High-Boy must have really big brakes, huh .. ?24" tires belong on trucks. PERIOD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest prs519 Posted October 14, 2011 Share Posted October 14, 2011 So we have evolved, then devolved, evolved again, and with but a little more practice, we will re-realize the merit of solid rubber tires. Not much for ride-quality, but they sure do last! Ask the owner of a 1915 Packard truck, who is probably still on his first set of tires! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocketraider Posted October 14, 2011 Share Posted October 14, 2011 How else could you make a Chevy look foolish without 20" tires"?See post 12 above.That thing goes beyond a Hot Wheels fetish and into the realm of the ridiculous. Or, as I've heard it called, "reDONKulous".What's sad is the suspension mods on that 66 Impala have probably ruined the frame and rendered an otherwise nice car into a candidate for the recycler. You cannot convince me that suspension mods such as that on a convertible are safe. I would be afraid to ride in that car top down because of the body flex and stress.I'd bet money those wheels do not meet DOT standards either. Why they're allowed to be sold in this country is a mystery to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starfireelvis Posted October 14, 2011 Share Posted October 14, 2011 ...just reminds me of a comment I've made on several occasions, many this past week. The one thing I love about coming to Hershey is seeing some of my favorite cars (usually, Chevy's) the way they're SUPPOSED to look, i.e, STOCK from the factory. No SB 350s and pimped-out wheels that, if I were to draw a moral equivalence, make a prom queen look like a (gonna be careful with my words here, so hope I don't get nixed) "hussy". Trying to be tame here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bleach Posted October 14, 2011 Share Posted October 14, 2011 Donks look more at home on a DONKey cart. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe_padavano Posted October 14, 2011 Share Posted October 14, 2011 The owner of this '66 High-Boy must have really big brakes, huh .. ?Or else a really small.... er, SHOE size. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
28 Chrysler Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 The tires on the donkey cart don't ride any worse than the low profile tires. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dandy Dave Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 24" tires belong on trucks. PERIODAnd Farm Tractors! Dandy Dave! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Kingoftheroad Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 I know you guys will disagree with me but, I'm not against a nice tasteful set of aftermarket wheels (in stock size & era for the most part) on an otherwise stock (original or restored) classic. Some cars I've seen really look nice, the aftermarket wheels give the car a little more sportier look. Having aftermarket wheels is not like chopping up a perfectly good classic. That Chev in post 12 is hard to look at, thats heart breaking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bkazmer Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 I think the key is era. IMO, Panasports on a Sunbeam Tiger or Cragars on a GTO look period. I understand period accessory is an AACA no-no, but the vehicles still has a historic look of its time. Later wheels on a vehicles say SBC hack job. Not a fan of 50's chrome wires (Caribbean, Skylark, etc) back fitted to 40's models either. If you have to leave off the fender skirts when they were standard new, in order to fit the wheels, it ain't right (often seen with 60's - 70's big cars) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Old48Truck Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 Is it still ok to put baseball cards in my bicycle spokes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cutlasguy Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 The main reason, I believe, for low profile tires, is profit! Less rubber equals more bucks in the pockets of tire manufacturers! Does anyone remember Chrome Reverse Wheels? They put more bucks in the pockets of ball joint manufacturers and garage mechanics than brakes ever could! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bleach Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 And Farm Tractors! Dandy Dave!And bicycles too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dandy Dave Posted October 19, 2011 Share Posted October 19, 2011 Is it still ok to put baseball cards in my bicycle spokes?Be carfull. You may be chopping up a collectible one that is worth a few bucks. Dandy Dave! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Old48Truck Posted October 19, 2011 Share Posted October 19, 2011 Don't worry, Dave. There's no place to put the clothespin on newer bikes... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest prs519 Posted October 19, 2011 Share Posted October 19, 2011 The main reason, I believe, for low profile tires, is profit! Less rubber equals more bucks in the pockets of tire manufacturers! Does anyone remember Chrome Reverse Wheels? They put more bucks in the pockets of ball joint manufacturers and garage mechanics than brakes ever could! Yes, I recall, and this was then trumped by putting 31 and 33 inch tires on four wheel drives, then stunned in wonderment that mechanical problems develop!Perry in Idaho Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Bollman Posted October 20, 2011 Share Posted October 20, 2011 Saw this on another site and thought it fit the discussion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Mellor NJ Posted October 20, 2011 Share Posted October 20, 2011 Are they wood wheels? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dandy Dave Posted October 20, 2011 Share Posted October 20, 2011 (edited) LOL.... :D Yup, looks like it. No traction, slides when you just touch the brakes. Will not climb a hill when it rains. No good for 4 wheeling unless you have a team of Horses, Mules, Oxen, or Donkeys pulling it. This information is provided to those who have never rode on anything with the steel hitting the highway. Like,... Hello! There is a reason that rubber was installed very early on self propelled vehicles. Dandy Dave! Edited October 20, 2011 by Dandy Dave (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_Maine Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 Where's the wood grain paneling? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john2dameron Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 I see full-size Chevrolets from the '90's (which I don't care for to begin with) perched up in the air on wheels that must be at least 20-inches. Looks awful. Too put it bluntly it looks stupid and trashy. Just MHO! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 It isnot hardtomount heavy tires if you do it right. Don't raise the car so high, the wheel should still slightly tough the ground. Use a tire iron to slide the wheel against the hub. I sure wish my Packards had studs instead of using bolts for the wheels.________________________________________________________________ What dick is talking about here is dismount/mount tire from the wheels. Impossible to do unless you have the right equipment to do so for 50, 45, 40, 35, series. It's not so much the wheel size as it is the profile. To put a 35 series on the street is ridiculous because the state of the roads these days are so bad. I have to laugh every time a government official says we need to get people driving passenger cars instead of SUV's and trucks. The roads are so bad you NEED a truck! I can drive one of my track cars all day with 12" rotors front and 10" rotors rear and not need more brake performance and those brakes work with 15" wheels and hauls a 3900lb. car down from 140 mph.The 66 full size Chevy looks to me like a hopper/bouncer and what about bumper height and wheel/tire to be inside of the wheel house/mud flap requirement????:confused:Hot wheels to some......to me another car on steroids that is not safe on the road.Don Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dandy Dave Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 Where's the wood grain paneling? If it had that, The woodpeckers would be putting holes in it. Dandy Dave! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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