Poll: bigger wheels or smaller wheels?

bigger isnt always better

 

That's the problem, mavmike...i'm still forming my vision as to the wheel size...not everything has been cemented yet in my mind (hence the post)

 

thanks for the compliments. the front tires are 205/60/14 and the rear is 275/60/15. cooper cobras all around

 

my bad jermey didnt mean for you take my comment the wrong way.

 

no no, I definetely didn't, and didn't mean to come across harsh.

I'm slightly fusterated with myself...wheels make or break the car, and it's a big purchase, and I have no clue what I want.

I've got a few months to figure it out still.

 

Jeremy,

You probably will need to start polling tire sizes next.

Be careful though ... the actual physical sizes vary between brands even when referring to the same metric sizes. For example, BF Goodrichs all tend to run larger than other brands. This can be very important when pushing to pack as much tire as possible under a car and not have it rub. I worked for Goodyear for a while and fitted a lot of cars with non-stock wheels and tires.

Most manufacturers will have a chart of actual sizes that you can refer to. Also be aware that a change in rim width from the size that the manufacturer used can affect sidewall width dimensions. It is good practice to take the tire in question, have a friend stretch the beads out to the rim width, and double-check the sidewall measurement against the one stated on the chart.

Wheel backspacing will affect how wide a tire you can run too, so it really is best to have the wheels in hand and mount them bare on each corner of the car and actually measure the car. Some cars are not symetrical.

All that being said ... the green Comet below has Cooper 265/50/15s on Wheel Vintique 15x8.5s in the back, 195/60/15s on 15x7 Ford Magnums front. The fronts are too short, but they give the car the stance I wanted. I may go to 205/60 or 205/65s to fill the wheelwell better and possibly drop the front one more inch. I have 1/4 inch spacers in the back and one rear tire barely rubs on turning onto steep driveways. If it didn't have the white letters turned around, it would clear on that side.

The white Comet seen below had Goodyear 245/60/14s on 14x7 rear and 205/70/14s on 14x4s front. It would have looked much better with about a 2 inch drop in the front.

If you are still up in the air about what you want, and a friend has wheels and tires close to what you are thinking, you might want to grab a six-pack, invite him over and try fitting his wheels to your car to see how they look.

 

i voted 15" only because true muscle cars had them.

the 16's and 17's look good on all of the pictures listed, but they are a lot more expensive, and the tires will break the bank.

tires and wheels in the 15" size will run about 600-700 bucks. 16's and 17's will run into the 1000 range

 

as much as I liked the stance and tire/rim combo on my Maverick that I have now and the Blue 70 Maverick that I had. They all had 14 inch rims all around. I think 15 inch rims are a lot better choice because the 14 inch tires are harder to get in the sizes that you may want on a Maverick.

Just for instance I would really like to put a 245 maybe 265 60 series on the back of my Maverick and possibly a 205 or a 215 60 series on the front but with the 14 inch rims those tire sizes are very hard to find... Not impossible mind you but you just can't walk into any ole place and expect them to have them in stock.

So 15s all around or 14's up front and 15's on rear

 

more like $800

descent 15s will be around 100 each and same for a descent tire....plus tax n everything you'll be lookin 800+

but ya know thats a base price, the 15s i want ar almost $400 for each wheel. uberlight drag wheels cost to much *kicks the ground* so im settling for knockoffs which weigh more but are only about 100 and i get my wheels at cost through my work. wheels aint cheap, even 15s. so dont settle for smaller wheels than you want, you'd be better off to just wait a lil while and get what you want.

 

and for the tires as long as you stick with a common size a 17 tire will cost about the same as a 15. like a 215/45r17 and a 225/45r15 are similar in price.

where they really kill you on tire prices is oddball sizes that they dont produce on as large of a scale.

 

Well I cut my front coils 1 1/2 coils and it lowered my front 1 in. I have a 302 with V8 coils. Front tires are 205/60/15 while the rears are 275/60/15.Rims are 15/7s, off set is 3.75 and I have NO clearance issues. Car has a nice rack and looks tough. hope this helps. RON

 

I run 15x7's at all 4 corners.

 

I did not vote yet...but Dan's car is the cats meow!

 

exactly!

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IMO as long as they look good.

i like the classic look but it also is way played out! when i first started the maverick i wanted centerlines... but every one had them. so i went with weld drag lites then everyone had those so i went with drag stars. yep got played out fast! so i went centerlines in 16's in 1990 and that was huge back then. it was so rare the only place you saw those were trucks. infact i recall when i ordered them centerline said no one ever order them in a ford bolt pattern...lol! then the pro touring thing came along so i went with an 17's w/18's yes people were doing it.. but not on a maverick.

personally i've done everything. 14's 14's w/15's 16's 17's 17's w/18's i wouldn't put 18s on the front due to limited tires sizes and it just looks funny.

IMO

with 14's your just limited on tires size as well as handling. but it is orginial hense why i own a car with 14's w/whitewalls on them.

15's everyone has them.. it bores me! i'm not saying it don't look good! i love bobs car (he paid me to say that ) however when you seen one 15 tq thrust or centerline or cragar you seen them all. but for drag racing i wouldn't do anything else. again my drag car (if i even get some time to take it out these days) has 15's.... light, great cheater slick sizes and more! but remember there is more to life then going in a streight line.

16's have some great sizes for handling! i wouldn't go with anything less. you old school guys (for you old guys it's actually old "skool" fyi lol!) don't knock it until you tried it! the low side wall is there for a reason. i still keep mine 16's and swap them on and off with my 14's talk about night and day handling!

17's /18's that's more of a look. you can still get some decent performance and now M/T and BFG makes drag radials for them too. but either way big wheels are here to stay. like it or not. you also be amazed at the questions and wows on this combo on a maverick at a car show.

anything bigger then an 18s.... . it just looks stupid... i guess i must be old too.

p.s. they call it old skool for a reason, your just old. lol! oh yeah i wouldn't call a maverick a classic either...

 

You young wipper snappers are all alike..... Back in the olden days we had wooden wheels on our Conestoga wagons. Bigs and Littles.... If we could afford 'em we went with the oak instead of pine. Then there was that darn old steel ring.... They never made them very wide, but traction was never a problem.........