Originally Posted by MikeF
Are you wanting real performance or looks from the car? If you want a show car keep the big wheels and tires. If you want a car that does more than look good, and that is a matter of taste or lack of taste, get smaller wheels and tires. That will drop the unsprung weight resulting in a better balanced, better handling, faster car. Also you will have one that will still look decent in a couple years when the dubs idiotcy is done. If you have the Foose car, you might as well put a six in it cause the only time it will move is on and off the trailer for car shows.
So does that mean that the Viper, Vette, Porsche, Ferrari, Lambo, etc should get rid of those "big" 18x10,11,12,13" wheels so it will be able to keep up with your Challenger with the 15x7's. They are only 18 inchers not "21's" like the Challenger Prototype has. Do you not understand how a wide low profile tire can help a cars performance? I have 17x9.5" AR Torq Thrust II's on the rear of my Challenger with 285/40's and the overall diameter of the tire is 26 vs 27 for the 255/60-15's (stock 15x7 Rallyes) that came off of it. And though I did not get anal enough to weigh them there was a noticeable difference when I put them on the car (the 17's being lighter). Also, they definately perform better than the 15 inchers, both off of the line and in the curves. Now you could put some wide 14" alloys with a low profile tire that would really help decrease the unsprung weight but they would not fill out the wheel wells and would look awful. For me it's a balance between looks and performance.
I have done some factual research and if you go to tirerack.com they give all the specs on the tires. For example a 255/60-15 has a dia. of 27.1 and a weight of 29lbs (BFG's) and a 285/35-18 has a 26" dia. (This would be the aprox. dia of the Foose car) and a weight of 28lbs (Mich) and a helluva larger contact patch with less sidewall roll for "Real Performance" vs "smaller wheels and tires". BTW what do you mean by smaller. Smaller in width because as you can see it's not in the diameter so that must mean you like less width which means that you must like less traction off of the line and in the corners. If you just like the looks of an old school sized tire wheel combo with less rim and more tire that's cool, nothing wrong with that. Just don't factor performance comparisons into the equation.
As I stated in my first response. I personaly don't care for those rims, they look too massive and heavy due to too much metal in the center. I prefer a thinner 5 spoke design that would not only look better but would shave a few pounds off too. But I bet if you weighed those they would be lighter than you think. BTW That car looks quite drivable to me. As a matter of fact more so than a stock one with all of the 36 year old technology. You might have to raise it an inch or so if you live where the roads are rough. Our roads are pretty good so I'd leave it alone.
I am not trying to start anything. I am just confused how a modern low profile wheel and tire combo will do anything other than enhance a cars perfornance............... Now for Drag Strip duty go get ya some Slicks for goodness sakes, Will Ya! PEACE!