Wrong Tires!

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swingingdart

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Well after having my tires on my car for the past few years, I found out they were the wrong size. I bought these new, but since I was still in the middle of my restoration I didn't drive the car really realize it. I bought 205/60/R14 for my '72 Dart. Thinking the "60" meant it would be wider, which I found out today was wrong. If I didn't have headers on my dart I would be okay, and it looks sweet lowered like it is. I'm just tired of dragging the header tube that dips below the steering linkage!

Just kicking myself for not researching tire sizes like I should have, my only real options at this point I guess is to buy new tires, again. Maybe somebody who doesn't have headers who can enjoy the lowered stance!
I guess I just needed to rant a little, I hate spending money on something and finding out I bought the wrong thing years past the return date!
 
don't think tires are going to help you if you're using the cheap headers that dip below the steering linkage. Dougs, tti's or manifolds are the only way to fix your problem. unless you do this
15113168653_59aa17347b.jpg
 
build the engine and slap some 5.11 gears in there
as long as you stay on the go pedal the front should stay high enough

57eea6bf442157818075080dc88d31e0.jpg
 
60s are the right series, 205s are the problem, followed closely by the 14,lol

205/60-14 are about 23.7 tall
235/60-14s are about 25.1; setting the ride height about .7 inch taller
225/75-15 are about 27.4 ; setting the ride height about 1.85 taller.But these may not go full lock depending on your backspace.

Or you could just tweak the T-bars some, speaking of which, yours should be the largest commonly available, around 1 inch. That will really help keep the car off the bump-stops (speaking of which yours are in good shap right?). .920s are a close second with HD shocks. I really like my 1.03s AND HD shocks. I have my K set to about 5.75 altitude and hammer over everything with TTIs.
 
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don't think tires are going to help you if you're using the cheap headers that dip below the steering linkage. Dougs, tti's or manifolds are the only way to fix your problem. unless you do this
View attachment 1715091202
Stock tires were 25.5" to 26" diameter. 205/60-14 are only 23.6". Just by going to the correct diameter tire he will gain around 1" of ground clearance, minimum.
 
See my deal was, I didn't understand tires sizes in general. I was explained today that the "205" was actually the width, and the "60" was the side wall height. 60% of the 205 width. I always thought the 60 or 70 of the numbers had everything to do with the tire width, but I guess I was wrong!

The tires that were on my car when I bought it were 205/70/14 Does this come close to the stock D70-14 original tire size?
 
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60s are the right series, 205s are the problem, followed closely by the 14,lol

205/60-14 are about 23.7 tall
235/60-14s are about 25.1; setting the ride height about .7 inch taller
225/75-15 are about 27.4 ; setting the ride height about 1.85 taller.But these may not go full lock depending on your backspace.

Or you could just tweak the T-bars some, speaking of which, yours should be the largest commonly available, around 1 inch. That will really help keep the car off the bump-stops (speaking of which yours are in good shap right?). .920s are a close second with HD shocks. I really like my 1.03s AND HD shocks. I have my K set to about 5.75 altitude and hammer over everything with TTIs.

Yeah they are in good shape, and they are stock V8 torsion bars, but looking underneath my car there is like 1-1/2"-2" clearance below the header pipe. so any part of the road that looks like a slight raise in the middle, SCRATCH! so irritating. I've already fixed a hole I poked in the pipe once. :(
 
I don't suppose anyone on here would be interested in my old tires? seriously, if I didn't have the header pipe it would just be a really sweet ride!
 
Stock tires were 25.5" to 26" diameter. 205/60-14 are only 23.6". Just by going to the correct diameter tire he will gain around 1" of ground clearance, minimum.

I rocked a set of headman headers from 2000-2016. Patched them up multiple times, ran multiple tire sizes,etc. eventually cranked up the bars for that sweet high water look. If taller tires worked for your ride that's awesome. swingingdart sounds like he is going to spend a couple hundred on new tires expecting his problem to be solved. I'm saying with the autozone coupon you can pick up a set of uncoated dougs for $350.00. little more for $ for welding on new collectors.

either way you go I wish you the best
 
D70-14 or E70-14: your modern equivalent is a 205/70R14. Right at 25.3" diameter. If you are really stuck with 14" wheels, I think I'd go bigger to 215/70R14, which would be 25.8".
 
I rocked a set of headman headers from 2000-2016. Patched them up multiple times, ran multiple tire sizes,etc. eventually cranked up the bars for that sweet high water look. If taller tires worked for your ride that's awesome. swingingdart sounds like he is going to spend a couple hundred on new tires expecting his problem to be solved. I'm saying with the autozone coupon you can pick up a set of uncoated dougs for $350.00. little more for $ for welding on new collectors.

either way you go I wish you the best

So what makes the Dougs headers that much better? just different routing of the header tubes?
 
D70-14 or E70-14: your modern equivalent is a 205/70R14. Right at 25.3" diameter. If you are really stuck with 14" wheels, I think I'd go bigger to 215/70R14, which would be 25.8".
I was leaning towards 225/65/R14 a little taller I think, but wider like I wanted them to be to begin with!
Honestly, I just have the 14" rims because I wanted what Mother Mopar would have put on this car had it been a factory rallye wheel car. I think they look okay, and they don't look small other than it sitting on the ground.
 
I was leaning towards 225/65/R14 a little taller I think, but wider like I wanted them to be to begin with!
Honestly, I just have the 14" rims because I wanted what Mother Mopar would have put on this car had it been a factory rallye wheel car. I think they look okay, and they don't look small other than it sitting on the ground.
They might work, but you really need to know how wide those wheels are and the backspacing needs to be right. 225/65R14 would be 25.5" dia. , but... does anyone make this size?
 
not sure on that, they are original rallye wheels 14". I called, our tire guy says they don't make a 225/65/R14 so I guess that won't work anyway. lol
I might just crank on the torsion bars and make sure the tires are aired up to the max, see what that gets me. Thanks everyone for their responses!
 
Well 225/65-14s math out to 25.5 tall, and 215/70-14s would be 25.8, and 235/60-14s are 25.1. All dimensions are plus/minus about 1/8"
I put those 235/60s on aluminum 7 inchers with a bs of about about 3.25 IIRC. They fit perfect with the K from 5.5 to 6 off the deck. At 5.75" front height, the back of the rocker is raked about 1/4 inch higher than the front. Pretty low for street, but she corners reasonably nice. 7inchers are a bit narrow for 235s, but at 29psi, they manage to wear evenly.
Here's the formula to get your tire diameter ballparked;
metric width/25.4 times the profile, doubled, and then add the rim size. Ex; 295/50-15s would be (295/25.4x50% x2)+15= 26.6 +/- .1 inch.
The profile width is always on a checking rim of 70% the design profile width.
So a 295 is only a 295 when mounted on a 295/25.4 x 70%= an 8 inch rim. Just don't try to run a 295 on an 8 cuz on the street it will burn the centers off. It needs a minimum 10 inch width. And even that is not big enough cuz the long-term tire pressure in that 295 on 10,is 24psi, to run flat to the pavement, on my 68 Barracuda ( rear weight is 1584 pounds).On a 10" rim, that 295 section grows to about 325
On a 235/60-14 the profile width is 235/25.4 =9.25 inches on a 70% rim of 9.25 x 70% =6.5 Again the 6.5 is just a checking width. That tire needs a 7.5 minimum to run a lil more than 29psi long-term. I like the ride at 29 so I'm keeping the 7s. With 235s and unfamiliar wheels, you will have to cycle the suspension,at full locks, to make sure the sidewall won't get into the balljoint, into the frame, or into the fender, or into the strutrod. The BJ hurts the most,lol. Don't forget that the bump-stops are not travel-limiters,lol.
 
Even easier:
Metric width/12.7, times the profile, and then add the rim size. Ex; 295/50-15s would be ((295mm/12.7)x50%)+15"= 26.6"
 
Yeah that only works on 50 series tires.
A theoretical 295/60-15would be in fact about 28.9", and
a 295/45-15 might in fact be 25.45
Nope. I have found the formula to work flawlessly on any size, or aspect ratio. Why would it not? Compare your result to any tire company's data. It will agree. Just 2 examples:

245/45R19, ((245/12.7)*.45)+19=27.68", I looked on Tire rack and they are 27.6" or 27.7" depending on mfgr.

225/60R15, ((225/12.7)*.60)+15=25.63", again on T.R. they all say 25.6" .

Try it for any size and then look at the manufacturer's specs.
 
Nope. I have found the formula to work flawlessly on any size, or aspect ratio. Why would it not? Compare your result to any tire company's data. It will agree. Just 2 examples:

245/45R19, ((245/12.7)*.45)+19=27.68", I looked on Tire rack and they are 27.6" or 27.7" depending on mfgr.

225/60R15, ((225/12.7)*.60)+15=25.63", again on T.R. they all say 25.6" .

Try it for any size and then look at the manufacturer's specs.

Your right,
and I see why; the doubling and halving cancel out. You just take a short cut by halving the conversion factor and eliminating the doubling of the sidewall.
I'm almost too old to learn new shortcuts, so forgive me if I keep posting the long-hand one,lol.
 
Your right,
and I see why; the doubling and halving cancel out. You just take a short cut by halving the conversion factor and eliminating the doubling of the sidewall.
I'm almost too old to learn new shortcuts, so forgive me if I keep posting the long-hand one,lol.
That's cool. I'm 61 and I know what you mean! Don't know where I found the formula, but it's the one I've always used.
 
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