15x3.5 on the street?!?

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BrianT

BrianT

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I found a guy that is selling a set of Centerline Auto Drags. They are the correct offset for my Dart and appear to be in pretty good shape. Here are a couple of pictures he sent.

Centerlines1.jpg


Centerlines2.jpg


I really like the big and little look, and the Centerlines will fit perfectly with the theme of my car. My only hesitation about buying them is the width of the front wheels. I wasn't planning on running a wide tire anyway, but what tire can I run that will fit on a 3.5 wheel and still be safe on the street? I know guys run VW tires, 165/15's I think, but am having a hard time finding that size on the web.

What does everyone think? Thanks!
 
I ran 3-1/2" wide aluminum slots with 5.60 15's on a small block 69 Dart. A friend has a big block Challenger with the Centerline 3-1/2's on it. Just remember to take it easy turning and watch out for potholes. Bob
 
Hi Brian, give Coker Tire a call if they don't have it they will refer you to someone that does. Just make it clear, street not track.
 
Those tires you mentioned will fit great! I am running 5.60-15's on my skinny wheels, I have the 165's, just need to get them on.
 
JTG said:
Hi Brian, give Coker Tire a call if they don't have it they will refer you to someone that does. Just make it clear, street not track.
Click to expand...

Thanks! I looked at Coker's website and they have a nice Michelin in that size. A little pricey, but a pretty good tire. My buddy runs a tire store and I'm going to give him a call later today.
 
They may look cool and be ok on the strip but for street driving they suck.

5.60X15 have a max weight rating of 970 #s per tire and less than 4 inches of tread width.
 
That's what I'm trying to figure out, real world usage. This car is weekend cruiser. Less than 1000 miles per year. Cruise nights, run to the car wash, annoy the neighbors, stuff like that. Definitely not a daily driver or a autox car.
 
Brian -
I like the same type of look, but I decided on 15x6 rims with either 195 or 215 tires for the front of my '69 Dart, and 15x8 rims with 275 tires on the back.
Much safer IMO but still gets the look across.
Make sure you check out the load ratings on whatever size tire you decide to go with.
 
Any local tire store should be able to provide 165 radials super cheap.

If you've got a serious car that will see really high speeds, then step up to a speed rated tire like a M/T sportsman front.
 
Stanadrd stock steel wheels are 4" so the 3.5" is not that big of deal.

The 3.5" wheel is not DOT approved if anyone cares, I don't. I run mine on the street.


Chuck
 
i've run several cars on the streets with those tires. They do have a substantial negative effect on braking, so you have to be aware of that, especially with drum brakes. Otherwise no troubles.

You can find the 165R15s on Ebay and other places. Prices vary a lot.

One thing I don't like about the autodrags is that they don't allow a lot of ventilation of the brakes, which will increase fade, and shorten pad life.
 
I have vented and cross drilled four wheel discs, so I'm not too worried about braking. I'm kinda bummed about hiding them behind the solid Centerline wheels.

Life is about choices and making trade offs.
 
I ran the 165's for 2 years. The car had 29X18.5 on the rear, and by some stroke of luck, I ended up with a great rear brake bias, and the car stopped great without front tire lockup. It might be a good idea to run a valve to dial in more rear brake to take advantage of the extra tire width out back.
 
I have all new Fine Lines to run still. I'll be running 325/50R15 drag radials on the back. If I'm not happy with the bias, I'll install the adjustable valve.

Now back to the thread...
 
165's on 3.5's will be fine for what you're doing, I went from 215/60's on cop wheels to 165's on 3.5's and it still stops fine, and drives fine in the rain- etc, it does push more thru the corners but I expected that.
 
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