Are 15 inch wheels any better than fourteen inch wheels?

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dibbons

dibbons

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My three classic vehicles are all equipped with 14 inch wheels and I was wondering if 15 inch wheels are advantageous for some (any) reason? Thank you.
 
The wheel itself isn't any better, but bigger brakes, shorter sidewalls, and modern rubber are all big benefits.
 
x3! Can't agree more with the above comments. The looks of a 15 vs a 14 alone is worth the switch, but tire options is the biggest reason. Even on smaller bodied classics, the ride is improved, the performance, the looks, and if it matters- the street credit of the car. You can keep the original look or go any other direction you wish with 15" wheels.
 
Plus, I have heard that most major manufacturers are deleting 14 inch tires.
 
You can get steel, chrome or aluminum 15's cheap all day long in a huge variety in the 4.5 bolt pattern.
Chrysler/Dodge/Plymouth all use them as well as Ford, Jeep and probably a couple of others.
 
The larger diameter will also improve ride quality. Think skateboard wheels over a speed bump vs. monster mudders @ 44 inches.

OK, the was comically outrageous in the comparison but the idea is there in a grand scale.

Larger tire, more rubber, less of an impact feel over the road.
 
The bigger the diameter the bigger the contact patch, always need more rubber on the ground.
 
Interesting conments, but just to play the devil's advocate for a moment, doesn't a lighter tire/wheel combo handle better for some reason?
 
size is the problem, nobody makes a decent 225-70 or 235-70x14 anymore. besides, these cars had tall tires in the day. 26-27 inches normally.not 24-25. I use 15's because I want the height, and the new disc brake rotors/calipers are too big for a 14 inch wheel.
I think I have the last set of nice Michelin 225/75-14 tires left on the planet. and I bought them in 2005.
 
My '72 Satellite Sebring Plus has 215-70R14 on stock wheels (5.5"?) with factory disc brakes but I have no idea what the rotor diameter would be.
 
Interesting comments, but just to play the devil's advocate for a moment, doesn't a lighter tire/wheel combo handle better for some reason?
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Streeters don't care about that.
OK THIS streeter doesn't care about that.
OK I care, but I care more about it sticking in the corners that ride quality over shoddy busted up pavement with rocks the size of pumpkins, which I would never be on anyway.
Ok that's an exaggeration.
Aluminum wheels weigh about 1/2 of the equivalent sized steel wheel, so you can add a massive amount of rubber, and still be near the stock steel weight. massive amount..
Ok more exaggeration, but not that much. A 295/50-15 is about 27 tall, 12.6 to 13.2 inch section, with nearly 10 inches of tread on the pavement. This is about 1.5 inches taller than the little factory rollers, and nearly double in width, yet on an aluminum wheel, the entire assembly weighs very little more than that Skinny 14" Polyglass POS GT that was OEM on your 1970 Swinger 340. Now that Swinger340 was one of the all-time worst handling cars ever to come out during the muscle-car era; IMO.
Now as to your handling question; sure a light-weight wheel and tire combo will "handle" pretty good. But it is only part of a much bigger picture, the first part of which is define "handle".
 
dibbons said:
Interesting conments, but just to play the devil's advocate for a moment, doesn't a lighter tire/wheel combo handle better for some reason?
Click to expand...

Yes they do, they also stop better, and spin up better. So find some magnesium wheels and light weight racing tires and you are in, but not for cheap!
 
The main advantage 15 inchers have over 14s is that they still make N50-15s

If anyone still made N50-14s I would have never bothered with 15 incher wheels
 
diymirage said:
The main advantage 15 inchers have over 14s is that they still make N50-15s

If anyone still made N50-14s I would have never bothered with 15 incher wheels
Click to expand...
I had a set of N50-15s once. Under a 74 DartSport 360 4speed, with Gabriel Hi-Jackers. That's how I bought it in about 78. Those babies looked to be about 7 ft tall under there!
 
dibbons said:
Interesting conments, but just to play the devil's advocate for a moment, doesn't a lighter tire/wheel combo handle better for some reason?
Click to expand...
The short answer is yes. Lighter wheels have a performance advantage. If your comparing a light weight 14 wheel and a steel 15, I'll take the 15 for all the other advantages it has. It just simply out weighs the 14 on everything else.
 
True, you can still get them. I want some Red line Wide ovals for my car, but at 250 apiece through Coker, I haven't bitten yet.
 
Just for comparison

If Original F70-14 = 215/70R14
215/70R14 = 25.85" diameter, 8.4" wide
275/45-R17 = 25.67 diameter 10.8" wide
235/60-R15 =26.1" diameter 9.25" wide
215x70xR14-275x40xR17_sbs.png
215x70xR14-275x40xR17.png
215x70xR14-235x60xR15.png


235x60xR15-275x40xR17.png
235x60xR15-275x40xR17_sbs.png

275x40xR17-275x50xR15_sbs.png
275x40xR17-275x50xR15.png

275/50-R15 =25.83" Diameter 10.8" wide
275/45-R17 = 25.67 diameter 10.8" wide
 
AJ/FormS said:
OK I care, but I care more about it sticking in the corners that ride quality over shoddy busted up pavement with rocks the size of pumpkins, which I would never be on anyway.
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So what you're saying is that you never drive your car on any road in Manitoba
 
The Big Three started using 14" wheels in '57 to lower the ride height for the "longer, lower, wider" styling of the next 15 years.

14" tires are still available but mostly from Chi-Com suppliers..
 
IfItsGotWheels said:
So what you're saying is that you never drive your car on any road in Manitoba
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Good catch, fellow Manitoban!
Yeah there are parts of MB where I just won't go; like Carman! Man that town doesn't need any speed limit at all; if your nuts enough to go there with any vehicle you value, you will be crawling along at 15/20 mph, and dreading it.I just stay away.
 
There are millions of 14 mini trucks out there, no one is going to dump the 14 molds. What they will do is drop the 14 line to a lower shelf tire brand, ie. Hercules or Cooper. Now finding a 14 wide is going to be a hunt. As for larger tire patch, that deals with the OD of the tire, not the diameter of the rim. Less sidewall is not always advantageous. On a freeway cruiser, a rubber band 35 series 20 inch tire with the accompanying 20 inch wheel mass is not the best combination. I watched a Volt with its low profile/ low resistance tires run over a 3 inch curb taking a driveway a little short at about 10 mph. Popped the tire outright. Watch "Blues Brothers" and watch that big Monaco bounce over a median at 30 mph. Try that with 18's and 40 series tires. So...any one know where I can find some 235-70R14s?:steering:
 
pishta said:
There are millions of 14 mini trucks out there, no one is going to dump the 14 molds. What they will do is drop the 14 line to a lower shelf tire brand, ie. Hercules or Cooper. Now finding a 14 wide is going to be a hunt. As for larger tire patch, that deals with the OD of the tire, not the diameter of the rim. Less sidewall is not always advantageous. On a freeway cruiser, a rubber band 35 series 20 inch tire with the accompanying 20 inch wheel mass is not the best combination. I watched a Volt with its low profile/ low resistance tires run over a 3 inch curb taking a driveway a little short at about 10 mph. Popped the tire outright. Watch "Blues Brothers" and watch that big Monaco bounce over a median at 30 mph. Try that with 18's and 40 series tires. So...any one know where I can find some 235-70R14s?:steering:
Click to expand...

I've actually done that on purpose with 15s, getting my wife to the delivery room. The first baby was born 22 minutes after we went thru the front door. The third one, I told the nurse not to bother calling the doctor, he wasn't going to get there before the baby was born. She looked at me like "What does this guy know". Well, 12 minutes later, I had a new son;Delivered by two smart-alec nurses. A little while later the Dr stumbled in at around 4:20AM to declare the time of birth.
Even tho we wanted like a dozen of those rug-rats,we decided not to have any more kids,cuz I didn't think I could drive and deliver babies at the same time,lol; and jumping curbs is probably not the best thing for the mother-to-be, never mind the tires .
 
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