Barracuda 14" tire upgrade question
Have a 68 cuda with 195/55/14 tires, want to make it look a bit sportier without tire rub, love the stock wheels, any suggestions on size/brand....Thanks in advance
That's a small tire. Sure its not 195/75R14 ? That would be much closer to stock size and load capacity.
Are the stock wheels on your car body colored with dog dish hubcaps or wheel covers? The width of the rim is a limitation. Stock 4.5JJ rims probably want to keep it around the equivallant of D70-14 tire. That would have been the size of the sportier tires new. On a 5.5" rim, E70.
I would start by looking at specs for 195/70-14 and 205/70-14 tires.
BFG Radial T/A are the widest selection of tire sizes, but if you hunt you can find many other options. Part of the decision will be the type of road surfaces you will be on. You may not care at all about rain, gravel, snow, or those could be important to you.
A few things to keep in mind. Change in rolling radius will require a change in the speedometer/odometer pinnion. A smaller radius will provide quicker accleration, but require more rpms to maintian any given speed. A heavier tire wheel combo will require more energy to stop, turn, and accelerate. A shorter sidewall tends to feel more responsive. Hence the 70 series vs. 75 even from the factory.
For street, the tire I'm using now is no longer available (Firestone Firehawk Indy 500) and since I'm using 6" wide aluminum rims, its no help to you. I do like 14" 70 series tires for the street just for extra sidewall to absorb some of the impact of cobblestones, potholes, and so forth.
