74 DART'
Well-Known Member
Looking at buying a pair of 15x4 inch rims for the front of my 74 Dart. What size is everyone using ? 1658015 I think is what I had years ago.
What size tire on a 15x4 inch rim ?
- Thread starter 74 DART'
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165 80x15 on mine
Yes to the 165/80/15. That is what is in this photo.
If you do a search on low cost tires they usually are narrower that a well known name (I use IronMan) Web sites usually give specs.
Like a 195/75/15 will have about a 6 to 7 inch tread Just about max for a 4'' rim.Most I find are right at 6''
In the second photo My rim is 5'' and have a 215/75/15 7'' tread IronMan and fits well,no bulge of the side wall.
If you do a search on low cost tires they usually are narrower that a well known name (I use IronMan) Web sites usually give specs.
Like a 195/75/15 will have about a 6 to 7 inch tread Just about max for a 4'' rim.Most I find are right at 6''
In the second photo My rim is 5'' and have a 215/75/15 7'' tread IronMan and fits well,no bulge of the side wall.
33IMP
Well-Known Member
Using a 165/80x15 on a 3 1/2 centerline on one car, 165/80 on a 15x4 rocket spoke, 185/65x15 on the other (also 3 1/2 cl). The 185 were all I could find the day I needed tires to make a race. Very short, a little too wide.... but they work.
TireRack.com provides charts for the tires they sell that specify the minimum rim width for each tire size.
A 165/80 is a tiny tire for a heavy car — that would have been the stock size on my 2000lb MGB in 1966. An A-body is putting at least 300lbs extra on each corner. I suppose if it's a race car it doesn't matter.
A 165/80 is a tiny tire for a heavy car — that would have been the stock size on my 2000lb MGB in 1966. An A-body is putting at least 300lbs extra on each corner. I suppose if it's a race car it doesn't matter.
33IMP
Well-Known Member
A 165/80x15 is a one-size-up tire for a vw beetle.
None of my cars that use that size tire even dream about going fast around corners, but that's not what they're for.
Just make sure using a tire that small that you add some rear brake bias, assuming much bigger tires on the rear.
Edit: looks like 67 barracuda used a 215 on a 14x4.5 rim stock. So maybe a 205 or less (195?) could work on a four inch rim.
None of my cars that use that size tire even dream about going fast around corners, but that's not what they're for.
Just make sure using a tire that small that you add some rear brake bias, assuming much bigger tires on the rear.
Edit: looks like 67 barracuda used a 215 on a 14x4.5 rim stock. So maybe a 205 or less (195?) could work on a four inch rim.
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Go to tire rack for example.
Every tire has a minimum rim with spec.
That's where I would start
Every tire has a minimum rim with spec.
That's where I would start
33IMP
Well-Known Member
Funny thing. I have tiresize.com bookmarked on my phone.... and they say a 165/80x15 doesn't exist! Lol.
junkyardhero
Well-Known Member
i know a lot of people run 205's on 4" rims
i just wouldn't try and do it with a super short sidewall like 50 or 55 series.
i just wouldn't try and do it with a super short sidewall like 50 or 55 series.
One my street cars I ran a 185/80 15, I believe they were made for Volvos. I found that the 185 had better street manners than the 165 on wet roads.
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33IMP
Well-Known Member
Tiresize.com says they don't exist either.
Summit sells some, made by Coker, even have a redline on em. NOT cheap! ($282)
(They did get a good review from a Porsche 356 driver)
185/65x15s available everywhere, I put a pair on 15x3.5 centerlines. Decent tire, but real short!
EBay motors shows at least two brands of 185/80x15s, as little as $51ea.
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74 DART'
Well-Known Member
Thank you very much for the info. I went ahead and ordered a pair of Nexen brand through work. Only ones we could get. I’ll see in a few days how they look. Think they were $90 something a piece
33IMP
Well-Known Member
I've got a couple Nexen 165s holding up the front of my 55, temporarily, at the moment. Came off my Opel. They won't be staying on the 55. Decent tire. I think I paid around $50ea, pre-bidumb.
74 DART'
Well-Known Member
Nice 55. Yeah hopefully these tires work out good. Not going to be a corner carver anyway. Just an old hot rod cruiser
The original metric size was 165-15 which replaced the 600-15 original sizing. These were the oe tire size for the VW Super Beetle. They came out in 1971, equiped with the new McPherson strut front suspension.
The standard bug wore 560-15 or 155-15 sized tires. The max load rating was a little over 1,000 punds per tire @ 32psi. This was about 400 pounds per tire less than the cars original tire size.
The early tire sizing system did not generally give aspect ratio numbers, just the section width and rim diameter. The average aspect ratio on the early tires was 75-83%. Later replaced by 75, 70, 60, 50 % ratios in the late 60's, 70's.
Very little contact patch area, so very dangerous when hard braking. As well as overloading the tire.
The true race cars of that period used the old 855-15 sized tires on the front of the stock, super stock cars as they also had very little contact patch area but were much large in diameter to give more roll out at the start and had a lot more load carrying capacity as they were the load equivalent of the H sized tires used in large sedans.
The standard bug wore 560-15 or 155-15 sized tires. The max load rating was a little over 1,000 punds per tire @ 32psi. This was about 400 pounds per tire less than the cars original tire size.
The early tire sizing system did not generally give aspect ratio numbers, just the section width and rim diameter. The average aspect ratio on the early tires was 75-83%. Later replaced by 75, 70, 60, 50 % ratios in the late 60's, 70's.
Very little contact patch area, so very dangerous when hard braking. As well as overloading the tire.
The true race cars of that period used the old 855-15 sized tires on the front of the stock, super stock cars as they also had very little contact patch area but were much large in diameter to give more roll out at the start and had a lot more load carrying capacity as they were the load equivalent of the H sized tires used in large sedans.
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74 DART'
Well-Known Member
Thanks for all the information. Wasn’t sure how tires were rated before. I figured the change was from bias-ply to radial
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