Do any of you like 20" wheels on your B bodies?

Discussion in 'A boatload of fun' started by garybuick, Mar 8, 2016.

  1. garybuick

    garybuick Time Traveler

    This 71 lesabre I just got came with Maas 54 20x9 wheels and cooper cobra 245/40/zr20 tires. Are there any advantages or disadvantages to wheels and tires like this? I have always had standard 15" wheels and stock tires on all my old cars.
     
  2. Mr. Sunset

    Mr. Sunset Platinum Level Contributor

    I would need to see it. my 2015 camaro came with factory 20's and it looks slicker then gorilla snot. post up a pic.
     
  3. garybuick

    garybuick Time Traveler

    this the only pic I have right now
     

    Attached Files:

  4. pbr400

    pbr400 68GS400

    I think wheels should suit the car. 20" aluminum with low profile tires on a 450hp coupe, yes. Chrome 17 or 18 (maybe bigger, with some blackwalls) on a modern performance luxury sedan, sure. That car? In my opinion, (worth coffee with your added 50c) needs 15" body color or black steel wheels, poverty caps, and about a 235/70 or 255/60 blackwall. Maybe (maybe) Buick road wheels.

    Patrick
     
  5. 70aqua_custom

    70aqua_custom Well-Known Member

    NO, I believe the proper term for what's been done to that car is "donked"
     
  6. garybuick

    garybuick Time Traveler

    thats what I did to my 73. BTW what do you mean by road wheels? Rally wheels? You say a coupe could have the 20s? Do you mean 2 door hardtop? So becuse it has 4 doors the big wheels dont look right on it?

    driveway_small.jpg greensmall.jpg
     
    68ElectraCustom likes this.
  7. 66electrafied

    66electrafied Just tossing in my nickel's worth

    I dunno...I'm a purist...it has to be Buick wheels or forget it. IMHO any car except a modern one that wasn't designed to have those wheels on it tends to look like, ...well... never mind, to each his own. The only thing I can say to this is the designers of that car spent a lot of hours to design a car that would work with a multitude of tastes and appeal to a large cross-section of the population. By modifying the design, the author then puts his personal stamp on it that appeals to a decidedly more limited group, right, wrong or indifferent.

    Just sayin...
     
  8. pbr400

    pbr400 68GS400

    Sorry--by 450hp coupe I meant modern--SS Camaro, new Mustang 5.0, new Challenger, etc; and by 'road wheels' I meant the factory Buick 15"x6" (or 7" if you can find them) large bolt circle rallies.
    Patrick
    P.S. That's a good looking Buick.
     
  9. JayZee88

    JayZee88 Well-Known Member

    I would make a comparison of 20s and low pro tires on a full size Buick like putting radial tires on a stock 50s or earlier car. Many have done it, but it compromises handling and tire wear. Suspensions are set up to use a specific type of tire. By my biased opinion bias ply tires have different geometry then radials do. The same would apply for large rim/low pro tire cars. Yeah you see newer muscle cars sporting 18-22 and low pro tires, but the suspensions have been adjusted (designed) to handle the increase in vibration and moderate impacts from the road surface. Then you have the issue of your speedometer being off with different diameter tires, steering wear, etc. The best way in my biased opinion to spruce up the feet of your Buick is to put aftermarket craiger or similar rims 14 or 15 and put full size black with white letter tires on it (or all black). A Buick doesn't look good donked imo, it needs a "im serious" look.
     
  10. garybuick

    garybuick Time Traveler

    Thank you for your point of view. I still have no opinion at this time, I cant decide. I have a set of 15x6 5x5 Buick rallys. There is some rash on them in the corners, slight scratches and haze. IF I could get the haze out and clean the rash as good as possible, they may be nice enough for a driver. I dont know where or how much $$$ rechrome would cost. Alternately, I wonder if they could be smoothed and painted black, with chrome lugnuts and leave the chrome on the fins and center caps might be an interesting look.
     
  11. JayZee88

    JayZee88 Well-Known Member

    Your idea would look good, but paint doesn't stick well to chrome. There are a couple things you can do to see how good the chrome is. I picked up a trick for 'polishing' chrome that is easy, and cheap. Get a package of really fine steel wool (0000 is the finest if I recall right) and scrub the roughest area on the rim and see how good it cleans up. It does put really fine scratches in chrome, but considering they are old rims and have quite a bit of buildup by the sound of it, it would work good. Works as good if not better then polish on the rough stuff imho.
     
  12. garybuick

    garybuick Time Traveler

    I bought this whole set of 5 for $100. Ill try optimizing the chrome on these rims one more time. If nothing else I can use them until I find a mint set prefferrably 15x7. If not, Ill paint them black. Cant chrome just be sanded the same as regular steel prior to painting? Im thinking like 400 grit, then primer, then paint glossy black enamel? No?
     
  13. red67wildcat

    red67wildcat Well-Known Member

    Ive ran 17 inch on my 67 wildcat for quite a while, thou with the 15 in road wheels it rode and drove better as there was more sidewall to the tires.
    Ive got a couple full size chevys that Ive ran a combo 20 inch in back and 18 inch in front and the bigger the wheel usually means a lower profile tire and it does affect handling and ride

    looks are always subjective to ones personal taste
     
  14. garybuick

    garybuick Time Traveler

    isnt the purpose of the low profile tire to improve handling? Are you saying the handling was worse? Ive driven this car 100 miles so far and it feels floaty like a Buick is supposed to feel. Pressure is 32 psi. What about safety?

    Whoever put these rims on didnt put longer studs in. With the nuts all the way on they are only half way through the nut. The studs look like should be longer.
     
  15. redlark67

    redlark67 Well-Known Member

    That is dangerous as hell! You need to fix that right away. I wouldn't even be driving it. If one of those rims pops off at speed, it ain't going to be pretty.
     
  16. garybuick

    garybuick Time Traveler

    Im not driving it. I just bought it from a guy 100 miles away and a buddy of mine took me down there and I drove it back and parked it. The guy I bought it from owns a shop down there. He said it was good to go so I assumed it was. This car has been neglected and slip shod for years. Im going to give it back the love and dignity that it deserves. Poopers. Cue the music from Christine. There is a lot of good about this car and some bad too. All in all its worth what I paid.
     
  17. red67wildcat

    red67wildcat Well-Known Member

    What Ive found with the bigger wheel tires is with the less sidewall is the ride is rougher as those orig 15 tires absorb the bumps more it kinda like changing the spring rate in a car there just isnt the same give over bumps

    on handling what I mean is because they are typically so much wider they tend to track or follow groves in the road I call it bumpsteer --- not sure this is the true definition of that word but
    google bumpsteer and wide tires Im sure you will understand what I mean, My skylark acts the same it is a characteristic on wide low profile tires

    heres examples of what I have run
     

    Attached Files:

  18. Stevie455

    Stevie455 Well-Known Member

    In addition to the stock Wheel set i got (15'') I also use a set of 17'' AR Torque Trust on my 73 Electra.
    My feeling Is, that this is the Maximum size that looks good and classic without being too much donky...

    Ride is only a bit more stiff and harsh, but still very comfortable and absolutly Safe (the modern Tires help here in terms of brake and stability).
    I personally would get rid of 20''...

    Steffen
     
  19. garybuick

    garybuick Time Traveler

    In summary, 20" on B body is too donky. I wonder what they are worth and if I could trade them for a nice set of 15x7 buick rallys.
     
  20. WILD KAT

    WILD KAT Well-Known Member

    Buick Roadwheels all the way! Not maybe! It's one of the reasons Buicks look so cool!

    Put them Ghetto Wheels to scrap :)
     

Share This Page