What are you guys running on your fullsize cars? I bought a '70 Electra 225 a couple years ago and now I'm trying to get it on the road. The car has 35,000 miles and is in decent shape but needs some love. I just bought a set of like new Remington Cushion aire bias plys for the car. I didn't really want bias plys, but these things have a huge white wall and were only $125 for the set. The size is L78 15, which seems kind of big. I just hope they look good on the car. Right now the car has its original steel wheels ans stainless hubcaps, but the same guy has a set of Buick rally's that are 15" and are suppose to be the large bolt pattern. I brought one of them home to get an idea of what it would look like and I think they would look great, but I'm not sure how they would go with these wide whites. I'd love to hear from some of you guys that have wide whites, bias plys, or buick rallys. Thanks Rex
Rex,just to be sure,remove one of the front wheels and check the fitment of the rallies vs the drum or rotor.There's a couple of variations for the different years of the Road Wheels(rallies),if they fit the front right,it will be fine on the rear.The bolt circle is 5x5". I'm running BFG TA's on my '69 so I don't have any feedback on the bias ply feel,altought I think that if the front suspension is up to par,it should be an adequate ride. I run wheel covers on my car,I used the stock wheel on the fronts(15x6) and some white wagon wheels(for chevy 1/2t trk) for the back(15x7).Once I find a cheap pair of the same wheels on 15x8,I'll switch the 15x7 to the front(they will clear the massive AL drums) and put them on the rear.Good luck with it.
I ran bias tires for about 8 years. I bought them because I was showing in the BCA 400 point system and did not want a deduction. I will never do that again. ou: I finally put Diamond Back Classic redline radials on and it was like driving a new car. If you plan to drive the car, forget the bias tires. Wide whites - Hmmm, I follow moms advice. If you can't say anything good don't say anything at all. :laugh: The Buick road wheels really make a huge difference in curb appeal. They are worth every penny. Just make sure what he plans to sell you is not 1971 and up wheels. Lay the wheel face down on the floor. If the cone hits the floor before the bead part of the rim, its a 71 and up.
I have 235 - 70 -15 Firestones with a thin whitewall on my '67 Electra. See pic below: <a href="http://s795.photobucket.com/albums/yy233/Robbb12345/Other/Buick/?action=view¤t=HPIM0986.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i795.photobucket.com/albums/yy233/Robbb12345/Other/Buick/HPIM0986.jpg" border="0" alt="Electra"></a>
Thanks for all the advise and pictures. Unfortunately I just found that one of the tires has some deep cracks in the sidewall. I'm going to have it checked out and if its not safe to use I'll take them back. I'd rather have radials, but I don't have a lot of money to work with. The wheels fit on the front disks just fine but on the back there may be a bit of a clearance issue. It almost seems that the wheel is catching on the fins a bit and not fully seating. I'm planning to check the fit with some clay but haven't had a chance. If they are catching, I think some careful, minor grinding of the fins will fix it. Has anyone experianced this? Thanks for the responses, Rex
Yes the wrong wheel will just barely touch the fins on the rear and can make squeeking noise in various situations. I wouldn't recommend grinding the fins. The drum is balanced and if you remove uneven amounts of material you could have a problem there. I've seen people run them touching the the fins and even I did 25 years ago when I didn't know all road wheels weren't created equal. I wouldn't do it now. The correct rims are not all that hard to find.
Thanks for the Pics. I will have to consider the 235 - 70 -15 Firestones for my 1970 Electra. How is the ride with these tires? I noticed that Summit carrys the tire "Firestone Tires 098-361 - Firestone FR380 Tires"
How much does a set of these wheels usually cost? These are priced at $100 and I think thats negotiable. What kind of problems could I run into if I used this incorrect set of wheels? If a correct set is not to expensive I may as well just look for them instead though. Thanks Rex
I have a mix of the Hector & Rob look. Stock 15x6 on the front with 225/70's, 15x8 "wagon wheels" on the back with 275/60's. I guess it depends on whether you're after a performance-based appearance or a more conservative but stylish approach. I think the Buick rally wheel would do it for you. Devon
The ride with these radials is very good. I've heard that the ride on these older cars can be better with a non-radial tire, but I am happy with these tires.
I was able to get my money back for the tires, so now I'm on the hunt for another set. I ended up giving him $100 for the set of wheels and 2 extras, so I'm happy about that. I think they'll fit on the rear just fine with a very thin spacer and if not, I'll put the drum in a lathe and turn it down just a bit. Keep the pictures coming! You guys have some great looking cars.
