Hi All- My car came with 14" rims from the factory and I'm inclined to keep the stockers rather than upgrade to the 15" rims. Having said that, what's the best size rubber for getting the best combination of looks and performance? It seems that those may be contradictory goals? Filling the wheel wells will probably mean tires with a higher profile that will sacrifice handling? o No: Anyway, what are some other experiences on this list??? I'm thinking of going with the BF Goodrich Radial TA's as they seem to be well-received by this group. Any better choices in a raised letter? Thanks!
If you want to use 14" rims, you should try to stay as close as possible to the original tire diameter as possible. If you don't you will have a spedometer error as well as affecting your rear end ratio. The standard 14" tire for a GS is the G78-14 which had a diameter of 27.06. The optional tire was the G70-14 which had a diameter of 26.82. With that in mind the best tire for you IMHO would be a P225/70R-14. It has a diameter of 26.5" That would be the best match, and would look pretty good. You could also go with the P245/60R-14, but the diameter goes to 25.6". That's a full inch shorter. Generally if you stay within 1/2", the error is small. I think if you go with the wider , shorter tire, it won't look right. Most guys step up to 15" tires, because there are more choices, and it's easier to fill the wheelwell with a nice wide tire that is the proper height/diameter. I have Radial T/A's P255/60R-15's all around on my GS and I think they look awesome. And they are 27.1" tall. The B.F. Goodrich Radial T/A is a great all around tire with a nice ride and look. Hope that helps.
Changing my mind... Thanks for the reply Larry. I went to the tirerack site and checked out the sizes and diameter options and, of course, saw exactly what you said. I'm now reconsidering my decision to stay with the 14" rims. Although they are the what the car came with, it makes a lot more sense to go to the 15" rallys and put on the tires you're running. It's a better fit overall. The 14" rims are a compromise any way you look at it- looks, performance... I can always keep the stock rims if I ever want to go back. Thanks again.
Ken, 15" rims are readily available in the boneyards. Buick put them on a variety of their cars for many years. I pick them up for 25.00 a rim when I need them. They are also 7" wide while the 14's are 6" wide. I think your making the right choice with 15's. I went with the wheel Vintiques Repros. They look fantastic. The only flaw in them, if you want to call it that, is the center section and"spokes" are chrome instead of brushed finish as originals. The P245/60R-15 is almost an exact match to the G60-15. The Wheel Vintique wheels are available in a variety of widths, and backspacing. You can get them from Summitt Racing even though you don't see them in the catalog. Just ask for the series 57 Buick mag wheel. I paid about 135.00/wheel. Good luck.
tires p245r60-14 on a 14x6 inch rim is too wide . u will damage the bead ring of the tire , and the tire will fail prematurely . should have a 7" rim. yeas ago i worked for bgf in canada . before i restored my original 14x6 rallyes on my gs, it had 15x7 firebird rims with 275r50 bfg t/a tires . they fit fine . full 9" of rubber on the ground . however, the tires were actually a little to wide for the rim . i have p225r70 on my rims now .
Yes, you are right Gerry. According to the B.F. Goodrich tire table I have, 6 1/2" is minumum rim width for that tire. Personally, I think that tire is too short for the GS anyway. Makes the wheel wells look 1/2 full Thanks for catchin that.:TU:
Re: Changing my mind... You wouldn't want to go back. You may want keep the correct date coded rims for good measure, but it is doubtful you'll ever install them again on your beautiful GSX. I really doubt anyone would complain because you 'upgraded' the tires to 15x7 :Brow:
Thanks! I appreciate the responses, guys. I think I'll troll the yards here in Ct when it warms up a bit. Of course, ebay is always a possibility unless shipping is exorbitant. If I can't find anything in decent shape, I'll go the Wheel Vintiques route. Marco, I agree that I'll never go back, but I just like the idea of being able to! I don't know that my car will ever be "concours" as I plan to drive it, but I do like to know that I can always go backwards to bone stock. I've done the same thing with my '96 Impala SS. My wife won't mind a few more used car parts floating around the basement... Thanks again!
:eek2: Not around here... I want to go to 15" rims eventually, but they fetch a premium on ebay, plus a new set of tires... The only 15" rims I see in the yards are on big buicks.
Another tidbit of information to keep in mind that is this. I can't give an exact year, but I'll guess starting in late 70's, from what I have seen, Buick Estate wagons, Electras/Park Aves, and LeSabres with heavy duty suspension got the 5 on 5 rims (15x7 on the wagons, 15x6 on the rest), while LeSabres w/ the normal suspension and the G bodies got the 5 on 4 3/4 rims. This is just from what I have seen roaming the yards when looking for rims for my car.
wheels can anyone verify the bolt pattern for the full size buicks thru 1985 ? i thought that they were all 5 x5 & either 5" or 6" depending on the suspension .
