DeTomaso Mailing List: May 1997, Message #78
     



From: Andy Poling <andy@realbig.com>

Subject: Re: Wheels and Tires (that's Tyres, Shane)

Date: Fri, 2 May 1997 22:43:11 -0400 (EDT)



On Thu, 1 May 1997, Jim Firanzi wrote:

> On that subject, I still have the original 7" / 8" Campis on my early '72.

> Tire options in wide V or better rated tires are slim these days until Pirelli

> decides to begin manufacturing the rumored (305/15?) tire they used to make.

>

> Has anyone investigated the option of buying a pair of Wilkinson's 16" Campi

> repros in 10-11" width for the rears while using the 8" Campis on the front?  I

> did manage to locate a tire which would work for the rears in 16", the Michelin

> XGT-Z 315/40ZR16 which has an overall diameter of around 25.9".  All other 15"

> tires I can find are either too narrow (245 max), too short (25" or smaller

> overall) or are H rated.

>

> There has to be a solution here short of tossing the Campis all together.  I

> don't particularly like the 8" repros as they look noticeably like two-piece

> wheels (which they are).  The wider repros with deeper offset hide this fact

> better and look more like original wheels (without the magnesium casting marks.)



I recently put the Wilkinson repros (powder coated silver, rather than

polished - for an original look) on my '72.  For the front, I chose their

8x16, though I could have moved my rear Campy's up front (I guess - didn't

check the offset).  I went this route for three reasons:



1) I wanted the front and rear wheels to match exactly visually



2) I wanted to keep the originals as a set so I can mount them back up if

the mood strikes me



3) I don't have to worry about the 25 yr old Campy's.  After recent

discussion here, most people seem unconcerned, but I plan on playing hard

and I don't want to worry about a wheel failure.



I chose their 11x17 for the rear.  Tire-wise I went hog-wild and mounted up

a set of BFG R1 street-legal (DOT approved) racing tires.  I plan on playing

at the track and I don't want to have to worry about street tires

overheating and dulling my fun.  I put 245/45-16 on the front and 335/35-17

on the rear.  They look fantastic on the car and the tires fit like a glove.



In the rear, the larger diameter wheel actually gets you further away from

the suspension and brake pieces, and the only thing I could see that could

be a potential problem was the mufflers.  The tires have to fit in front of

the muffler and outside the pipe feeding the mufflers.  There was ample

clearance on my '72 with a stock exhaust, but it's something to check if

you're thinking of going to a similarly large wheel/tire combo in the rear.



The repros are indistuingishable from the originals at any distance, and

unless you look closely, you probably won't notice that they're two-piece

wheels (the weld is in the back).  Viewed from the rear, my car now has

acres of visible rubber.  From the side, the rear lower profile tire on the

larger diameter wheel looks a little more current, without losing that

overall "big" look that it had with the higher profile 295/70-16 tires on it

before.



"It's got a good beat and you can dance to it... I give it a `10'" - unknown

Soul Train Scoreboard participant.



The Wilkinson wheels look good, but they aren't light or cheap.  I didn't

get to weigh them (OK, I actually forgot in my rush to get the R1's mounted)

but the stout, thick billet Aluminum they use is heavy.  My set of four cost

me $2850 + $200 for the powder coat.  They also took about a month to produce

them and get them shipped, though Steve Wilkinson himself called me when

they shipped them - as I'd requested so I could order my tires to arrive at

about the same time.



I think it was Capt Mike that recommended the 16" front rather than a 17".

Good call - the 17" wheel would have been too large visually for the opening

in the fender.



I'll try to get a couple of pictures up on my web site in the near future so

anyone who's interested can check them out.



-Andy



PS - 335/35-17 tires are huh-uge!  13 inches wide doesn't seem so big when

you try to visualize them, but wait until you see one...



PPS - Next up... brakes!



72 Pantera: power             91 Miata: quickness              96 A4Q: traction

84 RZ350: all the above