DeTomaso Mailing List: December 98, Message #72

> From: "Melton, Charles P" <charles.p.melton@lmco.com>
> Subject: RE: Your new wheels
> Date: Mon, 30 Nov 1998 17:28:33 -0500
> 
> 
> The issue that went around the list recently concerns the "look" or ratio of
> wheel size to tire size and wheel arch size...(front and rear).
> 
> Does the 17" front wheel look odd ?  Is the front wheel taller than the rear
> ?
> There was someone at a recent PCNC meeting that had a set of tires on the 
> 17" front wheels, that actually looked (and measured ?) taller than the rear
> wheel & tire combo.  Thus the concern.  I believe with the correct (?) tire
> choice
> the front wheel (& tire) will be the correct height compared to the 17" rear
> wheel.
> Will it look "odd" is a matter of personal opinion.

I bought a set of 17" Kinesis K5 wheels with Michelin tires (245/40 and 315/40)
a couple of months ago. The diameter of the fronts was pretty close compared
with the 205/60/15 I had (78 inches for the 17" vs. 77.5 for the 15"). The 15"
rears 255/60/15 were 84.5" in diameter and the 17" came out to 81". So the
17" rears are about an inch taller than the fronts and the 15" rears are about
two inches taller than the fronts.

When I compared my 17" 315 rear tire with a 17" 335 Dunlop at Halls a couple of
weeks ago the tires were darn near the same size. In retrospect I wish I would
have gone with 335's, but I'm sure I'll get the opportunity to buy new rears before
too long... :^) Anyways my 315s appeard to be about the same height as his
335s.

What I am saying is all wheels and all tires don't seem to be created equal.
I doubt the offset of any of the 17" wheels is the same and just because the
tire has the same size stamped on the side it isn't necessarily going to have
the same deminsions.

	  --mike                   | "Nothing is ever really broken,
michael.cox@elsegundoca.ncr.com    8  it just lacks duct tape."
         '71 #1739                 |  Tim Nyberg - "The Duct Tape Book"