Should I get wider tires?

Analog Kid

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I need to get some new tires for my 1972 Fury. The current ones are bias ply and are 215/75/15.

Question - should I look at getting something wider than 215? I have read that there are benefits for getting wider tires (i.e. better traction, etc...) but are they the same for these older (and heavier) cars? Would something like a 225 or 235 be a better choice?

Thanks for the responses

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Looks like my old car!! I would drive often from San Antonio TX to Boston MA in my 72. I remember the AC worked so well I would have snow squals in the back seat on a 95 degree day lol !!

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G78-15 = P215/75R-15 H78-15 = P225/75R-15 L78-15 = P235/75R-15
H70-15 = P235/70R-15

With your current tire size the equivalent of the standard, usually non-a/c car, it's plenty good enough to hold the weight of your car. The a/c cars got the H78-15 tires, so that would be a common upgrade. The L78-15 was the largest tire, other than the L84-15 Chrysler used (that other brands usually didn't), back then, normally on station wagons.

P215/75R-15s are pretty easy to find. The P225/75R-15 is getting harder, but still around in a few brands. The P235/75R-15 is generally available, too.

As for an upgrade for your car? The P225/75R-15s would be my particular choice for non-wagon C-bodies. It's got plenty of weight carrying capacity to have a reserve at max inflation pressure and max-rated vehicle load situations. They tend to fit the styling of the wheel wells and such, too, at factory ride height. An alternative might be P235/70R-15, which would be the same approximate size. I suspect the wheels are 15x6? But could be 15x5.5 .

One thing to consider is that as your car currently has P215/75R-15s, that's what the speedometer gears are calibrated for (gear combination in the trans tailshaft housing). The larger sizes will make the speedometer indicate "slow" for actual speed, similar with the odometer. Nothing that can't be easily fixed by somebody that has the correct gears to make it work (according to what the Factory Service Manual indicates for the original tire size).

ALL sizes will wear well if the inflation pressures are maintained in the 30+psi range and alignment is in factory specs. My personal pref is 32/30, f/r.

If you're looking for improved handling and steering response, stay with the P215/75R-15 tires and get some 7" rims for the car. I have that combination on my '80 Newport (using Magnum GT wheels) and it surprised me. What happens is that the sidewalls are more vertical when installed on that wider rim width and that relates to quicker steering response, as there is less flex in the sidewall. With the wider rim width, that also opens up the possibility of using P225/70R-15 tires (some are still in WW, most in RWL), if desired. But after I discovered the benefits of the wider rim on my '80 Newport and the stock spec P215s, I saw no need to get the wider tires later on. Saving money and enjoyint the ride more!

CBODY67
 
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IMO a 235/70 series will look better & will ride better & last longer if you get a quality tire. Tire prices are like battery prices. They have gone bat shXt crazy in recent years & a lot of Chinese players are in the market now. I have two sets of Chinese tires currently. They where half the price of BFG’s. My tire guy who I’ve been with for 20 plus years steered me to tires he trusted.
 
Whatever you do get rid of those fuel wasters you have on there now. Put some radials on it and it will drive 100x better period. 70 series tires would be my choice.
 
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Last month I bought 5 new Cooper Trendsetter radials. I inch white walls. 235 75R 15. Happy with them and they are an American brand tire. They were $91. each.
 
I generally pay big money :rofl:to get the Hankook Optimo 235-75-15 on most of my cars, and one of the reasons is because they have a 108 load rating instead of the usual 105 rating (the latter being able to carry less load). They are also accepted in Europe.

The last time I bought them at Americas Tire Company, they were a whopping $55 each. 215s just look ridiculous on any C body - why go any less than 235 ever? Fix the speedo gear if you have to. I am not so keen on the sidewall design, and the white wall could be wider, but I can overlook those issues when looking at the road wheels instead. Not many good choices for white walls these days. And 1" white walls are even hard to find. Most are like 3/4".

 
I generally pay big money :rofl:to get the Hankook Optimo 235-75-15 on most of my cars, and one of the reasons is because they have a 108 load rating instead of the usual 105 rating (the latter being able to carry less load). They are also accepted in Europe.

The last time I bought them at Americas Tire Company, they were a whopping $55 each. 215s just look ridiculous on any C body - why go any less than 235 ever? Fix the speedo gear if you have to. I am not so keen on the sidewall design, and the white wall could be wider, but I can overlook those issues when looking at the road wheels instead. Not many good choices for white walls these days. And 1" white walls are even hard to find. Most are like 3/4".



Just like these


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I thought C-Fusies usually had 225/75 while Imperials and Town & Country of the same era sported 235/75....or am I mistaken? Thanks
 
I decided to go original with the white walls so I'm going with the Hankook Optimo 724. I couldn't resist the pricing.

Thanks everybody
 
255/70 is a 10" section width tire. Might not be able to scrub the upper sidewalls with a scrub brush without rolling the car forward. Fender skirts?
 
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