UPDATED - C-Body Wheel and Tire Survey

[amazinblue82]

With you folks' help, I wanted to try to update this survey. Thank you in advance.

It ran for 60 days from roughly Jan. 1, 2017 to Mar. 1, 2017. IIRC back then, FCBO was about half the number of members it has today 8 years later, and the fancy wheeled cars were ALL over the forum.

The thread accumulated 800 posts (so maybe 3/4 of those were examples of cars) in those two months. Now, it has accumulated 3,600 posts, so maybe 2,800~3,0000 vehicle examples.

This survey is new, will run until about June 8, 2025 (or sooner, if it doesn't go anywhere), and it will be cross-referenced to the original 2017 survey thread (I will keep that original thread updated with the results from this new survey).

Survey questions will be exactly the same, with the same "rules".

1. you (only members) can vote on one, two, three, or all four of the choices.
2. this survey isnt scientific, and survey results are public.
3. you can change your vote any time before survey ends.
4. you are voting only on the cars this forum follows, so no trucks, no other makes, etc.

Over the eight years, we did pretty good to keep things FROM being/getting personal. So, please, can we again refrain from any negative personal comments (e.g., "that car is stupid and so is its owner"), or dumping on cars that can lead their owners to naturally be defensive. Their car, their money, they can do what they want, so let's try to respect that?

Like a car's wheels/tires, hate them? That's cool, but those are not the survey questions asked. "Aftermarket" means any wheel (e.g. Appliance, Cragar, Keystone, American Racing, etc ) or tire (e.g., BFG radial T/A, Mickey Thompson, Nitto, erc.,) usually/never offered on the car by the factory.

Feel free to post pics (of things you like, or of things you wouldn't want to do) here.

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I am betting, when the dust settles, the percentages havent changed. There were 95 votes, on 55 voters last time. That means individual people voted on more than one answer. - which is fine. That's what I did.

I believe you can only vote ONE time, but you can change your vote if you want.

That's all fine. This is supposed to be fun, NOT scientific. THanks again if you decide to vote.

2017 Survey Results

 

[MoPar~Man]

Asking about having a tire preference (ie - Aftermarket tires) - I don't think I get the point about that. Weren't the factory / OEM tires going to be biased tires? Which are basically non-existant today? I have 14" tires, the OEM tires were biased. But I have radial tires. I guess the survey is asking what I prefer, not necessarily what I have on my car?

 

[amazinblue82]

Asking about having a tire preference (ie - Aftermarket tires) - I don't think I get the point about that. Weren't the factory / OEM tires going to be biased tires? Which are basically non-existant today? I have 14" tires, the OEM tires were biased. But I have radial tires. I guess the survey is asking what I prefer, not necessarily what I have on my car?

correct. all I am trying rto do is update our preferences .. could be what we do, what we see, etc.

as to "aftermarket", I added a definition that that is intended to mean things like Torq thrust D, with a BFG radial TA. neither that wheel or tire was ever offered in that combination from factory on any C.

along with lots of other stuff, they were purely "aftermarket" products.

 

[live4theking]

I personally don't get into some of the real fancy wheels that are out there. I do like to have a slightly wider tire than what was factory though.

 

[amazinblue82]

Bump

 

[Rustyrodknocker]

I tend to run factory options from other cars. Namely cop car wheels with dog dishes. That's what's on my coronet the 300 has aftermarket ones wider than oem. My 72 fury came to me with big cragars/ torque thrust which is the first time I have ever liked big wheels. I didn't like them for the first few days but I'm going to run them. And they are new.
Then fuel up the hate train .... I have been waiting for this to come together forever I bought some legit 13" wire knock offs for my New Yorker! Yes! A car I'm supposed to be getting rid of but I just can't resist..
Have to do it once in my life. I also have 14" white walls with factory covers on it and my newport. Wheels are like shoes you can have more than one pair in the first world. I'm looking for a deal on some 14" cragars/ Americans with thin line white walls for my Newport.. blame coldwar motors.. I did just today find a full set of nice wheels covers from a 72 fury that I may have to have. I can put them on the 73 for the time being. So many choices...

 

[SuperDave]

I went with American Racing reproductions of Magnum 500s (w/ the bullseye center caps) on Cooper Cobra RWL radials, cause I was going for a muscle car makeover, & Mag500s just look so right for that period. Coopers weren't my 1st choice but they were much more affordable than BFG TAs so I went the wallet friendly option. While bias ply tires do ride nicer than radials, they handle like crap and tend to contribute to body roll. No thank you, when I yank the wheel, I want it to go in the direction I point, not pause, think about it some, then yaw like a drunk before actually going in that direction with squealing and scrubbing. The difference is night & day between the 2 types.

I know the current trend these days is big rims & slim tires, but I am not a fan. It's not just the way it looks but how it rides. Your tires are your primary shock absorbers between you and the road. If you reduce sidewall height, the bumps and dips are transmitted to the wheels, suspension then you. Slim tires beat on the suspension, leading to advanced wear & tear. The lower the sidewall profile, the harsher the ride. Our older cars weren't designed for that kind of abuse. I roll on 60s profile tires, I find it a fair compromise between comfort & response and they just look right.

 

[david hill]

I went with American Racing reproductions of Magnum 500s (w/ the bullseye center caps) on Cooper Cobra RWL radials, cause I was going for a muscle car makeover, & Mag500s just look so right for that period. Coopers weren't my 1st choice but they were much more affordable than BFG TAs so I went the wallet friendly option. While bias ply tires do ride nicer than radials, they handle like crap and tend to contribute to body roll. No thank you, when I yank the wheel, I want it to go in the direction I point, not pause, think about it some, then yaw like a drunk before actually going in that direction with squealing and scrubbing. The difference is night & day between the 2 types.

I know the current trend these days is big rims & slim tires, but I am not a fan. It's not just the way it looks but how it rides. Your tires are your primary shock absorbers between you and the road. If you reduce sidewall height, the bumps and dips are transmitted to the wheels, suspension then you. Slim tires beat on the suspension, leading to advanced wear & tear. The lower the sidewall profile, the harsher the ride. Our older cars weren't designed for that kind of abuse. I roll on 60s profile tires, I find it a fair compromise between comfort & response and they just look right.View attachment 718837

I to have opted for the Cooper Cobras only retaining the original road wheels. Your tire and wheel choice has a nice sporty feel.

 

[amazinblue82]

I like radial T/A's ... gott 'em on a lot of stuff. I really like older Eagle ST's, GT's, Polysteels, Firestone Firehawks (they are a little long in the tooth now, and the repops require a second mortgage) .. the letters are bigger. Square shoulders/wide tread ... my kinda tire.

Anyway, the price difference between T/A's and Cooper Cobras, for a not much better look (to me), isnt worth it (~$50/tire?). Made me start thinking BFG started using "gold" belts instead of "steel" belts.

 

[SuperDave]

I to have opted for the Cooper Cobras only retaining the original road wheels. Your tire and wheel choice has a nice sporty feel.

For the cost of used original Mag500s on fleabay (crusty, rusty & missing the chrome dress rings) I could get these new lightweight aluminum repops. I've always had a thing for these style of rims, they just look right for that period of vehicle.

 

[amazinblue82]

Bump.

Ends in about a week. Thanks in advance if you get a chance to vote by then.

 

[amazinblue82]

Second survey ended this week. Relatively limited voting, versus the first survey 8 years ago, but more definitive oucomes at to preferences. Thanks for your participation/attention in any event.

Non-scientific or course, but seems to more strongly indicate C owners/watchers tend to go with whatever they like, and the spread of opinions shows a bit more tolerance of OTHER than OEM factory offerrings.

I think that's good for these cars. People like what they can do/look they achieve, they tend to keep/take care of them.

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2025 Survey Results