1964-1974 [Subscribe to Daily Digest] |
Moon,
Yes, there's a ton of discussion about tires- which will fit and which will rub and what's the best choice... let me see if I can help.
The first problem is available sizes. 15 inch diameter wheels are not so common these days, particularly with the narrower widths suitable for the soccer ball 4.5" width rim. You can find wider tires easier than the narrower ones, so the availability is somewhat limited.
The second problem is the Sonett's themselves. Some people call them "kit cars", meaning that each one is built slightly different. A given tire may fit a particular Sonett and may rub on another, hence the spirited discussions where one person insists a tire size will fit and another will deny it. Couple this with the tired state of 40 year old springs on these cars which affect fit and rubbing.
That said, I have two Sonett III's and have run several sets of 185/65-15's on both over them over the years with no rubbing problems. That is about as wide as you want to go, given the rim size. Some people limit the width to 175, but the majority say a 185 width is fine and I can attest to that. So 185 is my first choice. A 175 width would be my second choice, which is a bit narrower. An aspect ratio of either 65 or 60 for the 185 is fine, the latter will be a little shorter- a lower profile tire. You can go to tire selling sites and find a tire diameter/height calculator to plug in the three numbers and find out the difference- you might compare it to the stock tire size to get a feel for it. This will slightly affect your speedo reading.
I've seen a couple of Sonett's with 195/60 rubber on them and one with 205/50 tires. Some people insist that tires that wide will cause much stress on the bead and are unsafe. Yet the guy with the 205's races with them and has had no problems.
This spring I searched Craigs List for a couple of weeks and picked up a nice set of almost new 185/65-15's for my '73 for $75 for all four. You might try that route.
In sum, if you want to go closer to stock, you should be able to find some 175's. If you want to go wider, go with the 185's, but you might want to consider how saggy your rear springs are, and know there is a slight chance of rubbing.
I hope that helps a bit.
eric in vermont
posted by 68.142.4...
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