Wheels

[luxury_lemans]

I have 15 inch wheels on my luxury lemans right now and I'm thinking about getting new rims. Should I go with a bigger 17 inch rim or stay with a 15 inch? And should I go with a wider wheel or stay with the stock width I have now? The wheel base is big enough to fit the 17s.

 

[melsg5]

The problem with 15" is they are becoming harder to find in larger sizes/smaller profiles. I currently have 235/60 15 on the front and 245/60 15 on the back on Ralley II's with a 7" width. Not sure if a few years from now they will still be available. Switching to 17' opens you up to a much larger selection of tires. I guess it depends on funds, can you afford to make the switch now to 17". On width you can go to 8" but beyond that may run into issues requiring spacers.

 

[luxury_lemans]

I have a catalog that I can order the same mag wheels that came with the car but in 17s. They're just a reproduction of the originals.

 

[Too Fast]

Yes that's what I recommend. Go with the reproduction 17'' Pontiac Rallyes, that's what I'm considering doing with my '68. Kinda sad to take off my 15'' Cragar SS's, but 15'' tires in the size/manufacturer I prefer are geting hard to find, and 5 years from now may be obsolete. I was thinking of a 225/45R17, those are relatively common.

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[melsg5]

Go one size larger 235/45R17 if they have them

 

[Kevlar]

Don't forget to have the spedo re-calibrated with the new rims and tires. Or, you can find a rim and tire selection that is very close to the original overall diameter.
Here is a handy site to check sizes;
Tire Size Calculator

 

[Too Fast]

Go one size larger 235/45R17 if they have them

Yes those are readily available also. My '68 has 205/65R15s now, 25.5 inches tall. The 225/45 17s are about 25, and the 235/45 17s are about 25.3 inches tall. I did set my 275/40 17 rims with tires off my '00 WS6 next to the Le Mans, they sure looked great and WIDE compared to the 205s.

I had a '67 GTO, ran a 245/50 15 Goodyear Gatorback all around, back in the late '90s. Loved those tires on the Pontiac Rally 2 wheels, 7'' wide. The front tires would rub my (oversized) front sway bar, only when I was in the parking lot at full steering lock. They were only about 24.5'' tall, but that size isn't around anymore.