20 inch wheels on 73 charger

[69dodge383]

Will twenty inch wheels fit under front of a 318 '73 charger that has a 440 in it now...?

 

[super-bee_ski]

Please do not do that....?

 

[440+6]

That's just wrong.
I have seen 17 inch on these cars and to me that's pushing it.

 

[super-bee_ski]

X2

ditto!

 

[Ponch ®]

they might but youll need a really low profile tire, which will a)make the ride quality miserable and b) make the wheels and other suspension components more susceptible to damage (and bent wheels are no fun).

Don't get me wrong, I totally dig big wheels (22" Torq Thrusts on my 08 Charger and 20" chrome clads on Mrs Ponch's Challenger) but they simply don't belong on older/classic cars. You start getting into donk territory at that point.

That being said, aesthetically it is not impossible to pull off the big wheel look on an old car, but itd have to be the perfect wheel design and fit. You'd still be dealing with the first two issues I mentioned tho.

 

[satman72]

NO!!! Just NO!!!

 

[barnfind]

X2

ditto!

x3

17 inch is about as big as looks good on old mopars

 

[Cevidicus]

Will twenty inch wheels fit under front of a 318 '73 charger that has a 440 in it now...?

They ought to fit. It's really all about the back spacing. Take measurements of the wheel wells with the wheels off. There are a couple of tools available to help with that. Look on summit or jegs.

 

[TRAMO]

please dont make it a ghetto/hood car

 

[Malicious]

Crazy how much hate there is for big wheels!

20's should fit. Whats the tire height on those from factory? 30"? There should be plenty of meat in the tires. A 20 in a 30" wheel is like an 18 in a 27" wheel. its about proportion.

I don't know if the 68 and 73 have any similarities but I test fitted a set of 18"s on my 68 to help work out what size and offset I needed and I found the following fit with heaps more room to spare toward the guard (so even less offset): 18" x 8.5" +25mm, 18" x 9.5" +23mm

Bigger rim usually means you can get a wider wheel/tyre due to the lack of 'ballooning' from the side wall.

As mentioned, it will be the width and offset/back spacing that you will have to be careful of. Also if you scrub, you'll most likely be rashing your rim lips, so when you measure up chuck a heavy guy or weight on that car side to help simulate some roll etc. Try and avoid it as much as possible.

If your looking to get a flush or close to flush fit, consider rolling the lips around the wheel well opening back so there is no protruding metal.

Also some considerations besides aesthetics:
Less side wall means: Less side to side movement in the wheels side wall for better handing around corners. Less give in the tyre to take bumps, so generally a harsher ride, which can wear the car quicker.
Bigger wheel usually means heavier! and rotational mass is more damaging to acceleration then non rotational mass. 10 to 1 if I remember right.
Tyre cost. Usually, sh!t loads more!

Past that, I saw a late 60's ch3vy the other day that had massive wheels on it and I think it pulled it off. Looked like a scale hot wheels car! Cool if you going for that look, but I'd wanna make the rest of the car suit, or it could look off putting / out of place.

HTH

 

[barelad69]

thank you malicious i agree i have 18s under my gtx and it looks really good. i ran 18x8 in front and 18x10s in rear

- - - Updated - - -

enough said!!!

 

[Ponch ®]

thank you malicious i agree i have 18s under my gtx and it looks really good. i ran 18x8 in front and 18x10s in rear

- - - Updated - - -

enough said!!!

see, your car is a good example of how the big wheel look can work with the right wheel fit and style.

unfortunately, most people just get the ugliest, cheapest, chrome wheels they can find and throw it on an old car...for the sake of saying theyre rolling on dubs. and it sucks.

 

[barelad69]

thank you ponch.

 

[kellycom]

So there a some things to keep in mind with the whole big wheels thing. On the older cars the wheels were meant to fit in the wheel well. Where the body came down over the wheel with a few inches to spare between the wheel and the body. Think of a car with fender skirts for the picture in your mind. Now on the newer modern cars where aerodynamics is key. The wheels are pushed to the edge of the body to cut down on drag. The offset on these wheels is what pushes the wheels so far our. So if you take a modern car and put big wheels 20" plus. It looks weird because the car looks like it's been lifted up. That's because the bodies don't come down over the wheels. The bigger the wheels the dumber it looks, DONK.

So if you get a big wheel on on older car with the correct offset and it fits in the wheel well where the body can come down over the wheel it still looks "right".

I don't like on the older cars where someone gets a tall and really wide tire in the back. That causes the body to be lifted or they have to jack it up with air shocks to make the tires fit and the tire sticks inches out of the wheel well.

All that being said I am hoping to put 18s in front and 20s in the rear of my 65 Sport Fury. Where they will fit in the wheel well and still be able to use the fender skirts. (http://www.forcbodiesonly.com/mopar-forum/showthread.php?8890-65-Sport-Fury)

 

[satman72]

See, now I'm looking at those pics, and to me it doesn't look right. I look at it and I see something wrong with the proportions, it doesn't seem balanced to me. Personally, I don't get why someone would want a big honkin' wheel with a rubber band on it. But, hey, if that's what floats your boat...

 

[barelad69]

at my pics?

 

[440+6]

You can go to this site and see wheels on your car, paint it your color, ect.

http://www.autowaretech3.net/nextwheels/rimtyme.htm

 

[barelad69]

thats a cool site.

 

[benno440]

lol damn haters, if he wants 20's don't judge him. little wheels look gay and handle like crap anyway. I run 18 x 8 and 19 x 10 on my 68 charger and I can run circles around any new car. 20 x 10 and 20 x 8 fronts will fit most mopars.