Reply to "18"/19" Wheel and Tire Advice"

Husker,

I do have more pictures. I'll gather them together and post an album this week.

George,

One of my biggest fears was that the front tire I was choosing was too low a profile to survive. The sidewall height is 3.37". I went with it anyway because I felt it was the right tire for my combo. The stock 285/40/15 has a sidewall height of 4.49". That is a huge difference (1.12")!

I was more than surprised to find the change in ride quality almost undetectable! The only thing I can attribute this to is the lack of a heavy engine pressing the front axle into the asphalt. However, the improvement in handling is quite noticable. The car glides right over potholes. I think this is due in part to the front tire being so wide (11.22"). I'm guessing that it covers the pothole, or there is enough left on the pavement that it doesn't dip in. Maybe a tight suspension helps too. I'm talking about East coast, NYC, Cross Bronx Expressway (int. 95) roads (if you can call them that)! I've been unable to avoid some 'Oh my God this is gonna hurt' potholes with no ill affects so far.

I still can't believe what a homerun these wheels were for my Pantera in terms of looks and handling (my opinion, of course). You simply must see them in person to get the full dimensional feel for the width of the flares and the depth of the wheels. Couple that with the low flatness of the Pantera and I can't help but go outside and look at it more than I should at this point! Pictures do the wheel combo no justice.

The wheel combo also updates the look of the car and makes it look much more modern. Yesterday, someone asked me if it was an '05 or '06. When I told him it was an '86, he didn't believe me! That was awesome.

Michael