OLDSCHOOLFOOL

If only the tires and wheels were available for the TC today. Had a '71 back in the day. I think I'm having flashbacks...........

That is good to know. Should put the diameter at about 26 1/4'. Are you getting close to rubbing? Or do you have any lift at all? I like the 60 aspect ratio better and the 55 quite frankly begins to offend my feng shui. 235-55-16 should be about 26 1/4" as well. 225-55-16 is about 25 3/4" which I KNOW without doubt will not cause me any issues. Where I was trying to get to was 235-60-16 but that would be over 27" and would almost certainly rub at least under some conditions. Width = height = rub. The harder ride doesn't really confront me - it's all about width & height proportions.

Not yet, I don't have them put together yet. And as the screen name might suggest I like RWL tires which you simply cannot find in a 16 inch. Maybe some big ruck tires but not in the size range I'm in. So I am going to do my own. Someone suggested that the larger front brakes were a good thing and in one sense that's hard to argue with. But I'd trade them in a heartbeat for the ability to run 15s. It would open up a whole new world of choices in tires and wheels.

So my new wheels and tires showed up. Since 15s won't fit over the front brakes I have to stick with 16s. It is difficult (at best) to find wider 16" rims with the 5x108 bolt pattern. I compromised for now with 16x7 rims with 225/55R16s. I would have liked to go wider but even 235/55 are about at the limit that may not scrub. Couldn't find much in the way of tires that I cared for at that size anyway. And I don't want to lift the van, at least not right now. The offset changed from +50 to +38 pushing the wheels out to at least give the impression of added width. There is very little change in the overall diameter so it won't affect the speedometer or gearing much at all. It does give me a positive scrub radius of about 3/8" which shouldn't affect much either.

So which way is up? I'd like to make a slight calculated adjustment, not all over the place until I get it right. I have a fifty-fifty chance of being right. Mine are pretty good as they are. I've thought of adding the fog lamps but really just for fog. And I do like the looks of them. I run my fogs on the Outback pretty much all the time since I keep the daylight running lights on 100% of the time.

My goal is larger & wider tires, not larger diameter wheels. Finding out real quick that not much fits the TC. At least not in what I want.