15 or 17" Wheels

[randyr]

I am looking at getting a BDR from California Cobras and really like the looks of the 17" wheels, but have heard they don't ride nearly as well as the 15's. any comments would be appreciated.

[crillyiv]

The 15"s look better/more correct but you won't find high performance tires for them. There are plenty of tires that are okay on the street and for open track events that don't involve sustained high speeds. And, "Yes", they will give a softer ride.

The 17"s are the only way to go if you want a high performance street tire and if you are going to do serious track work as the choices in high performance tires for street and track are much greater in the 17" size.

You just have to decide how hard you are going to push the car on the street and/or track. For a lot of folks the 15's are just fine.

If you can do it the best of both worlds is a set of 15" for the street and a set of 17" for the track.

all just imho of course.

[Dens]

randyr

I only notice a small difference between my BDR with 17" and a friend's BDR with 15". His car is a little smoother. I like the way my car looks and handles, the nitto tires hookup.

Brad

[uncltodd]

RandyR- I am no purist. I drove BDR #139 with 15" BFG's and later with 17" Boyds and sticky Nittos.

The BFG's did cool burnouts. So what.

The Nittos just squat down and grab asphalt.

My BDR looks good with either set of rims and tires, looking at my personal pics.

The 17's are a bit harsher on the highway, but Gunrack was built for speed, not comfort.

Just my .02

UT

[JayBar]

No mater what size tires you have it will not ride like a Coupe de ville, that said lets talk about sports cars. You are buying a high performance car. The best tires available for it are in the 17 inch family.
End of discussion.

[got snake?]

I was thinking the same thing. 15 or 17s. All depends on what you want it to look like and what you want it to do. Some people thing the 17s make the cobra look like a ricer. All depends. I like'em slammed with 17s carving corners. But thats me. BTW with the suspension you can make the ride softer even with 17s.

Sid

[CobraKid427]

I found that my 16" seem to be a great compliment to both issues...correct look and better performance. Tires were a little hard to find (BFG's 295/50/16) but I found a couple of suppliers. They handle really well and look awesome!!!

[Rogers]

I aave 15's...drove a BDR with 16's....the difference is at 100 mph you better have both hands on the wheel since the 16's are so responsive...the 15's have enough "give" you can do 100 with one hand. The cornering is much tighter with the 16's...around town the 15's absorb the bumps much better.

[wilf leek]

Rogers - I have 16" wheels on my car, great compromise between tyre availability and looks. I can only think that the car you drove may have needed some work to set it up - my own car is so straight - tracking at speed that it can easily be driven with one hand on the wheel at 150mph, never mind 100mp. Not that I would do that of course.

[uncltodd]

Wilf- If you have the chance, drive on the 17's.

She will ride like a rolling rock on gravel and that steering wheel will do it's own dance but... I love my 17's. Never let go of the steering wheel. Left hand at 12:30.

I'm driving a replica, not an original.

30 years of technology improvements, think about it.

I love my 17's.

UT

[ItBites]

I run 17s with Toyo Proxes RA-1s on my Midstates. The suspension is from a C4 vette. The alignment is really key to getting rid of tramming. Since I aligned it to perfection, I do not need even one hand on the wheel at triple digits. The car just goes straight, and front toe is zero.

Anyhow, if you get the alignment right your car will not tram, even with 17s. If you need both hands to counter darting and following the ruts (tramming), you need a better alignment.

[Rogers]

With 16's vs 15's the difference is responsiveness. I found at high speeds, the steering wheel needed much less movement to get a reaction. The 15's have some give that makes me feel much more confident...at higher speeds....but the cornering with the 16's is much tighter.

[DonC]

17's for the better selection of tires, 15's for the ride. I opted for the better selection of tires.
DonC