Originally Posted By: dparm
225/50R18 will keep the speedo (and gearing) in check -- overall diameter will be almost identical.
Thanks very much for pointing that out!
Originally Posted By: CapriRacer
Go to Tire Rack and see what they recommend for your vehicle when upsizing. Those guys will know what fits and what doesn't.
I'll have a look on there, thank you!
Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd
Lots of things are affected. How critical they are is only up to you.
1) Speedometer will read slower than you are traveling, by a fixed percent. Going from a 26.6" tire to a 27.3" tire is a 2.6% change. So when your speedometer reads 70mph, you're really going 71.8mph.
2) Your effective gear ratio is numerically lower. Your engine will be turning slower for a given road speed. For example, if you currently have 3.55:1, installing a tire that is 2.6% taller is equivalent to keeping the same tires and installing a 3.46:1 gearset. If your engine speed was 1800rpm at 70mph before, your engine speed will be 1753rpm at 70mph with the 2.6% taller tires.
3) Rotational mass and unsprung mass will likely increase, just because of the increased material (of the larger wheel). Compare the weight of the wheels (16" vs. alloy 17" or steel 18") and also compare the weight of the different sized tires (weights are available on Tire Rack). In general, heavier wheels/tires are a detriment to performance. Depending on the type of vehicle, you may or may not perceive this in the ol' butt-o-meter. Increased rotational mass means there's more mass to accelerate and more mass to stop. Increased unsprung mass means there's more momentum for a spring and shock to reverse after a bump in the road.
4) I doubt there'd be physical clearance issues with a Crown Victoria, but that's something to consider as well. Larger tires mean an increased chance of wheel-to-body contact on a larger impact, especially if the car is lowered any. It sounds like that's not the case here, but I guess it's worth mentioning.
Thank you for taking the time to explain this, now it all makes more sense, especially from the weight perspective and its effects on the suspension.
Originally Posted By: meangreen01
Why steelies? You've got a nice looking G.M. I personally like the meshies on the optioned up Vics and G.M.'s because you don't see a ton of them. Police spec's rocking steelies are everywhere, so I think by putting them on yours would be dressing it down. Get some Marauder wheels or a nice, tasteful 5-spoke. Maybe even Mustang-style Torque Thrusts(17's IIRC).
If you're going for the P.I. look there's a ton of them floating around over here for cheap that you could import.
A Crown Victoria/Grand Marquis in Kuwait is as common as a Camry in the States - assuming what I read about the Camry being the best selling car in America is correct of course.
Aluminum wheels have been standard equipment on these cars (including base models) since 1998, and it's a rare sight to see one sporting steelies, although Police Interceptors are now a common sight outside the police force amongst civilians. A ton of these cars also come in as grey imports, most of which are ex livery/police vehicles that are polished up and sold. That's beside the point, however.
Ultimately, I have to base my decisions on what is available to me. At one point, I was dead set on getting 18" Marauder wheels, but those wheels have been discontinued by Ford, so I cannot even special order them from the local dealership. They are available refurbished on RockAuto at $206.79 a pop, but factor in the shipping and you're looking at $1,750 for a set of four. Add in the customs and other miscellaneous charges, and that's $2,200+ just for the wheels alone.
Another example would be the Bilstein shocks. They're only about $369.80 for a set of four in the US, but they're also 12 kg. I had to factor in another $200 for shipping, plus an additional $108 in customs and miscellaneous charges. That's 677.80 for something you can literally just pay $370 for in the US.
Looking at the Charger wheels, they're available from the local Dodge/Chrysler dealership at $90 per wheel. That's $360 for a set of four, plus another $180 to get them powdercoated body color. That's a quarter of what the refurbished Marauder wheels would cost me. You guys have it easy in the States!
Mustang wheels are an option I haven't really looked into though, and come to think of it, 17" Bullitt wheels with body color spokes and a black chrome surround would actually look very good. Thanks for the suggestion! Would certainly be a good choice for the 235/55-17s, and cheaper to get hold of than the '01-'02 LX Sport wheels. Definitely something to look into.
If there are any alternative suggestions, I'm all for it. Thanks!
