I just bought a 2009 Chrysler 300C. I think it’s a nice classy vehicle. But the damn thing has 350hp and only comes with these skinny ass 225/60/R18 tires.
I’m going to be driving it in excess of 180mph on the autobahn, not to mention the windy-ass roads in the German countryside. I would much prefer to have some sportier tires and wheels for the performance benefits. I’ve picked out some nice chrome wheels that aren’t too flashy, and two different sized tires: 285/25/Z20 for the rear. And 255/30/Z20 for the front.
Do you think those tires would make the car look too sporty or “less classy”? Should I just have purchased a damn sports car instead?
Also, those tires will have a slightly different profile. One will be slightly bigger diameter than the other–a couple millimeters if my calculations are correct. Do you think this will be a noticeable difference on the vehicle?
Personally, I think the tall wheels and low profile tires look silly. But I’m a bit biased because I only seem to notice it when people put them on SUV’s . Dumb, dumb dumb.
I’d like to slap them.
As to the question “Do larger tires detract from a car’s ‘classiness’.” ? Sort of makes them look like ‘pimpmobiles’ to me.
I don’t think the 300 was ever meant to be a sports car. Why not just get some good rubber and stick it on original wheels? I don’t doubt that the OME tires are probably crap.
I generally like wider tires, but I don’t know anything about classiness, as it’s never been a goal of mine. The new tire sizes you’re looking at are appreciably shorter overall than the stock tires and I’d consider that a bad thing for your car. It will lead to speedometer error and might (?) affect how the engine runs if the computer is too confused about the vehicle speed. I’d personally try to stay close to the stock tire’s outside diameter with any new, wider tire. You can use the DML Tire and Wheel Calculator to help you figure out what lower-profile tires might work for you. For example, a 275/40 R 20 is only a tenth of an inch off the stock diameter, but is almost 2 inches wider. This way, your main concern is whether the tires will physically fit in the wheelwells without bumping or rubbing. That tire calculator has all kinds of options to recommend and compare tire sizes for you.
ETA: just wanted to add that the rims you choose will probably have more effect on classiness than the tire size. Also, Tire Rack’s website has a tool that let’s you see what a car looks like with different rims on it, and they might have your 300C as an option.
I used tirerack to find my rims and tires, and I plan to purchase from them.
As far as tires fitting and messing up the computer, other packages of the same vehicle come stock with 20" rims and tires, so fit will not be an issue. That car can actually fit 22" tires with no problem.
I originally wanted to just put wider tires on the 18" OEM rims. But I don’t believe that the rims are actually wide enough to hold 285s. I’m not big on huge rims or ultra low profile tires. I’m looking for performance! I’ll gladly take 18" rims and wide tires without such a tiny profile if I could find some.
And I definitely did not mean 180kph. The kph equivalent to 180mph would be like 290kph, right? Hell, I’ve done 180kph on American highways. This is the Autobahn!
Normally (and maybe counterintuitively) the decision tree tells you to look for tires in the size and type that you want, and then find wheels that will hold those tires. Don’t have the wheels dictate the tires. Also, make sure that the tire size you choose has several options that you’d consider. You don’t want to be in a position when you replace the tires to find out the only company that made that one size has discontinued them.
One thing to keep in mind is that, in most cases, the larger a wheel (and wider a tire) you are going to, the more unsprung weight you are adding. So the car may feel, and be, slower.
If you are consulting Tire Rack, I would have no worries about fitment. Also, don’t be afraid to give them a ring if you have any questions. They are extremely helpful.
Also, I’m with enipla: If you are hoping to get a 300C up to 180 mph, you’re going to need more than just better tires.
Interesting. How does the handling compare to the german cars that were designed for that environment? This would seem to be a real-life test of the
“American cars can’t do bends” versus the “most cars are equally good these days” arguments.
And these things are obviously a matter of personal taste, but if looking classy is a key criteria, I think you have the wrong car. The 300C might as well come factory-fitted with gold spinners and a cz-encrusted radiator grille, IMO. Like recent Rolls and Bentley models it embraces ‘pimp’ as a design theme.
The problem with a lot of the larger rims is that they cater to the pimp look. While I’m not the biggest fan of the wagon look you can get by with 20" on a Chrysler 300.
If I owned a 300-C I would want to maintain the ride and go for suspension mods that keep it glued to the road. going to low profile tires is going to be a hard ride in a luxury car.
I just checked some sites and they say the 5.7 with American specs is limited to 126mph. That pisses me off. I will have to get that “fixed”.
As for the tires, I hate flashy rims, and I’m not a big fan of the ultra low-profile tires everyone is getting these days. I just want some nice, wide, sport performance tires, and I’m running into roadblocks trying to find the right tire/wheel combo.
I’ll probably just say fuck it and keep the factory 18s.
You go boy! If you wan’t to make an upgrade, get nicer tires. Speaking from experience, and working at a Chrysler dealer, theres not a lot of nice 18’s to be be had. But be sure, speed rating wise, the thiner the tire you have the more heat they build up, and the shorter thier lifespan will be. Twentys are fine for the most part but they build up heat like nobodys business,given how low profile they will be on your ride. If your really serious send me a P.M. . I know a joker at another dealer who has your same setup and routinely drives his car over 160 M.P.H in rally races. The potential of a Hemi in an LX platform is “Sky’s the limit”. Let me know what you are considering and I will run it by some serious racers. Send me your VIN number. Do you have Continentals? Many of them are a type of tire that has a soft sealer in the tread area that will self seal if you catch a nail or screw. I would say you’re screwed width wise, but hieght wise, you might go to a twenty without too much of a problem. Being a dealership guy, I do see what happens when people get carried away.
I do, although, have access to every type of tire that might fit on your ride.
The SRT model of your vehicle calls for 24545ZR20/25545ZR20 tires Goodyear. I didn’t check the speed rating, but let me know if you are serious.
And a buddy of mine just set up a website that caters to European customers.
That tire calculator has all kinds of options to recommend and compare tire sizes for you.