I ordered some new AR500 aluminum 15x10s w/a 5.5 BS and they arrived today. They won't be mounted for a few weeks but sharing some pics. Still in the plastic wrappers which I'm keeping for now but still look amazing. I have some of the rocket stickers and you can see in one of the pics I just placed it over the American Racing cap sticker for show. These will be going on my 70 Supreme replacing the steel 15x8s. Currently running 275/60/15s BFG Radial TAs on those but will be putting some 275/60/15 Nitto NT555RII drag radials on the 15x10s. Will add more pics when I get them mounted. Will also weigh them both before and after. Hoping for about a 5 lb drop on each side even with the 2" wider wheel going from steel to aluminum. Will also be doing my usual sanding of the tire sidewall and gluing on BFG Radial TA letters since I love that look and like that it hides they are drag radials. I did the same on my 71 442. Here are the pics of the wheels and the 70 Supreme with it's current setup:

 

Nice. You got me reconsidering going w/ 15" rims rather than the 17s that Year One has. Wouldn't a wider 295 tire fit on those 10" rims?

 

Yes I think I've see others running 295/50/15s on 15x10s. I know the BS for these with 275/60/15s or even 325/50/15s is 5.5 but not sure if it's the same for the 295s. Lots of info and pics on this wheels and tires section so just do your homework to get the right BS. Maybe it's 5.5 for the 295s too but not sure on that.

-Joe

 

Those look good, I.ve been waiting for years to get a reproduction SS1 in 15x10 that is actually available.
Lighter weight aluminum plus no chrome to pit or peel is a plus.

Can't wait to see some pictures of them installed.

 

I'm with you - was happy when I saw these available - here's the link with pricing - not cheap but no where near what I paid for the 18 and 19 inch wheels on my 442

https://www.wheelsforless.com/VN5005100

 

Unboxed the 2nd wheel and took another pic from the side to show how really wide these both are. Also broke out the bathroom scale to check the weight - couldn't believe it was 22.6 lbs!! I thought maybe 25ish. I think the 15x8 steels are 30 lbs but I'll weigh one of those on the same scale when I take them off to compare.
-Joe

 

They’ll look killer on that car!

 

Thanks Peter - I'm really tempted to mount a set of 325/50/15s NT555RII drag radials on there like you have instead of the 275s but they are 5 lbs heavier each and I'm sure (like I had to do with my 442's 325/30/19s) I'll have to break out the BFH for parts of the wheel well where it rubs and roll the lips and all that fun stuff. I'm also thinking those huge meats will "over-advertise" the car since even if I upgrade to the SBO Ebrock heads and add a point of CR some day (#6 heads now), I don't think the car will ever be more then about 450/450. Although I may upgrade to 4.10s or even 4.33s from my current 3.90s (I have a 2004R w/the .67 OD), so maybe that will help make it more "worthy" of the bigger meats. Anyway nice problem to have on which way to go. I could always start with the 275s and after those are done try the 325s later.....

-Joe

 

Too soon to make a callout for Bowling Green?

 

hey Bruce if that's for me I don't think I'll be making a 12 hour trip to Bowling Green anytime soon. I am hoping to get back to a track one of these days in either car. Last time was 75/80 in Monrovia in the early 2000s which is pretty sad. I think the nearest 1/4 mile track to me now in Virginia Beach is close to Richmond. I'll have to figure that out one of these days. The Supreme will probably be ready before the 442 (still in paint jail). I was getting pretty good at launching the 442 on the street with the 6 speed (4500 RPM with a 2 step was working best) but need to work on launching hard with an automatic and some drag radials once I get these mounted.

-Joe

 

Just messing with you, Joe. Get that thing on the road, ,and let's cruise! I'm planning on the Deale Pie Run before touching the Atlantic for the coast to coast badge.

 

Did you ever get these mounted ?
I would love to see how they fit.

 

sorry not yet. I did get the driver's side tail pipe moved this week to provide some needed clearance since the new set up will add about 1/2" to both the inside and the outside. I'm heading out for the holidays so it will most likely be a few more weeks at the earliest. I'll post pics as soon as they are done.

-Joe

 

Finally got these 15x10s with the new 275/60/15 Nitto 555 RII drag radials mounted. I also got my BFG raised white letters glued on. I know some prefer the blackwall look but I can't stand it. I've only tried a few launches so far with my 3.90 rear and 2004r trans and the difference is unreal. It's gone from just tire spin and no traction at all to a dead hook. That was just rolling onto the gas slowly so we'll see how much I can really give it before it spins. Will be fun testing and trying it out.






-Joe

 

Looks great, Joe!

 

Thanks Bruce!

-Joe

 

So the 15x8 steel wheels I took off the rear were 26 lbs (vs 22.6 for the 15x10 alum) and the Nitto drag radials were 5 lbs lighter too (crazy for the same size tire - not sure why the BFGs are so much heavier!) Anyway total weight savings going from 15x8 steel to 15x10 aluminum and BFG to Nitto 275/60/15 was 8 lbs for each side with almost 1" more tire on the ground and obviously a much stickier tire.

I just ordered the matching 15x8 aluminums for the front to replace the steel 15x7s. Went with 4.5" BS and will get a new set of 245/45/15 BFGs to go on the new 15x8s. That 4.5 BS will give me an extra .175 turning radius to the inside lock to lock (additional width will be to the outside) and should drop a few pounds on both sides and put an extra 1/2" of tire on the ground.

Will post the pics when the new fronts are on probably in June or July.

-Joe

 

Quality and looks.

The Nittos are an outlier as they are a specialty performance tire with a softer less dense compound. But the Radial T/As also share the same weight difference with Cooper Cobras.

Cost, 275 60 15s, their mileage warranty and the like. Weight.

$230, Radial T/A = 75,000 miles (36 lbs)
$182, Cobra G/T = 50,000 miles (30 lbs)
$231, Nitto D/R = 10,000 miles (30 lbs)

T/As looks are second to none. As they have the more aesthetically pleasing appearance over Cobras. That's the main reason they have been the go to tire for decades. But that is a double edge sword, as serious gearheads know they are more for looks than go. Regardless you are definitely getting what you pay for.

 

Finally got the new 15x8 aluminum SSIs mounted on the front with a new set of 245/60/15 BFGs. Had several issues. First the wheels arrived with the wrong caps so had to wait for the correct ones to arrive. Then one of the new rims wouldn't hold air. Had to wait another 5 weeks for the replacement. Happy with them now and the weight savings (on all for wheels) combined with the wider footprint because of the 1" wider front wheels and 2" wider rear wheels really makes a difference in traction and handling. Plus since the fronts are "pushed out" .2" (because of the BS on the 8" vs 7") the lock to lock on full turn ins (like backing out of my garage and doing U turns) is really a noticeable improvement. Here's a few pics I took today.

-Joe

 

Oh forgot to add the weights for the front - steel 15x7s = 24.2 lbs, alum 15x8 = 20.4 lbs