QuestionI'm restoring a 1965 S220 and it has the original 14" alloys, however i feel the tires are too small for the car. That said, original alloys are irreplaceable and i don't want to trade them in. I'm not too good with tire jargon but are there any big tires which can fit onto a 14" rim so that the car maintains some sort of proportionality?
AnswerAli,
There are 2 directions you could go:
1) Try to keep the car as original as possible
The original tire size was 6.95-14 on 5.5" rims. That rim width is going to severely restrict the diameter of tire you can put on the car.
I came across a "club" operated by Mercedes that offered parts for vintage Mercedes and one of the items was tires of the proper size. I couldn't find it in a quick look, but I am sure you can find if you spend a little time surfing the 'net.
Another option would be to contact Coker Tire and see what they might think. I am sure they will have a tire reasonably close to what you need.
2) Try to use a modern tire.
With a rim width of 5.5", there is going to be very few tires that will work.
A 185/75R14 will fit on the rim and the rim will accommodate up to a 215/75R14, but I don't know if there is enough room in the fenderwell. I'm guessing that the 185/75R14 is the best, but even that is fairly small.
The more I think about it, the more I think you should contact Coker Tire and get their thoughts. Vintage tires is what they do.
