Hi...while I enjoy the Crossfire Coupe...it rides awful. Can these low profile tires (stock) tires be replaced with something more conventional ? How about changing out the wheels ...to accomodate a conventional high quality tire? I just don't need the 100 miles per hour handling abilities of this car....when I never drive over 65 MPH. I just drove to Chicago and back....the ride reminds me of my first car...an English Ford Anglia....bone jarring! Happy New Year....
any response will be very much appreciated. Jules (julirensch@yahoo.com)

 

Jules I would think any reputable tire dealer could help you swap out the right diameter wheels and tires for the stock ones...just important to keep the right diameter ....you thinking a 50 or 60 series???

 

Just pick up some smaller Mercedes wheels to handle tires with a larger aspect ratio (50/60 series etc.)
Try to keep the hight/diameter of the new tires close to what you have now or it will throw your speed-o off. (like Oledoc said).

 

Thanks for the advice on going to M.Benz wheels......are they 16 inch ?
I would be interested in trading what I have for the right size that would fit my car... any ideas ?

Will the brakes fit inside the M Benz wheels?

Sure is great to be part of the Crossfire Forum....always interesting & informative.

Jules (julirensch@yahoo,com)

 

17" wheels with 26 tall tires ( 26" tall is stock height ) getting same height will let speedO and every thing else work correctly check these out,, if you like and want ,, the price here is 350.00 yes they are mine. jim
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...m=200293125008

 

in fact if they don't sell before i get other money then i will keep them and install on my crossfire for a softer ride,, if u have the SRT-6 you could just install the limited springs ,,that makes for a softer ride. again jim

 

You know, I have often wondered what these cars would look like with a taller sidwall, shorter wheel combo. Might they look a little more retro. But I think smaller, old timey sportscar tailights and slanted back, oval Mercedes headlight and parking light would have lended itself to a more retro look. This car does in many ways has a retro, almost art deco look about it. And some of it's modern features take away from this look. Such as the huge wheels on a tiny car. Although they look much better with them once lowered. Other features that should look modern come off looking cheap and American Sedanish. Such as the headlights grille and tailights. I sometimes wish it looked more like my old Triumph GT-6. Or maybe a little more stately. It's sometimes a little difficult to grasp that this is still just a Chrysler. In the end I like this car alot though. As for wheel tire combo. I think 17" or 18" as- cast centered American Salt Flats would could cool as hell on this car.

 

Jules, if you don't have a SRT6, then just about any Mercedes wheel should fit your brakes. I don't think you can go smaller than 17" and clear the SRT's brakes.
That's a good price for AMX1397's wheels.

 

Here's a link to a tire size calculator that I have found to be useful:
http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html

 

Why did you buy a sporty car if you wanted something that rides like a couch? I am sure you can run a larger profile tire but it will not make a huge difference. You can always spend a few thousand dollars on an airbag system to soften up the ride. Then you could bounce the car up and down when you see some fly hotties when cruzin through the hood yo!

 

different strokes for different folks, as they say ... when I first test-drove my car, part of what I liked was that I was able to 'feel' the road, that I was NOT cushioned from it as I would be in a large sedan ... hell, I've already GOT a big ol' Intrepid that is as well-cushioned as a car could be ... it rides the road like a cruise ship rides the waves ... and has about the same degree of driveability ...

Last weekend, I drove more than 900 miles in two days and was not bothered in the least by the ride my Crossfire offers .... and, while it IS true that I'm carrying a bit of extra padding that would reduce my reliance on an air bag, none of that is between me and the seat ... and at my age, one would suppose I'd be bothered more by the feel of the road than most ...

 

It sounds like the crossfire just isn't what you want. I wouldn't recommend replacing springs and tires. I'd recommend a 2002 Ford Taurus. I just happen to have one I'd trade you for, straight across. It only has 150K, get it while you can.

 

Is it forrest green?

 

I was thinking a Cadillac would be more suiting for that nice cushy ride.

 

I've been considering this for some time and I figure the whole belief of you must go with 18/19 (f/r) is not entirely a "golden" rule. I'm also beginning to believe the overall diameter, at least on non SRT models (since I don't have one) isn't as much a concern as we are led to believe. If it were, why would the manual reco going with 225/40 VR18's all around in the winter?

Sure the wider tire is going to be better for handling in non winter weather climates on both dry and wet when you are more prone to be a bit more aggressive etc., but in reality I'm thinking (and very well could be wrong) outside of that aspect it boils down to "cosmetics" and the reason it is difficult to find anyone at tire rack, dealers, or retail shops to ever agree with you is they only go with what is standard, recommended by the manufacturer and where the almighty dollar is. Again, I point to the fact that it is reco'd that you go with the same tire size all around in the winter.

Using 1010tires.com I found I could go with a 255/45/17 or a 222/45/18 with minimal impact (outside of width).

So it really boils down to how much research you are willing to do and how "experimental" you are. Here is an article I found that briefly talks about Germany's ADAC regulatory body on the subject of wide vs narrow. http://www.motorauthority.com/are-wi...an-narrow.html

 

you bought a car knowing that it has a lousy ride?

 

All you really have to do is make sure it is close to the same diameter/height so the speedometer is not off and that the wheels will clear the calipers and the offset is correct.

 

Hi! I'm a new Crossfire owner (2004 Crossfire/Auto Transmission) who loves the car but is not a fan of Low-Profile tires. Responses like the one you got that caused you to post the one I'm responding to make me leery of asking such questions myself. I've been reading/researching the subject of replacing my low-profile tires with regular (high-profile) tires but I don't know enough about the dynamics of how it would affect the car's performance. How can I find out about why the different size (front vs rear) low-profile tires were chosen for the car and what all would be affected if I change them out? I have little to no knowledge of a car's mechanical engineering details. Could you explain any of that tome? I'd appreciate it a lot!

 

Changed mine to 16 inch Mercedes Benz steel wheels (used at $50. per set of 4)
The car is now so much better in ride & steering characteristcs.
Biggest change is it's traction in snow & wet...before doing this I would never take the car out in even an inch of snow.
Accelration is quicker than it was with stock set up. Top end speed? I don't know.as I rarely drive over 75 mph.
For me it was the thing to do....glad I did. My car now loves me more.
Actual costs were zero, I sold the original rims and tires which balanced out the price for used MB rims and new top line Cooper tires.
Jules

 

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