New member question, Tires Options

[elbean]

Howdy everyone.
I recently purchased an original 1974 914 2.0. My first Porsche was a 1970 914 back in 1974 and from then to now have had many Pcars. I've forgotten how fun these cars can be.
Are tires in the 180 range(michelin) or 185 (Vred) to large ? The car now sits on 165/80/15 mounted to Fuchs and I want to fill in the wheel wells a little.
Thanks in advance, I'm enjoying this site.
Mark

[Montreal914]

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Many threads on tires here, and others will chime in with more knowledge. By Fuchs, I assume you mean the original 2.0 liter 4 lugs 914 Fuchs. These are 5.5" wide. 195s will work well, 205 should too, although these cars are known to be slightly different from side to side, so beware. On the front, the wider tires will rub on the inner fender at full lock.

Obviously if you go short sidewalls, your speedometer will suffer.

You will find out us 914ers are suckers for pictures (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) so... please share your new car with us! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) And again (IMG:style_emoticons/default/welcome.png)

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[elbean]

Thanks for the reply. If 195 and maybe 205's work then I shouldn't have any problems with 180 or 185's.
I'll keep the profile at 80. Yes 4 lug 5-1/2".
The 165's just seem so skinny.
I'll do a search for tires and go from there.
I have trouble for some reason on my lap top pulling up pictures to post, I may have to wait until I get to my office and post from my PC.
Thanks !!!!
[img]IMG_2792.HEIC

[KELTY360]

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[Montreal914]

If you put 185/80, that might actually begin to be to large of a tire (diameter). 185/65 is probably a good size if you are going with 185.

You can do a search here or on Google with 914world at the end and you should have many discussions on the tire topic.

Good luck! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[wonkipop]

Thanks for the reply. If 195 and maybe 205's work then I shouldn't have any problems with 180 or 185's.
I'll keep the profile at 80. Yes 4 lug 5-1/2".
The 165's just seem so skinny.
I'll do a search for tires and go from there.
I have trouble for some reason on my lap top pulling up pictures to post, I may have to wait until I get to my office and post from my PC.
Thanks !!!!
[img]IMG_2792.HEIC

sure are skinny.
i'm getting used to them again.

just put 165 XAS on. bit the bullet and paid the price - very exy down here.
in the dry they are pretty good so far. dunno about the wet.

i've got the old steering feel back. very pointy. very light. so far got no complaints about grip. suspect they are a lot gripper due to compound than XAS of the 60s and 70s? what i like is with the correct side wall dimensions it does not ride harshly over bumps and given the car is now on firmer bilstein shocks than the original boges thats important to me.

due to the difficulties of getting correct tyres in the 90s i had been running a set of 195 BF Goodrichs with a lower profile. to be honest i never liked them. banged on the inner arches on full lock. rode harsh. steering lost a lot of its lightness. and probably particular to that brand and make they never felt to me like they were progressive, i always felt i could not trust them. not a good feeling tyre those. i also thought the car was "over tyred" running them. given it is just a 1.8

but each to his own i reckon. a 185 would be a good call with something close to the correct sidewall dimension. i could not get XAS in a 185 but i could have gotten the remake pirelli as a 185, thats if i did not mind eating beans for the next year because they were another jump again.

i understand Dunlop are making a tyre called a Dunlop Classic. in 165 and 185 width and correct side profile dims and with modern tread pattern. a few people have tried them on old datsun 240Zs and the like down here and say they are good. about half the price of the euro remake tyres.

18570R15 would be what you are after if you want original spec at that width.

[Shivers]

205's fit on mine

[steuspeed]

205/60/15
195/65/15

Choices are limited these days.

[Jamie]

205/60/15
195/65/15

Choices are limited these days.

I've been running 205x65x15 Michelins on my original steel 5 1/2" rims for several years, almost exact diameter to original 165's, so no speedo difference. They do rub inside well slightly at full lock, nothing I would replace considering the performance gained. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/driving.gif)

[horizontally-opposed]

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195/65R15 are the safe choice if you want the correct overall diameter to fill the wells with minimal chance of rubbing.

I was able to get 205/60R15 tires in, though they rubbed just a bit on the inside of the rear fenders. Ran 205/55R15s for many years with no issues.

Currently on 185/70s, and missing the width of 195s or 205s.

[racerbvd]

I have always liked 195/50/15

[elbean]

All great advise and suggestions. Depending what's available I'll probably go with either 185/70 or 195/65 . I may do 195/65 rear and 185/70 front but most likely do the same size all around.
I'll post some pictures after I put the new tires on.
Thanks again!!

[wonkipop]

out of curiosity i did a bit of an internet price compare.
more to convince myself i continue to live in a very expensive country than anything else.

looked up cokers, american classic tyre specialist?

they sell dunlop sport classics for about the same amount as michelin XAS (NO approved "porsche approved blah" - higher speed rating basically).

which is surprising to me. so i might have given you a bum steer when it comes to yank prices.

XAS

https://www.cokertire.com/tires/brands/mich...ial-n-code.html

Dunlop

https://www.cokertire.com/tires/dunlop-spor...-80r15-87h.html

i had to wince and pay $400AUD For XAS down here (fitted and balanced).
or USD $300 odd.
but i could have fitted dunlops for a tad over AUD$200 (fitted and balanced).
9 months ago.

you definitely get a way better deal on XAS and probably Pirellis, but thats not such a good price on the Dunlops. they make them in the size you are talking about which is 185 70 R15, virtually identical rolling diam to 165 80 R15. its a tricky size to get these days outside of the classic tyre suppliers.

we have limited outlets for these tyres down here.
only two players in town and their prices are virtually identical on the lines they both run.

a small aside, its a bit of a shock to run older style tyres in another respect we don't often think about, which is tyre noise.
modern tyres have tread patterns to suppress tyre noise, though a lot of the lower profile tyres do produce dull roar noise. the XAS produce a weird turbine bearing like sound once you get up and rolling a bit. first time i went out i thought the gearbox was giving a signal that maybe it was on the way out, or was it the diff, or was it a wheel bearing, or could it be the alternator. then i figured it out because i remembered what the semperits used to sound like on the vw half a life ago. those old tread patterns. i think if someone did have the misfortune to run a set of SP57s again they would be shocked at how noisy they were.

[wonkipop]

@ racerbvd

are those sizes metric or imperial.

[racerbvd]

@ racerbvd

are those sizes metric or imperial.

Metric