Has anyone snuck a 215/60R15 into a narrow 914?, Thinking about P6000s Options

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Porsche lists the 215/60R15 as an N1 tire approved for 914-6, and I am considering them as they solve the too-small diameter problem I want to avoid. Currently, I'm on 195/65s. I used to run 205/55s and 205/60s, but all of these are too small in diameter.

I know the cars vary, but I was able to run various 205/55s with no rubbing and 205/60 Yoko A008Rs years ago with only a bit of rubbing on the inside (too much negative camber at that time). I'd be running these on 15x6 911 wheels, but may pop to have them turned into 15x7Rs by Weidman and do custom spacers. Big thing is to get a summer performance tire in there with, well, performance—and the right look.

That period look with any kind of performance is getting tough to find. If anyone has 215/60s on a narrow car, and can provide pics, I'd be very thankful!

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

pete

[bdstone914]

How much wider is a 215 than a 205?

215-205 = 10MM

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How much wider is a 215 than a 205?

215-205 = 10MM

Actually, actual tire widths vary significantly between manufacturers despite identical sizing. There is no rhyme or reason I can find, having just put a set of Michelin AS/3s on another car that are significantly wider than the identically sized Pirellis that came off it—while other Pirellis appear to be wider than Michelins in the tire specs listed on Tire Rack. But even these measurements must be taken with a grain of salt, depending on rim used for measurement, etc. In my case, it was enough so that you can lower the car with no issues on Pirellis but will get rubbing with the Michelins. Both tires are 205/40R17 per their sizing.

Back to 914s: What really matters for rear fitment is section width, not tread width. Most tires are wider in section than they are in tread, so that's the width that the fender will have to swallow if the top of the tire is hidden as it is on the back of a 914. For that, you need to dig into the tire specs, but measurements aren't necessarily uniform, and the rim used for the measurement within the acceptable rim width range may not match your setup. Best I could tell, the 215mm P6000s were about 0.5-inch wider than the widest 205s out there, so I knew it would be tight.

So I ordered a single 215/60R15 P6000 for a trial fit. TireRack.com is fine with this and will take the tire back—so long as it has not been driven on or damaged.

I removed the RR wheel, put the P6000 into the fender well, and then lowered the car for a "loose fitment" to see if the tire would even fit in the fender. It did, though I could tell it was going to be TIGHT. I tried the LR side and it was a bit better, but not much. Wheel offset and spacing would be everything, so I had it mounted on a 15x7 Fuchs 911R wheel (chosen for its offset and the resulting ability to work with spacers). I was able to get the mounted 215 into the rear fenders with a hair of clearance to either side using stacked washers before spending $$$ on custom spacers. The wheel/tire fit better on one side of the car than the other, but it was just too tight. Any side loading would cause tire rub on the chassis side, or blister the paint on the fender.

I might have been able to have the fender pulled a bit, but stopped short at the idea of modifying a 40-year-old Porsche's bodywork to fit one of the few tires available in 2016. Who knows what will be available in 2020, or 2018. They're not that far off. Also, there was some brake-line/trailing arm interference with the 215s. The spacers helped, but it was closer than I would have liked. So close I didn't even test drive it. Sadly, the tire shop ripped the bead when dismounting the tire, so I had to eat the cost of the P6000. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ar15.gif)

So I am going with a set of 185/70R15 Avon CR6ZZs in the hardest compound. Everyone raves about them, and they're a lot less expensive than buying that pair of 911R wheels + the Pirellis that no one seems to like. In fact, a set is priced within $200-300 of the P6000s. And Pirelli is about the only game left in town at 215/60R15 in a summer tire.

YMMV, but that's my story! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)