Tire shopping, Newbie needs advice Options

[Trevorg7]

I need to get new tires for my 914. I believe it currently has 165/80's on the fuch 15X5.5 rims but the '80' is not noted anywhere on the tire. Finding 165/80 15s is tough, one set on Tirerack.com. As I use the car for a daily driver with a fair amount of highway miles I'd like to keep the aspect ratio roughly the same to keep rpms down.

How wide can I go and does anyone have suggestions for size/make?

Thanks

Trevor

[xsboost90]

are those only 5.5 i thought they were 6! 205 55's! Should at least be able to run some 195's

[Dead Air]

'73 2.0
Sumitomo's 195-50-15
W/ Fuch's
@tirerack
about $55 each.

[tommy914]

195/65 15 is what I run, and is very close to stock on height.

Yokohama AVS

[tommy914]

Here's a pic

[rhodyguy]

black 4 lug fuch wheels are a bit suspect to me. unless you or a po painted them, check on the back side of the wheels for a fox head/vw symbol and the #91436101101 before you buy tires. only reason i mention this is replica wheels, which are usually painted black, may not have the correct backspacing and you may experience some interference with the fender lips when going wide. 195/60 is going to be pretty close for the speedo. also, remove the center caps yourself. tire shop guys can be a bit rough removing them.

k

This post has been edited by rhodyguy: Jun 22 2005, 08:38 AM

[Joe Ricard]

Well you have recieved very good advice now go buy some tires. and drive that thing.
Even if the wheels are replicas VW offset 195/60-15 should fit and just clear the fender lip. 205/60-15 and you will have to roll the lip in.

[Trevorg7]

Thank you everyone for the information. rhodyguy, thanks for the insights. I'll pull the wheels off again and double check. I was not aware of such markings to identify a fuch and, well, I just assumed. They very well could be replicas but I still believe I can put 195/65s on them which is they way I'm leaning.

Thanks again.

T

[Dave_Darling]

195/60-15 will be a little bit shorter than the 165/[80 assumed]-15 stock tires. 195/65-15 will be closer, and 195/70-15 will also be closer. Shorter sidewalls are not necessarily a bad thing, but you need to understand what they do.

They give you shorter gearing, so you effectively get more torque coming out of the corners or off the line.
They give you shorter gearing, so you have to shift more often and you have to run higher RPMs on the highway.
The sidewalls will be stiffer (a bit), leading to somewhat better grip and more predictable behavior in transitions. The tires will communicate better what is happening at the contact patch as well.
The sidewalls will be stiffer (a bit), leading to a harsher ride.
The car will be a little lower overall, making for slightly improved road-holding.
The car will be a little lower overall, making for more trouble at speed bumps and driveways.

You can see that going to a smaller tire has pluses and minuses. I ran 195/50-15s on my car for many years, but finally got fed up with the minuses and have gone to 205/50-15s. Still shorter sidewalls than stock, but not as bad as the 195/50s.

Check the selection of tires in the sizes you are thinking about. You may find that one size has more interesting tires available than another does--which makes it well worth considering that particular size.

And not all 914s have to roll the fender lip to fit 205s on stock wheels. Some can fit them without any modifications at all, and some cannot fit 205s without pulling the fender out somewhat.

--DD

[racejoe]

Just some useless trivia, the 155R15 size is an 82 aspect ratio. If you go to a 195/65R15 or 195/60R15 it will open up a lot of choices for tires without any interference with the fenders.

[Jakester]

QUOTE (Dave_Darling @ Jun 22 2005, 08:07 AM)

And not all 914s have to roll the fender lip to fit 205s on stock wheels. Some can fit them without any modifications at all, and some cannot fit 205s without pulling the fender out somewhat. --DD

Dave,

what are the factors influencing the need for rolling the fender lip versus not needing to for the 205 width? Is it model year, ride height, and/ or wheel offset or all/none of the above?

When someone says "rolling the fender lip" what exactly does that mean? Do you know of good pics of this? Is this a John Kelly-type maneuver or is it in the realm of the weekend warrior with a ball-peen and some vice-grips?

I have a 74 with Western wheels and Bilsteins with some ride-height adjustment. I will be buying tires soon so I have been watching this thread with interest. I want the widest tire I can get without going the fender flare option (big $$) or 5-lug set up (also big $). A little fender modification would be acceptable, but I don't think I ready for JK's skill level just yet.

[redshift]

Run your finger along the underside of the wheel arch..

That lip gets bent up. You do this with a Loisville Slugger.. ask for more details.


M

[SirAndy]

QUOTE (Jakester @ Jun 22 2005, 10:21 AM)

what are the factors influencing the need for rolling the fender lip

factory manufacturing tolerances ...

"rolling the fender lip" means that there is a metal "lip" around the fender well that adds rigidity to the well. that "lip" protrudes to the inside of the fender and needs to be "rolled" upwards and flush with the inside of the fender to prevent the tire from rubbing against it ...

a easy method is to let the car do the work, use a smaller round wooden stick (thin end of a baseball bat), wedge it in there and then roll the car. the wood will flatten the lip.
you need to be careful to find the right thickness, otherwise you'll chip the paint on the outside of the fender ...

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/wink.gif) Andy

[MoveQik]

I have 195/60/15's on mine. No tire rubbing. Mine rims are replicas, for what it is worth.

[MoveQik]

I forgot to add....my tires are crap but I just can't drop the cash for better ones with all the life left in these. Looks like I may have to "try" to wear them out a little faster. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif)

[Jakester]

QUOTE (redshift @ Jun 22 2005, 09:40 AM)

You do this with a Loisville Slugger.. ask for more details.

Is this a bat used in the Women's MLB? (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/aktion035.gif)

[TravisNeff]

195x60's are a good choice/compromise on the street. I put 205x55 on my Enkei wheels (VW offset) and had to do a LOT of fender work to get them to fit. Oh and 2.5 neg camber, they couldn't take out any more - I could pound the lips up, but I am afraid of what I will do to the paint. My fenders were rolled/pulled/jacked out.

[Jakester]

QUOTE (Travis Neff @ Jun 22 2005, 09:57 AM)

. I put 205x55 on my Enkei wheels (VW offset) and had to do a LOT of fender work to get them to fit

Somebody help me out - "VW Offset"??? Please explain/compare and contrast with the 914 offset.

[SirAndy]

QUOTE (Jakester @ Jun 22 2005, 11:00 AM)

Somebody help me out - "VW Offset"??? Please explain/compare and contrast with the 914 offset.

they made the same wheel for 914s and VW bugs. they look the same but came in different offsets so they would fit the different type of car.

if you use the wheels with the VW offset on the 914, you'll run into problems with the fender clearance due to the different offset ...

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/wink.gif) Andy

[Trevorg7]

Maybe there are too many factors to comment but assuming normal ride heigth and set up would these offset rims with 195/65 typically rub? Is it safe to say the offset rims and fuch replicas are the same item?

Thanks

T