I have standard 1973 914, I want to get a used set of phone dials and have them re-chromed. What do you think I should pay?
I also want to cut out the fenders and put flares, what size wheel and what size tire should I get? I just like the look, not really interested in performance or trying to squeeze a big tire in a very little space. Any ideas?

Are you converting to 5 lug. Phone dials only come in 5 lug.
I believe phone dials came in 6, and 7 inch for sure. Possibly 8 inch but not sure on that one.
6" phones will fit on a 914 with out flares with the proper spacers.
With flares, the phones may not really fill up the fenders.

I think '86 944 turbos may have had 16x8 phonedials available...but I'm not sure.

QUOTE

I think '86 944 turbos may have had 16x8 phonedials available...but I'm not sure

Yep you're right, Airsix has em on his car
http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?act=...e%20dials&st=20

15x7's early and late
16x7 late
16x8 late


never seen a chrome phone dial

are you talking about the 928 "garbage can lids"

QUOTE (clark2 @ Feb 5 2006, 08:22 PM)

I have standard 1973 914, I want to get a used set of phone dials and have them re-chromed. What do you think I should pay? I also want to cut out the fenders and put flares, what size wheel and what size tire should I get? I just like the look, not really interested in performance or trying to squeeze a big tire in a very little space. Any ideas?

in order to re-chrome something it must have been chromed in the first place , like Aaron mentioned, they never came that way, so you'd have to have the paint stripped and then chromed.....

cost?

15x7s go for about $200 to $300+
16x7 a little more (23mm offset and probebly same for the 55mm offset rims)

the 16x8 55mm offset rims are cheaper by a few hundred than the 16x8 23mm offset rims per pair

add $75 to $125 per rim to have it stripped and chromed.....

what kind of flares?

"standard" GT flares can fit many different combo's, a popular combo is 16x7 with 225s on the front (1" spacer w/23mm rims) and 16x8 with 245s on the rear

too small of tire/rim combo with flares that are too big look kinda goofy in my book

I have seen people ask, about the spacers when buying phone dials – it seems there is one year or size that is more difficult to fit then others. Is that a bid deal, or just if your trying to fit them in without modification. I do know that I will have to go to a 5-lug set up. This info. Is great. I was looking at a set on E-bay that were 225/50/16 – does the 50 mean 7 inches?

no, the 50 means that the sidewalls are 50% as tall as the width (225mm approximately) of the tire.

Look for club member here groot He is running phone dials on his race car, well at least when I seen it last year.

early offset (23mm) are what you want.

the later ones are 53mm, ie you would need 30mm of spacers to get them to sit where the early offset would. (53 - 23 = 30)

Don't know if it matters to you but the turbo wheels are forged while the others are pressure cast. Also I beleive the turbo rears had a different offset, I had a set of Fuchs off a turbo and the rears were different, I assume (fair warning here) the phone dials are the same.

QUOTE (johnmhudson111 @ Feb 6 2006, 03:03 PM)

Don't know if it matters to you but the turbo wheels are forged while the others are pressure cast. Also I beleive the turbo rears had a different offset, I had a set of Fuchs off a turbo and the rears were different, I assume (fair warning here) the phone dials are the same.

never heard of forged phone dials, I know some of the 928/968/C2 flat style rims are forged....

the 7's have 2 different offsets, the 8's have 2 different offsets

QUOTE (Mueller @ Feb 6 2006, 05:08 PM)

never heard of forged phone dials, I know some of the 928/968/C2 flat style rims are forged.... the 7's have 2 different offsets, the 8's have 2 different offsets

Here is the information on the wheels I dug up from Clarks Garage:

'82-85 944NA
std fronts 15x7" Cookie Cutters (23.3mm)
std rears 15x7" Cookie Cutters (23.3mm w/21mm spacer)
optional frt 15x7" Fuchs (23.3mm)
optional rear 15x8" Fuchs (10.6mm)

'85.5-86 944NA
std fronts 15x7" Phone Dials (23.3mm)
std rears 15x7" Phone Dials (23.3mm)
optional frt 15x7" Fuchs (23.3mm)
optional rear 15x8" Fuchs (10.6mm)

1986 turbo
std fronts 16x7" Phone Dials (23.3mm)
std rears 16x8" Phone Dials (23.3mm)
optional frts 16x7" Fuchs (23.3mm)
optional rears 16x8" Fuchs (23.3mm)

From what I have found, I was wrong able the turbo phonedials being forged.

I was thinking about the later "design 90" (cast) wheels and the "club sport" (forged) wheel that look the same. My bad.

where are the 53.3 offset phonies - i think they are post 86

Man, I really appreciate all this information. So from what I see, it looks like if I want to add the GT Flares and want phone dials, I need to get 16x7 (23.3mm offset) for the front and 16x8 (23.3mm offset) for the back.

Will that be enough to fill out the wheel well, I agree with the one post that if the wheels are too small it would look odd. What do you think or better yet anyone have pictures.

You can get the 53 mm offset wheels and use spacers. I don't think it's a big deal since all the late model stuff need 1" spacers or larger.

to fill out gt flares, id do a half inch or more spacer to the early offsets out.

add anothe rinch of spacer for late offset......

QUOTE (Aaron Cox @ Feb 6 2006, 10:07 PM)

where are the 53.3 offset phonies - i think they are post 86

Here is the rest of 944 years:

'87+ 944NA
front 16x7" Phone Dials (52.3mm)
rear 16x7" Phone Dials (52.3mm)

'87-88 944 Turbo
front 16x7" Phone Dials (52.3mm)
rear 16x8" Phone Dials (52.3mm)

'88-89 944 TurboS
front 16x7.5" Club Sport (65.0mm)
rear 16x9" Club Sport(60.0mm)

How does large spacers affect wheel bearing life?

QUOTE (alpha434 @ Feb 6 2006, 09:38 PM)

How does large spacers affect wheel bearing life?

accomplishes the same result as deep dish wheels with the right offset.

tire is in the same place no matter no spacaers with a deep dish wheel, or 2" of spacers with a wheel with a big offset...

hard to explain...... (ill make a drawing)

QUOTE (Aaron Cox @ Feb 6 2006, 09:41 PM)

QUOTE (alpha434 @ Feb 6 2006, 09:38 PM) How does large spacers affect wheel bearing life? accomplishes the same result as deep dish wheels with the right offset. tire is in the same place no matter no spacaers with a deep dish wheel, or 2" of spacers with a wheel with a big offset... hard to explain...... (ill make a drawing)

alright. pretend gray is the HUB. Red is a SPACER and the blue is the RIM

top image = no spacer but DEEP dish wheel

bottom = big spacers but no dish on the wheel


end result is the same..... i think



nevermind. i think i change my mind. spacers effectively make a LARGER lever arm, and thus amplify the loads on the bearng?????

I had been told that adding spacers has a bad thing as it would increase the load on the bearing and lead to premature wear.

Is this a real issue or just a old wives tale?