Just a quick question.... I just bought some nice used 2.0l fuchs and need to mount tires on them. Can I fit a 205/50 or 205/55 series tire on these rims without too much trouble? I'm thinking about some Michelin exaltos.
Thanks

You should be able to do so with no problem.

That's right on the limit. (Just the way I like it! )
Depending on the car, you may have to roll the lip.

I've got 205/60's stuffed under my stock fenders, so 50's or 55's should work fine.

I have the Michelin Exalto's on Fuchs.
I went with 195/65's. Gigantic improvement in handling,
speedo should be close to original,
appearance changed where it looks like more rubber
hitting the road yet doesn't look like I overstuffed the
wells, i.e. kinda stock looking but way better.

Paul

I used to always run 195/60/15, but I went with 205/55/15 BFGoodrich g-force sport. I think they look great, but are right on the limit but don't rub. They may or may not rub. I am running 6" wide Fuchs, I believe those 2.0 Fuchs are 5.5? If so you may get a little more room.

the 205s are a tight fit on 5.5" wheels, tight to the wheelwell edges and may rub on your car. the tech complained to no end when mounting them. they tend to have a bulging look. imho they felt unsettled during cornering at speed. there was no way i would be willing to alter my narrow body car for the sake of tires that are an inch or so wider. i went back to 195/60s and am much happier with the fit and the way my car drives. don't allow the tech to remove your center caps. there is a 50/50 chance he will use a hammer and some other item against the center portion to drive them out and it will ruin them. do it yourself.

k

i run 205's on 7's, and the sidewalls are perfectly vertical.
5.5-6" rim, try 195's instead...

and note aaron altered his wheelwells to run those 7"s.

Click to view attachment

I just mounted a set of 205 / 50 / 15 Falken Azenis on 2.0 Fuchs. Doesn't appear to be any clearance problems. One side benefit with the Azenis, I would have to try reaaaaly hard to curb the rims now!!

The 205 65 55 or 50 always fit the 5.5 factory 914 fuchs or mahle (remember the late 72 and up cars have the extra trimming on the rear fender well) but the problem with the 205 on a 5.5 wide rim is sidewall bulge. If one does not purchase a tire with a very stiff sidewall, when driving, the "jello" effect will happen where the car sways back and forth with any steering imput. Also 50 or 55 will make the speedo read wrong. Bottom line, unless racing where the max footprint is necessary, stick to 195 65/15

Some wheelwell pics with my (non)original Fuchs, 195/65/15 Exalto's. Maybe give you an idea of the fit and fill. Obviously, no rubbing!






Paul

Nobody questions the fit of 195s.

Beautiful car Paul!!

What is notable with 914rrr's set up, no I don't know his alignment settings or tire pressure, but look at how much tire is making contact with the road surface(yes it probably was rolling straight just before pic)--you can notice for both front and rear how "dirty" the tires are where they roll. I ran 205 55 SO3s on these rims and autocrossed very successfully, but you are really pinching the tire and causing it to curve at the tread. I ran low tire pressure to try and compensate for this. It always felt wobbly especially after my second cone a slalom. What is interesting is it took a lot to get to that outer edge of the tire on the road, usually it was during some outrageous looking sidways action that looked as though I was going to spin, but didn't. My answer was to convert to 5 bolt and go to 6" Fuchs. I know that 6.5 or 7" are optimal, but this has all but eliminated my wobblyness/ amazing saves.

I already said it, but again.... 205s are really pushing the limits on a stock 5.5" wheel. And in some cases it comes close to rubbing a fender lip, and even may require rolling the lip. (yes, some cars differ) And yet sometimes it clears with breathing room.

Seems this topic keeps coming around every once in a while. I have observed a lot of different people and what they run. And I have read all the threads. I have run 195s and 205s myself. (Within the specs we are discussing related to sidewall height.)

1. 205s will probably fit fine. (Answer to the original question.)
2. They are pushing the limits of what you should run on those wheels. WATCH the sidewalls!!
3. Some people have better experiences with 195s.

I recently switched again from 195/60-15 to 205/55-15 on my 5.5" 2.0 Fuchs. I enjoy mixing things up and studying the results once in a while.

Sometimes I wear Reebok 11 tennis shoes. Sometimes Nike 10.5 fits better. IE, some brands fit differently.

I stuffed 205/50's on stock steelies, (thanks to Spoke) and they look and handle great..

I had to make a minor adjustment to the track on the inner wheel well.

This is a good point.... I think the exalto in a z rating would probably be ok because of a stiffer sidewall, I may consider a 195 series based on the feedback overall.... It seems to offer a more of a margin for error. Thanks for everyones' feedback

how they fit will also depend on your alignment...more negative camber will give you a better chance of them clearing the fender lips.
here is a pic of my 205x50s on my car under usage.

I also have a set of 7 inch steelies running 205x50 V710s under the same fenders

Dang, Paul! That is a nice set of 2.0 Fuchs!

Where did you find those? Did Brad have them hidden away?

Sure look great on your '74!!!

Thanks, Lyle, got them from SMG914 in Tampa. They actually have some staining here and there so maybe (next year) I'll have them redone. But they photograph nicely.

Paul

20-50-15 on 2.0 fuchs

205-50-15 on 5.5 empi

225-60-15 on fuch 5.5. now THIS was tight

not rolled

205-50-15 sumitomo HRs on 5.5 Rivieras. these were closer than teh 225-60s

tryhtrh

205-50-15 on rivieras

205/55/15 on empi 8 spoke slight bend on the inner lip.

205-50-15 Hoosiers on 6inch Panasports

205-50-15 on black fuchs

205-50-15 victor racers on (5.5 I think) carl Jr happy stars

here is scott dicing it up on falkin azinis 205-50-15 on fuch 2.0 wheels

fdhfdshfs

guess what size steve runs here on his fuchs

The only hard part about putting 205/50's on the rims is the short side wall of the tire. The tires sometimes have a hard time sealing against the rims because there is less flex in a 50's series sidewalls. A good tire shop can do it without too many problems.

Just put a set on last week.

Good observation. I've only mounted the (used) tires on the car and rolled it out of the garage to perform some surgery. Haven't driven it yet. The car is lowered on all 4 corners and has a good deal of corresponding camber. I haven't checked the tire pressures either. The tires were freebies, so they'll do for now. The old tires were dry rotted and totally worn out, so anything is an improvement.

my 195/55's on fuchs rub on the inner fenderwall. anyone else have this? seems like i need to hammer clearance for them.

have you checked your rear alignment lately? negative camber? toe out?

BEAUTIFUL COLOR!