Friends, Romans, Teernermen

this has probably been asked a thousand times, please bear with me. A problem has been plaguing the handling of my narrow-body for ever, namely tire-flex.

I run sticky 205/60 tires on 15x6 Fuchs. Vague turn-in, body wagging, etc. To improve matters while preserving the overall diameter I'd like to upgrade to 205/50 on 16x6 or 16x7, preferably the latter.

Can it be done? If so, at what additional expenses: do I need to change lugs/add spacers? Thoughts, pointers and anecdotes welcome.

Cheers - J.

After many hours of tire contemplation .........I will be running 7s & 8s x 16 with steel GT flares ....... on my front 7s I will be using 205/50-16 ....... on the rear 8s I will be using 225/45-16 ......

These tire sizes are a tad smaller diameter than the stock 165-15, which IMO look enormous on the small 914 chassis. So this will give me what I am looking for in tire sidewall height for looks and handling performance on 16" fuchs.

I think what you are asking is will 16X7 wheels fit a narrow body car. The answer is a resounding maybe... Some have put them on with no rubbing whatsoever, others have had to roll the fender to keep from rubbing. But yes, it has been done.

16X6 will definately fit...

I've been watching for a response to see who's done it.... I know it's been done by many. I rolled my lips and it wasn't enough, but my tire size was too large. I didn't try 205's. I think it will. I went back to 15x7 on the rears with 215/60's and they barely fit.

I have 16x7 all the way around & run 215/40's with a rolled lip. If you are not allready 5-lug then it is a bigger project than just wheels. You will not fit 5-lug Fuchs under a stock car running 4-5lug spacers. You would need a wheel with a bigger offset to run those spacers (which if you do a search will find noone recommends using them). Good luck

Been rummaging past threads on the subject - 16x7 rear fitment seems to vary from no problem to serious fender massaging.

So we can ask the question another way: in terms of dynamics, is there an advantage in having 16x7's over 16x6's?

I don't know about 16's but do know that 15x7 Fuchs (five bolt) with 225/60 on the rear don't fit.

Yes in some cases. Often the same size tire can be used on either wheel. The tire may work better due to running flater across the tread face on the 7" and being center biased on a 6" wheel. For example, I once ran the same Yokohama AO32R 205 50X15 tires on 15X5.5 4 lug Fuchs and then 15X7" Revolutions. There was a dramatic difference in how well the tire stuck on the 7"

Hey J,
I am running 6x16 in front and 7x16 in the rear; 5-lug fuchs all around. I found that I had about 1/2" to 3/4" more room on the right than the left, but I rolled each side anyway. To make the rear tires fit I used the same size front and rear tire; 205/50-16. I also have adjustable Bilsteins in the rear so I could raise things up if I needed to. No rubbing or issues.

Harlen