well, here it is, another wheel question: will Riverias with 195 tires fit under the stock fenders of a 1972 1.7? The last time I asked about wheels Kevin in Tacoma wired me some sound information about the issues at hand; backspacing, etc. I am still trying to do something with the small crack in one of the Fuchs. Either a new Fuchs (providing I can find one), or some Riverias with 195s that are available. Any advice?

i've got 195/50's on riviera's that fit fine. PO had 205/50's with rolled fender lip. i keep saying i'm gonna toss them , but haven't gone through with it yet. in due time. but yeah, they should fit -- you may have to roll the rear fender lip a bit if the offset is akward.

nathan

hmmm. i would rather not 'roll' the rear fender lip. your 50s probably fit more than a higher profile tire, i imagine. if cost were not a big deal, i would try to buy a fuchs online and pay the huge shipping fee. what to do, what to do...

Call or email Brad Roberts at HighperformanceHouse for a Fuch rim. He and Rich Bontempi should have a single laying around.
Forget emailing, call them.

Geoff

They will fit if the Riveys have the 914 offset. If they have the VW offset, toss a coin.

Have you taken the Fuch to a machine shop that can not only heliarc, but turn the weld back smooth? Or better yet, where is it cracked?

find a fuch on ebay. make sure it's the real thing. you'll spend what, $100? it's worth it.

Careful with the Riv's. As said before, there are multiple offsets. I had a set of Riv's which I believe were VW offset. There was NO WAY I could fit anything more than a 165 on the back. If you know you have the 914 offset, 195's should fit.

how can one tell which offset applies to the wheels in question? any markings to look for?

Flip it over so the "face" of the wheel is down. Put a straightedge of some kind across the back of the rim. Measure down from that to the pad where the wheel meets the hub.

A wheel that fits 205s on a 914 under stock fenders will have at least 4 1/2" of backspacing, which is the above measurement. You might be able to fit 195s with just at or just over 4".

--DD

thanks for the scoop; definitely some useful info. if i can't find a Fuchs, now i have a better idea of what to look for. once again, i ask a question, and get solid information. thanks to everyone.

Before I learned better, I had Les Scwhab order some EMPI 8 spokes. They got VW offsets. I had my 195 X 60 15's mounted on them. I didn't make it out of the parking lot. They took it back in a bay and used a pry bar on the fender while I was inside complaining to the sales people. I came out and they said it was just fine. Sure enough it didn't rub but I got the marks on the fender to show for it. I tried complaining again, but got nowhere.

The really tough part is the manager is a patient of mine and has been a really nice guy. When I told him my side of the story, he couldn't believe his guys would do that. He basically inferred I had done the damage.

The screwed up laws make it impossible for me to dump him as a patient without cause (getting screwed by him is not cause) and I still have to treat him to the best of my ability. Can't say I haven't thought of giving him less than adequate anesthetic but I've never hurt anyone on purpose YET.

Watch the offset.

Dave

If HPH doesn't have one try Brad Mayeur (914
limited) I just received a good Fuch rim from him
to mount my spare on. The rim does have curb
rash but for a spare it is fine. Paid $62 rim & shipping
great guy give him a call at 309-694-1797.

- Garold

PS 309 area code is East Peoria IL

dave, if he was my patient, i would be the dentist from the dustin hoffman movie. forget the name, it's early. "is it safe?" would be "you think it's my fault?".

kevin

i believe the movie is "the boys from brazil."

another good resource been added tomy growing list. more thanks. i hope to get this taken care of soon.

too bad, the news about les schwab; i have never heard anything negative before. first time for everything...

'Marathon Man'

Still makes my teeth hurt!

i stand corrected. it is 'marathon man.'

i have found that, if one doesn't go to the dentist, then the dentist can't find anything wrong.

I have 205/60s on Rivieras on a '74 - with no problems except they can rub on the inside of the front tires on full-lock turns. Clearance at the rear fenders is maybe 1/4 inch. So they must be "914" offset, but I haven't measured them as DD described.

The same car used to have 205/50s which did not appear to rub either, but I only drove maybe 10 miles on them - they were just too small in diameter to be on a daily driver IMHO.

Joe