frigidmonkey

Right now I have an 85GSL with racing beat springs and sway bars... right now it has 13 inch rims with 205's on them...
I'm thinking of getting some 15x7 snypers or 15x7 konig koseis and shoeing them with 225's
how will this change effect the way my car handles? are the 225's a good choice? I'd like to fill out a little more fender. Could I go 225 in the front and maybe 235 or 245 in the rear?
Thanks :]

REVHED

There no way you'll fit such big rubber on there. I'd just stick with 205's all around.

frigidmonkey

well that'll save me a bunch of money, lol
I really wish the wheel wells were filled out a little more

Sterling

I would like to know this answer, too.
(...if someone asks about a supercharger, don't tell him to get a turbo. )

cdrad51

I got 215/50/13's all around, and use spacers. No problemo.

DriveFast7

iTrader: (1)

YEAH, get some 13x8 and put 215/50/13 sumitomo's on there. those tires stick good and the shorter tire diameter will give a more favourable gearing. plus be lighter weight and cheaper than 15"+

See my car below. 13x8 225/45/13 Hoosier radials on the front ............................ slicks on back

dark mephisto

i'd stick with the 205

cpt_gloval

iTrader: (1)

205/50 on 15x7" wheels are great. you have a big selection of tires and they look pretty sharp in the wheel wells.

http://banhammer.exigentic.com/~redh...=cars&id=83gsl

frigidmonkey

where would I get 13x8's???

LongDuck

Another vote for sticking with 15x7 wheels at a maximum. The additional unsprung weight that you incur at each corner will negatively impact some facets of cornering, most notably a tendancy to 'hunt' over uneven surfaces. Check my sig for the setup, but with 205/55ZR15's, the steering is almost uneasy on some surfaces, like longitudinal rain drains on highway pavement.

Anything larger than 15" wheels is overkill and will cause more problems with offset and bump steer. Usually >15" wheels will also result in greater weight, larger overall diameter, and more expensive tires. When upgrading, you should have an end-goal in mind to be sure that you're spending money on things that are getting you toward the goal.

If you haven't built a goal yet on where you want to go, you can save yourself a lot of money by deciding now before you lay out a few thousand dollars on parts.

My car is built as an SCCA-ready road car, and has all the amenities of electrical accessories to be comfortable, but all the performance parts to be enjoyable. It took me 3 years to get it this far, and I had a plan the whole way. HTH,

frigidmonkey

my plan is to have a "fun" street car to drive that will carve up twistie roads. I really like the way the car handles and performs right now, I don't to ruin any of the performance. I would however like the car to look a little more agressive, fender flares, maybe an air dam and a flying whale tale, but I will make NO visual 'enhancements' or modifications at the expense of performance. So if i should run 205s if I get 15 inch wheels, wouldn't I be better off just keeping the 13's?

oni-dori

yup, but different lookin and wider wheels though. like drivefast7 said.

MikeLMR

You will probably find that the car will handle better on 13" rims ... don't get handling mixed up with grip, just because wider tyres give more grip (in some situations) doesn't mean the car will "handle" any better.

don't let anyone tell you handling can be measured by a skidpan G number ... its all to do with personal preference and the 'feel' of the car.

frigidmonkey

ok, so I'm an idiot... if I have a 205 on a 13, and a 205 on a 15, it should perform the same right? And it would also look the same right? since they are both the same width?

DriveFast7

iTrader: (1)

diamondracingwheels.com

google.com

panasport

ultra-lite

revolution wheels

custom..

MikeLMR

no , they will look different as the 13's will have a larger sidewall and the car will handle differently and grip differently due to changes in the sidewall stiffness and height.

Don't forget the tyre width is the width across the widest point and not the tread. generally the lower the profile the squarer the shoulder on the tyres.

Just take a look at how many of the Auto X cars on the forum use 13" wheels .... probably because 13" slicks are cheap but also because large wheels are only used in racing cars to clear big brakes ... look how small a diameter the wheels are on a formula 1 car .... (well thats carbon brakes for ya' but you get the point, bigger is not always better )

Mike

cdrad51

what really makes a difference in the sidewall size is the "xx" number in for example, 205/xx-13, not the "13" afaik.

MikeLMR

yes but to keep the same rolling radius the 13's will have a larger sidewall than a 15

The sidewall height will vary with tyre width as well as the "XX Number" is a percentage of the overall tyre width

Cody

You can corner well on 20s if your fast with the hydraulic's switches.