Hey guys. I'm about to pick up my 87 Turbo II next week, so I've been doing a lot of dreaming, and the first thing that has got to change is the wheel/tire combination. It has the factory wheels up front, and FD wheels in the rear.

Now I have done a lot of searching around these forums and elsewhere and have not found any definitive answers. I am looking for the best performance for ROAD RACING. I'm not concerned about drag, I'm not concerned about shoe horning some 19's under there or a "hella flush" look (although if they fill up the wheel well nicely that would be good) I found the FC wheel thread, but everyone seems to talk about the absolute widest tire that will fit without much reference to rubbing. Plus, if joe schmoe putts around on the street on the weekends and never experiences rubbing, that will not necessarily translate to a road racing situation.

So you guys out there really pushing your cars on the road course, how wide have you gone with ZERO rubbing issues? Rolling the fenders may be ok if the benefits are significant. What diameter wheels are you using? 17's seem to me to probably have the best compromise of weight/sidewalla stiffness/looks (hey this is gonne be a street car too)

 

I was about to chew you out for suggesting that you keep stock wheels in front and put FD wheels on the rear, but your'e saying the car looks like that now, correct?

Most people here tend to go with a 17" or 18" wheel. I have 17s, myself, and think they're a great balance. I've used 215/45s in the front with 235/45s in the rear, and am currently using 225/45s all around. never had any rubbing issues in any driving conditions, either with dead stock suspension, or with stock springs and Tokico blue shocks.

As for what tires you can use, and what width of wheel (that's VERY important), your suspension will come into play. Also, rolling the fenders will affect what you can do.

Assuming you're staying on stock suspension and not rolling fenders, I'd say an ideal setup would be wheels that are 17"x17.5, 40 offset. Tires should be 225/45 in the front and 235/45 in the rear. Obviously you can go larger if you roll your fenders; how much larger you can go depends on how much you roll. You may be able to go with wider tires in the rear if you get wider wheels, but I believe 255 is the absolute maximum width you'll fit back there without modification, and even that I'm not sure about.

Hope this helps!

-Collin

 

Yes that's how it looks now. I guess the guy I am buying it from put them on the back as an inexpensive way to get some more meat under the rear. It looks absolutely hideous which is the main reason it's going to be one of the first things I change.

I was hoping to be able to fit at least 225 up front and 245 in the rear (ideally a tad more) on a 17" wheel, without rolling fenders, spacers, or ridiculous offsets. Is this reasonable?

Thanks for the advice!

 

By the way, it currently sits on KYB (AGX I believe?) struts and stock springs. Coilovers are in the future though, so I'd like to plan accordingly.

 

Nate,

Frankly, what he did isn't the worst idea I've ever heard and is actually pretty functional, but I think he should've put on all 4 FD wheels. Plus, let's face it, some nice aftermarket wheels are about the most reasonably-priced, easy cosmetic upgrade you can make to any 7 (unless paint is awful)

Do you have a particular style of wheel you're looking at? To do what you're talking about, you need at least a 7" wide wheel in the front and 7.5" wide in the rear. 7.5"/8" would probably be better. If you dont' want to stagger widths, go 7.5" all around. The diameter of the wheel doesn't matter nearly as much as the width for whatyou're talking about.

To fit those 245s, you will probably want to do some fender rolling if you're going to drive aggressively. You may actually be a fair bit better off staying with 225s in front and 235s in the rear; being 20mm different between my old fronts and rears (215, 235) made the car seem more prone to understeer than with 205s or 225s all around. It seems to me like 7s with tire sizes staggered too much like to understeer, but i'm really no expert on that - all I know is I like 225s all around better than 215s matched with 235s.

*edit*
You should be all right with the current suspension set-up. When you go to coilovers, you'll need to be mindful of camber and whatnot; that's a whole different ball game, and one where I can't advise you.

 

That all makes sense... and no one likes understeer. I understand the rx7 is known for its excellent balance, and I hope to keep a neutral feel. Im nervous, though, that 225s all around won't satisfy my need for g's or be able to handle all the power I plan to eventually be making.

I suppose a 225/235 set up might be sufficient, but if I can fit 235s all around or 235f 245r with some fender rolling action..


As far as style... I really like the way a simple 5spoke or split 5 looks on these cars, but priority has to be given to lightweight, strong, affordable wheels. I have been considering Enkei RPF1s

 

Clearly you know what you're talking about pretty well for a new member.

Honestly, how's the paint on this car? With fender rolling, you may mess it up. I'd only do it if you're thinking of repainting the car some time in the forseeable future.

By the by, I did have my 235s on the front for a day or two when a shop mistakenly rotated them after balancing... didn't have any rubbing, but didin't do any terribly hard driving.

RPF1s are very nice wheels, but I don't think they're what anyone would call affordable. If your'e trying to go for affordable, look elsewhere.

By the way, there is a wheel/tire section of this forum that this thread would be more appropriate in... but I'm not going to ride you too hard over a minor issue like that. Just know, in the future, there are specific areas for these sorts of posts.

 

Post your question in the racing forum, and be sure to specify your particular racing class. Some wheel sizes and fender mods are not legal in certain classes.
https://www.rx7club.com/forumdisplay...prune=-1&f=103

 

Thanks for all your help! I will take your advice and continue this in the racing forum.