Jump to content
HybridZ

What is a good size tire for 15 x 8 with 0 offset on a 240Z ?


Recommended Posts

I did some searching around, but didnt find a definitive/satisfying answer. I have a 73 240Z, and I will be installing GC coil overs and camber plates. I want to know how wide I can go with the tires fitting under stock fenders. The guy at Discount tire said 205 60's. They did not look even close to a proper size. The car is going to be used at track days, so I wanted as much rubber as possible without rubbing the fenders.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 40
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Not sure what kind of tires you're considering (i.e. street, R-compound, slicks, etc), but anything in the 225-245 range would work well with 8" wheels.  The coilovers will give you more clearance on the inside of the tire vs the stock struts, and the camber plates can give you more clearance on the outside of the tire.  It's all a balancing game.  Check out the thread called "Show your wheels"...it should give you several examples of what can and can't be done.

 

Hope this helps.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

225/55-15 if you can find some will fit your fender well and keep your speedo accurate. 205/60's are a standard "Plus 1" size and will maintain the speedo accuracy. If you want to fill the wheel well go for the 225's. If he is willing to fit the tires for you try a 235/50-15. It will be a very tight fit with your fender wells and suspension and may not work.

With the 0 offset the issue is going to be the edges of the fenders, not the suspension if you install coil overs. I'm running a 0 offset wheel on my 280 and the 225/50's sometimes touch the inner fender lip on a hard bump.

Edited by Phantom
Link to comment
Share on other sites

225/50-15s are a perfect performance size for a 15 x 8 wheel.  I ran that size for years on mu autocross and TT 240Z.  I've also run 225/50-14s on 14 x 7 wheels where the rules required a 14" wheel.  Those worked great also.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

225/50-15s are a perfect performance size for a 15 x 8 wheel.  I ran that size for years on mu autocross and TT 240Z.  I've also run 225/50-14s on 14 x 7 wheels where the rules required a 14" wheel.  Those worked great also.

Thanks John. Were you running coil overs when you had the 15x8's ?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

These are photos of my car the Enkie -92 are 15x7 -0 offset 225-50-15

The photos with the three piece BBS race wheels are 16x8 -0 offset 225-50-16

With the 16 the stock lower front valence came .030 from touching with the wheels turned. So, the the air dam was changed. The front fender lip was rolled. The rears were ground down to the spot welds. Tires have never touched. The suspension is a stock configuration.

post-3505-0-77997600-1408772660_thumb.jpg

post-3505-0-20201000-1408772680_thumb.jpg

post-3505-0-40584900-1408772816_thumb.jpg

post-3505-0-47415100-1408772988_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You may already own the 8" wheels, but if you don't, I can't imagine that you would have a big improvement in performance with a 8" wheel over a 7" wheel. If you can stick to a 7" wheel, all the uncertainty about fitting the car will just evaporate and you can bolt on and go. Versus having to worry about spacers, rolling and trimming fenders. The difference between 7s and 8s can be an awful lot of sugar for a dime. And 225s fit a 7" wheel like a glove.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You may already own the 8" wheels, but if you don't, I can't imagine that you would have a big improvement in performance with a 8" wheel over a 7" wheel. If you can stick to a 7" wheel, all the uncertainty about fitting the car will just evaporate and you can bolt on and go. Versus having to worry about spacers, rolling and trimming fenders. The difference between 7s and 8s can be an awful lot of sugar for a dime. And 225s fit a 7" wheel like a glove. However, if you push the top of the rear tire in with about 3-degrees of camber, the wider wheel will just fit. Take the camber out for street driving, and you will have trouble. I have a beautiful set of 15x7 RBs that I plan to take to Z Nationals to try to get rid of. Shipping would be less than the cost of buying a single wheel, but if it would help a brother out, I could ship you a wheel with 225/50/15 R1 on it to trial fit. I would just need it back by October so I can take the set to try to sell. A wheel and tire are pretty heavy-I bet it would be as much as $100 to ship. The tire is old, hard and dry and has no value other than for a fit check.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You may already own the 8" wheels, but if you don't, I can't imagine that you would have a big improvement in performance with a 8" wheel over a 7" wheel. If you can stick to a 7" wheel, all the uncertainty about fitting the car will just evaporate and you can bolt on and go. Versus having to worry about spacers, rolling and trimming fenders. The difference between 7s and 8s can be an awful lot of sugar for a dime. And 225s fit a 7" wheel like a glove. However, if you push the top of the rear tire in with about 3-degrees of camber, the wider wheel will just fit. Take the camber out for street driving, and you will have trouble. I have a beautiful set of 15x7 RBs that I plan to take to Z Nationals to try to get rid of. Shipping would be less than the cost of buying a single wheel, but if it would help a brother out, I could ship you a wheel with 225/50/15 R1 on it to trial fit. I would just need it back by October so I can take the set to try to sell. A wheel and tire are pretty heavy-I bet it would be as much as $100 to ship. The tire is old, hard and dry and has no value other than for a fit check.

Thanks for the offer. I do have the wheels already. From the sounds of the research I have done and people who have the R15 225 50's, they should work with my set up. Thanks for the input.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

15 x 8s pretty much require coil overs and for racing there is a noticeable difference in performance between a 7 and 8" wheel when running 225s. To get the most out of that wheel and tire combo you need to get 1/16" rear toe in and at least 1.5 degrees of negative camber in the rear suspension. It's all about the back of the car with 15 x 8s.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

15 x 8s pretty much require coil overs and for racing there is a noticeable difference in performance between a 7 and 8" wheel when tunning 225s. To get the most out of that wheel and tire combo you need to get 1/16" rear toe in and at least 1.5 degrees of negative camber in the rear suspension. It's all about the back of the car with 15 x 8s.

Very good to know. Thanks!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.


×
×
  • Create New...