Petition for 14" Performance Tires

[Cannonball89]

I am making this post to try to get a whole bunch of you guys to comment and hopefully get this thread big enough to convince more tire companies to make performance tires in 14" sizes.

 

I am frustrated with the limited number of options out there for stock 14" wheels. I would be fine with buying some 16" or 17" wheels to open up my options, but my list of grievances are as follows:

 

1. Weight, bigger wheels weigh more. A lot more in some cases. Not only is that weight unsprung, but it is rotational. The bane of performance.

2. More expensive tires, almost double the price for a 17" performance tire vs. a 14". Not to mention the cost of the big wheels themselves.

3. In my opinion, big wheels look funny on cars, especially small cars like S30's. It just makes them look like Hot-Wheels to me. (sorry if that offends you).

4. Low profile tires are not an absolute must for good handling. They certainly are not ideal for a street car on rough roads, and even at the track, you can tune cars to do quite well with flimsy sidewall tire (look at NASCAR stock cars, for example).

 

I know that Nitto, Toyo, BFGoodrich, and some other companies still make them, but the list is dwindling. For example, Nitto just recently stopped making the 555R in 14", leaving the NT01 as their only option. So If you share my views please comment below, maybe we can convince some tire companies that the 14" market is not dead.

[rejracer]

I agree with all 4 points! I am running a 14" wheel now, and don't want a larger wheel. It's just a matter of time though. I would add that a low profile tire on rough roads is more unpredictable than a higher profile tire. I will need to section my struts and raise the diff to offset the effects of the larger wheeltire package.

[Globerunner513]

I ran some victoracers before, and just finished a set of falkens. Both were good tires. I would buy them again if I were looking for 14's again.

Edited February 18, 2012 by Globerunner513

[Michael]

It's going to be a tough sell, considering that even economy cars in the current market are leaving the factory floor with 15" wheels. About the only market for 14" wheels is muscle-car restorations - and those probably are more for appearance than for handling prowess.

 

I recently had a similar problem with my 1991 Mazda Miata, which is still on its stock 14" aluminum wheels. Its factory tire size is 185-60R14, which is becoming quite rare. As with S30 Zs, most NA Miata owners are "upgrading" their wheels to larger size... and this is on a car with maybe 90 hp to the rear wheels! My solution was to "downgrade" to 185-55R14 tires (Yokohama S-drive), which are somewhat smaller diameter and therefore throw off the speedometer, but have excellent grip. The lighter weight of the smaller tire carcass is also a bonus.

 

On a brighter note, 15" wheel diameter is very popular for drag racing. So just a 1" increase greatly opens up the tire selection.

[Tony D]

"In the USA"...

 

Japan has a shocking plethora of 14" tyres available. But none hold that DOT certification, only JIS. The slicks available there in 13 & 14" boggle the mind!

[Nizm0Zed]

"In the USA"...

 

Japan has a shocking plethora of 14" tyres available. But none hold that DOT certification, only JIS. The slicks available there in 13 & 14" boggle the mind!

 

 

So, reading between the lines, there is your answer.

Import a set of tyres from Japan (or perhaps another more local market to you? Cuba? Mexico? Brazil? dont know the logistics of that)

From there, you can mount them to a nice light weight set of rims for track days and off street racing events.

On the street you shouldnt require massive performance from your tyres unless your breaking several road laws in the process, and none of us ever do that....

I think personally if you want to keep that type of tyre on the street, you'll need to upgrade to a 15" rim, which doesnt look stupid and opens your tyre choices a lot.

Move with the times, adapt or die out.

Unfortunately manufacturers allways move with the times, and the 14" tyres are a dying thing.

You'll still be able to get them, just not in the selection you once did.

Its a similar story here in Oz too. Everyone is going for bigger rims.

[Cannonball89]

Hmm I never thought about importing from japan... something to look into.

 

As far as 15" wheels, im afraid that in the future 15" wheels will be the new 14", getting phased out as even economy cars today come standard with 16" or bigger.

 

As long as cars keep getting heavier, wheels will keep getting larger to house the huge brakes they "need".

 

I just think that the world would be a better place with small wheels. But my utopian vision of the automotive world is far from the current reality

[Michael]

I'm all in favor of lightweight 2-seater sports cars rolling on 14" or even 13" wheels... something like my 1991 Mazda, only even lighter due to use of modern materials and chassis engineering. Say 120 hp from a 1.6L 4-cylinder (perhaps horizontally-opposed) in a 1800-lb car... decent performance and good fuel economy simultaneously. I don't believe that crash standards would be a problem, if bumpers are properly integrated into the chassis and the proper analysis (validated by testing) is done on crumple-zones and the like. The problem is market acceptance. People who crave this type of car tend to be ones who buy >20-year-old cars, not the latest models.