SiL-LadY Posted July 17, 2005 Share Posted July 17, 2005 Ok guys... im in need of help. I've searched the forums... and didnt come up with a solid answer. So lets get everyone enlightened about wheels... and tires. With a stock set up... i've heard that 17x7 is the biggest and widest you can go with a wheel. True? or False? With coilovers alone... what is the widest and biggest wheel you can fit? With Coilovers and flares... what is the widest and biggest wheel you can fit? How wide and big can you go with your Z? And what did you have to do to get that wide? I am pretty much interested in the 2nd question... coilovers and flare set up. I am shopping for wheels..and would like to know up to what diameter Zs can handle and up to how wide (not that i am going wide and big.. but i would like to have the knowledge) are 16s better? or are 15s better? Im in such a dilema... need help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blueovalz Posted July 18, 2005 Share Posted July 18, 2005 With a stock set up... i've heard that 17x7 is the biggest and widest you can go with a wheel. True? or False?? False, I know you can go at least one inch wider. With coilovers alone... what is the widest and biggest wheel you can fit? Maybe 8.5" With Coilovers and flares... what is the widest and biggest wheel you can fit? Depends on how wide the flares are. How wide and big can you go with your Z? And what did you have to do to get that wide? I made flares, and used a coil-over set-up. 17 X 12 in back (when I raced but now its the same as the front at 17 X 11) and 17X 11 in front. There should be tons of info in the archives, but I must admit, last week I seached for a string that never displayed the intended target, even after using the same exact title (and key words as well) the string used (I found it, but not by using the search). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiL-LadY Posted July 18, 2005 Author Share Posted July 18, 2005 So your running 11s based on your fenders? I was thinking of buying the ZG flares for MSA. How wide can i go with those flares? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiL-LadY Posted July 18, 2005 Author Share Posted July 18, 2005 how do you like the 17s? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ON3GO Posted July 18, 2005 Share Posted July 18, 2005 with coilovers you can fit a 10 inch wheel under there with correct and good offset/backspacing. i have 15x8's on my blue Z with no coilovers. on my green Z i have just ZG flares and run 17x11 rear and 17x9.5 front. theres flares are very small. mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiL-LadY Posted July 18, 2005 Author Share Posted July 18, 2005 WOW! 11s in the back?! so.. so far... with coilovers and ZG flares... 11s seems to be the winner. Any problems with that set up for you? BTW... the hulk... looks mean! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ON3GO Posted July 18, 2005 Share Posted July 18, 2005 well i dunno as i havent driven it yet in like 2 years. but my buddie who has the car has driven it and theres no problems at all. and thanks... its gonna look even meaner soon. mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trecani Posted July 18, 2005 Share Posted July 18, 2005 Man, any vehicle you have, you can go as wide as you wan't, but let's be realistic... Wheels cost a lot of money, so do flares, wide tires are extremely expensive as well, wide wheels on a street car isn't the best idea, why, because if the front is a smaller wheel, then tire rotations are going to cost you 8 whells instead of 4. Buy everything else first, then decide. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auxilary Posted July 18, 2005 Share Posted July 18, 2005 do you need 17s? the only reason you'd NEED 17s are: 1. extremely huge brakes, like cobra disk conversion (13.2" rotors, i think?) 2. looks (doesn't justify needs) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonycharger72 Posted July 18, 2005 Share Posted July 18, 2005 With a stock set up... i've heard that 17x7 is the biggest and widest you can go with a wheel. True? or False?? False, I know you can go at least one inch wider. I dont know about this one............atleast at the front of a stock Zed, the rears are a different story, I measured how much space i had, i have a stock 260z, stock suspension spring diameter, stock ride height, and stock 260z 14 by 5.5" rims with 195/70-14tyres, Measuring from the rims (not the tyres) i figured i had around 15mm's from inside of the wheel to the spring perch & about 40mm from the outside of the wheel to the guard, and the wheel being 5.5" is approx 165mm, That means there is about 220mm approx of space at the front from the spring perch to the guard, Now a 8" rim (=9") which is 225mm, which means that you just run out of space, And when i spoke to Simmons & ROH they said that i should leave about 5-10mm worth of clearance on the inside between the spring perch and the wheel, just so when you get the wheels at full lock, nothing rubs, that would mean you would need really about 230-235mm worth of clearance for the 8" rims to fit, and as far as my measurements go, at the front you only have 220mm approx clearance, So, there is no way in hell could you possibly fit 8" rims at the front on a stock Zed without hitting the spring perchs or hitting the guards, The rears are a different story however, an 8" rim with 225 tyres and about a 10+ offset (approx 5" backspacing) should easily fit a stock Zed, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikelly Posted July 18, 2005 Share Posted July 18, 2005 Not true at all... Go here: http://photos.yahoo.com/dat74z and check in the New Zcar Project folder. Those 2002 Mustang GT wheels are 8.5 wide 17s. the rear tires are 255-40-17s and the fronts are 245-45-17s. If you look in the other folder with the control arms as the first pic, you can see the cobra R 10.5 inch wheels mounted up on another Z and I had to space them OUT to fit the fender flare... I could easily run those 10.5 inch wheels on the stock bodied Z I have. Just be aware that larger tire/ wheel combos are HEAVY and ROB power. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonycharger72 Posted July 18, 2005 Share Posted July 18, 2005 Mikelly, i took my front wheels off my Zed and jacked up the car on the engine crossmember, this brings the whole strut assembly inwards, and increases the distance from the spring perch to the guard, when i measured the distance from the spring perch to the guard lip it was approx 240mm, thats about 9.4" approx, so an 8.5" rim, BUT, there is not this much room if the car was sitting back on the ground and the strut was in its original position, As far as i can see with the measurements ive taken, and just about every single person i have badgered about fitting 8" rims, and ive annoyed alot of folks, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE to fit 8" rims on the front of a stock suspension/non-flared guard Zed, This is what JTR say, this is what Zhop Melbourne Say, this is what ROH say, this is what Simmons say, this is what a bunch of folks on hybridzs have said, this is what a bunch of folks on Classiczcars have said, this is what my measurements have told me, The rears are different, can fit bigger than 8" rims, but i have been told time and time again that there is just no way in hell you can fit an 8" rim on a stock suspension/non-flared 1970-78 Zed, On a stock bodied, without smaller od coilovers, unlike this zed, http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/dat74z/detail?.dir=fb30&.dnm=e7ae.jpg&.src=ph im certain you cant fit 8", Someone please correct if im wrong.......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blueovalz Posted July 18, 2005 Share Posted July 18, 2005 The only reason I went to a 17" wheel was due to the width I needed to fill the flares (I used to have 16" racing wheels and tires under them). The DOT 16" tires, in the width I wanted, where not available in a size and aspect ratio I needed, so I went to a 17" set-up to get what I wanted. But, as Mike and Aux said, they are heavy (mine are almost 60lbs per corner) and IMHO, the 17" wheels are just at the limit in regards to aesthetic appeal. Any bigger and I feel they would look "odd." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JAMIE T Posted July 18, 2005 Share Posted July 18, 2005 I have 18x 9.5 with 265/35/18 rubber on the FRONT of my 240Z with coilovers and ZG's One the rear rides 18x9.5's with 275/35/18 drag radial rubber. I also have 13" brakes and 600 hp rb26 to spin those honkers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
v8dats Posted July 18, 2005 Share Posted July 18, 2005 hey jamie i know i asked ya to post pics of your car/wheels als t year and u did(thanky) is there any way u can repost? i tried searchin but couldnt find thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikelly Posted July 18, 2005 Share Posted July 18, 2005 Tony, I'm tellin' you what I'm tellin' you because I've had 17 Zcars in the last 18 years. I'ive had 8 inch wide rims on the front of Zs previously with STOCK configuration suspension, no coil overs... Matter of fact the Pics of the white Zcar when it was nominated Zcar of the year back in January 2001 had MSA springs on factory purches, and the wheels were 15X8 centerlines. I believe the backspacing was 4.5 inches, but it has been a while... But I know for a FACT that those wheels were 8 inches wide and I was running 225-50-15s. I used NO flares on the front of the car and a member here bought the wheels from me and has them on his car. Don't know what else to tell you, but go out to the archives at Zcar.com. If BFG Comp Tas fit under it in those sizes, I'm sure you could find a 17 in similar diameter and width. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiL-LadY Posted July 19, 2005 Author Share Posted July 19, 2005 Thanks for the posts by the way guys! But wow... you guys have done some crazy mods to make some crazy wheels fit. Trecani: I agree... so i guess that answers this post... lol... but lets get numbers. auxilary: I totally agree... i think i did decided today that i am going with 16s... which is a good size i believe. I can still fit some good brakes under there right? tonycharger72 & Mikelly: Thanks for the inputs... i guess opinions are out there... 7s or 8.5s with stock set up. I think it would be nice to know how wide a Z lover can go with their stock set up. Hope an answer is settled soon JAMIE T: WOW! CRAZY SET UP! I guess ive been out of the loop lately... when i was first part of this forum.. i could count rbs in Zs with one hand... how many are out there in the States now? WOW! Thanks again for all the posts... all feedbacks are appreciated. So 16s are the answer of size... but now lets go with width. Help me out here guys... 16x9.5 in fron 16x10s in rear... good choice? Purpose of the car... daily driven... nice to look at... can kick *** here and there type of car. I highly doubt it will ever see track.. since she is more show... but she will be putting down HP... range of 400 is goal. SO question is. How wide with 16s? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonycharger72 Posted July 19, 2005 Share Posted July 19, 2005 Mike, Did anything rub mate, like at full-lock, when you had 8" rims with stock guards and suspension? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikelly Posted July 19, 2005 Share Posted July 19, 2005 Tony, The car I had them on was a 74 260Z. We had NO rub issues and this car was used to AutoX with. The springs at the time were the MSA springs, and I was using the AZC Koni oil filled adjustable shocks. I had front adjustable control arms and rear bushings. We also had Sub-frame connectors installed and a cage. The rears had 265-50-15s on them and obviously had no issues since the car was flared in the rear, but still on stock purches. The front wheel/ tire combo had zero interferance issues and was stock configuration for the strut purch. This has been a while since even seeing pics of that car setup like that, because a harddrive failure, but the front tires may have gone out to the edge of the fender lip. Age is taking its toll, but I do know we had no rubbing of sheet metal and lock to lock was no issue. I drove this car with that combo for at least two years. Members here met me for the first time with that car on those wheels. After I took the car off the road to address a fuel cell issue, I swapped to coil overs and big brakes as seen in those pics and the link you posted. The wheels were long gone by that point, since I upgraded to fivelug hubs as seen in the pic. Funny side note to all this was that I ordered those wheels for the car in 1997. Got them special ordered through Summit Racing. Two years later I wanted to upgrade to Centerline AZTECs and Centerline said NO. No more 8 inch wide wheels on a four bolt pattern, not even for custom orders. So I kept those wheels while I contemplated a 5 lug upgrade! I eventually took the car off the road and sold the wheels to a member here. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikelly Posted July 19, 2005 Share Posted July 19, 2005 http://www.zcar.com/month/2001/01/ There is the pic of the car I reference above... Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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