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Tire recommendations?


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Hi all:

 

I got some factory 14"x6" 6 spoke wheels (big weight savings) to run on the street. Tell me what tires work - I want a sticky tire for my "SleeperZ" just in case a riceboy thinks he's fast. wink.gif I am thinking the widest I can get on this rim is the 215/60/14, but I should be able to tolerate a taller tire, as I will be putting in a 3.90 diff soon.

 

TIA

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205 might be all you wanna run on 6" wheels.

 

Unfortunately for a lot of us, the current trend towards too-tall wheels and tires (in my opinion, needed only to compensate for the visual bulk of the current crop of too-big cars. Supposed performance benefit from taller wheels is questionable at best) means very little is available in the way of high performance tires for <16" wheels. Tire Rack lists exactly one (1) tire from a search done in the Ultra High Performance and Max Performance categories for a 205/60-15 tire (zero tires shown for 215/60-14). Five (5) 225/50-15s are listed in these categories, and ten (10) 225/45-16s.

 

No signs of this ridiculous trend abating (sigh).

 

Dan Baldwin

'71 240Z 3.1

COMSCC #7 SPB

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Guest Rick Johnson

After debating tire sizes for weeks I finally was given an excellent idea by Mark Jones at Datsun Alley. Go to a DOT racing tire.

 

They have a fantastic selection of 14 15 and 16 inch racing treaded tires. I choose the Toyo RA1 treaded tires. They cost about 150 each. They stick beyond any tires I have experienced in the past. Hoosier also makes such tires. Sure they wear out a bit faster but hey, lets have fun today!! Hope this helps.

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Some DOT race tires are more street-worthy than others. Toyo Proxes RA1s and Yokohama A032Rs in particular. I've also heard of folks running Kumhos on the street. Hoosiers, however, are definitely track-only. Too fragile for the street (a piece of broken glass = puncture), and probably don't grip as well as good high-performance street tires until warmed up. I have a set I use when I go to the track, but don't use them on the street.

 

Dan Baldwin

'71 240Z 3.1

COMSCC #7 SPB

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  • 1 year later...

No $$ right now to upgrade to 17" rims & tires, I am stuck with 14x6's . I did a search too and this is all I could find

 

185/55/14 kumho 712's this I think would look too small

 

195/55/14 Toyo Proxes T1-S bare minimum

"" Dunlop 8000

 

195/60/14 Yoko 520

 

225/55/14 Toyo RA-1

 

I am worried that I won't be able to get enough milage out of the RA-1. If I do a 4 hour trip will I have any tires left ??

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There is not much available in the 215/60/14, but that is the size I am using. I went with that because BFG makes a drag radial in that size, and I've put some miles on them now. It is much too squirrelly for a daily driver, and curves are strange - feels like you are driving a truck (albeit a quick one) with a load of rocks in the back. They sure do grip though, nothing will take you out of the hole, at least to 60' rockon.gif

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I agree with Dan on the Toyos. They would have been my choice if my car was not so oriented towards drag racing. The heavy GNs commonly get 7,000 miles on the Nittos. Clint, I am not sure on the mileage of the Toyos, but Eddie Bello drove his RA1-shod 911 Turbo from NYC to West Palm Beach, ran 9s @ 150+ and drove home (2600 mile roundtrip) :D . The same tire will pull massive Gs on the road course. You can get 205/55-14 and 225/50-14 RA1s but they are extremely short.

 

Anyone caught in the rain with BFG DRs is at great risk!.

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