I have a 77 280Z that has the Z wheels on it & 190/70/R14 on it. I am looking to go from the 14" wheels & tires to 16" wheels & tires. I need 4 new tires an I was wanting to know what are some wheels that will work on this car an what are some to stay away from? An what are the tallest & widest tires I can go with minus adding fender flares to it? What are some good tires that would be good for year round everyday driving?

Some of the most common, modern wheels I see used are Rota, Konig, and of course Panasports. Considering you are using it for everyday driving are you looking for looks/style over performance? You can get a good idea by going to different wheels sites and looking for ones that fit your Z. The main thing to watch out for is offset. Technically many wheels "can" fit your car, but you will have to use spacers which I've heard are a bad idea but I'm no expert. Anyhow hope that helps a little!

In general 15x7 or 16x7" rims at +0 offset work well. Section widths in the range of 205 to 225 are popular. Section width and profile ratio (as well as diameter rim) will determine the tire OD.

Places like Tirerack list tire specifications on many popular tires. They are a good tool to determine what size changes do to OD and width.

Most Z car wheels sold today are the typical 8 spoke deign. VTO is one of the few that offer throwback designs cued on the American Racing Libre and LeMans 4 spoke designs. These are available in a 15x7 +0 offset, but not in a 16" wheel.

I'm still running the 195/70R14 on my '77 280z.

1. For daily driving, would a R15 or R16 have better or worse preformance/comfort/ease of steering?

2. Would upgrading to larger tires have a cost or tire selection advantage over the R14?

Thanks.

For speedometer, these sizes are pretty equivalent:

Original Tires:

195/70 R14 55 mph ---- 15 different tires of this size available at tirerack.com

205/60 R15 55.14 = 55 ---- 48

205/55 R16 54.71 = 55 ---- 163

205/50 R17 55.29 = 55 ---- 85

For selection, looks like the 16" is a good choice. Price increases with tire size.

I'm still running the 195/70R14 on my '77 280z.

1. For daily driving, would a R15 or R16 have better or worse preformance/comfort/ease of steering?

Performance will depend more on the make and model of tire, not size. 15" will have a comfort advantage over 16". Ease of steering is more dependent on the tire width and carcass stiffness, not the diameter.

2. Would upgrading to larger tires have a cost or tire selection advantage over the R14?

Not cost advantage, but definitely a selection advantage.

Performance will depend more on the make and model of tire, not size. 15" will have a comfort advantage over 16". Ease of steering is more dependent on the tire width and carcass stiffness, not the diameter.

Not cost advantage, but definitely a selection advantage.

For speedometer, these sizes are pretty equivalent:

Original Tires:

195/70 R14 55 mph ---- 15 different tires of this size available at tirerack.com

205/60 R15 55.14 = 55 ---- 48

205/55 R16 54.71 = 55 ---- 163

205/50 R17 55.29 = 55 ---- 85

Hi Arne,

I'm leaning toward the 16" wheels because there are over 3 times as many tires offered in that size when compared to 15".

Is there really a noticeable difference between a "60 R15" and "55 R16"?

The Z's really look good with 225, but the guys I've talked to running 225 had a little rubbing and steering was more difficult at very low speeds.

Thanks,

Jim

P.S. What are you running on your car?

Edited October 9, 201113 yr by jkeese01