My old bolt vs the eBay 210/310 bolt.

Problem solved.

I am looking at getting some custom wheels made and was looking at 15x6.5 in the front and 15x8.5 in the back.

Does anyone have any experience with that width in the back?

Are 15” wheels hard to get good tires for?

Is that too narrow in the front?

 

I’ve read a bunch of threads on these issues on this forum as well as others and there’s too much noise to draw a consensus. Hayashi Racing told me to get 15x7.5 with +6 offset all the way around. I think 16” wheels look wrong, but I also want to be able to get tires.

Also, I have the eibach springs and Tokico Illuminas to take into account.

 

If I remember correctly, it was my understanding that the Z doesn't benefit from an out of square tire setup. Maybe some of the track or autoX guys can chime in. Also if you run the same size front and rear you can rotate them and the full mileage warranty will apply

Kind of an odd set of sizes, and I can't imagine why you'd get wheels 2" narrower in the front than the back. I'd get something in 15x7 or 15x8 all around and be done with it. Keep it simple. It's not like a Porsche where there's a reason to have wider tires in the back than the front.

Agreed with the above.

Edited August 21, 20186 yr by LeonV

Last time I did this was a corvair, which has the same kind of needs of maximum contact patch in the back and narrower front tires to lighten steering weight. I’ve been told that works in general for cars that don’t have power steering.

So if I go square I would go with 15x7s +0 all around with 205/60-15s, right?

  On 8/21/2018 at 11:03 PM, rturbo 930 said:

It's not like there's a reason to have wider tires in the back than the front.

Other than it looks really really cool.

I've been considering doing something like this, and it ain't for performance.   

  On 8/22/2018 at 12:33 AM, Matthew Abate said:

Last time I did this was a corvair, which has the same kind of needs of maximum contact patch in the back and narrower front tires to lighten steering weight. I’ve been told that works in general for cars that don’t have power steering.

So if I go square I would go with 15x7s +0 all around with 205/60-15s, right?

If you go square, you will run the same sized rim and tire on all four corners. Which, makes the most sense if there is no performance advantage

I have 205's on all four corners on mine and I've exceeded their grip a few times in the typical country road corner.  It's the most neutral car I've ever exceeded tire traction in.  Just four wheels slip/sliding sideways until the grip comes back.  On all four at the same time.  I started abusing tires in old American muscle cars where you either get the front end pushing towards the ditch or the back end trying to get past the front.  I wouldn't' mess the Z car's setup too much, it can't get much more balanced.

Interesting. I didn’t know that.

I’m seeing that 8” is too big for my damper/spring combo in the back. If I go square it’s probably got to be 7” so steering isn’t heavy but I’m maxing out my contact patches.

Makes finding wheels easier, I guess.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Classic Zcar Club mobile

 

Edited August 23, 20186 yr by Matthew Abate

  On 8/22/2018 at 2:25 AM, Patcon said:

same sized rim and tire on all four corners. Which, makes the most sense if there is no performance advantage

Except for the fact that really wide tires on the back looks really really cool.  

    OK.  I'll stop now.

  On 8/22/2018 at 1:16 PM, Captain Obvious said:

Except for the fact that really wide tires on the back looks really really cool.  
    OK.  I'll stop now.

Still not clear on that 8” wheel in the back question. Is that too wide for my setup? Can anyone say definitively? I’ve seen people say yes definitely and I’ve seen people say it’s no issue.