TIRE & WHEEL COMBOS THAT WORK

We've decided to create a sticky for those that have ventured beyond the stock wheel & tire setup and put custom shoes on.  

Please only post to this if you've done so and the setup appears to function with minimal interference or rubbing.  

If you are experiencing some minor rubbing or interferences, OR have any other noteworthy comments about your install... please be sure to comment as such.  So future buyers can make an informed decision.

Any pictures would be great as well!

TIA!!
Josh
Admin

Here's my setup.  I was not experiencing any rubbing (front or rear ) with this and OLD stock springs.  

Wheels:  Konig Rewinds - 16 x 7 - 4 x 4.5" ( 114.30mm ) Bolt pattern - ZERO OFFSET

Tires:  Nitto NexGen 205/50/R16 ( 23.5" OD )

** Please note the Konigs require the front hub to be turned down approx 1/4" for the center caps to work on the front. **

I have since lowered the car in the front 2" and did the front disc conversion but have not had it back on the road yet to report any changes -- I will soon -- expect to have it in driving condition within 2 weeks.


BEFORE I LOWERED





AFTER I LOWERED 2"

I have a set of Appliance 14x7 with 1/2" positive offset (wheel bolt flange away from car centerline). The tires mounted are 205 75R14. Tire is 26.1 OD. No rubbing even at full lock. Previous owner may have 'adjusted' the bodywork, slightly, though.

The manual states the standard tire was a 6.00-13 and the rim is 4.5" wide. Optional tires are 7.00-13 and 6.00-15. The original rim I have is 13" With my crude tools and in the garage, I measured the offset at 2" positive! Maybe it is 1.75, but whatever, it is a lot. I measured this with the mounted tire: a 7.00-13. I cannot mount the wheel on the front currently (disc brakes), but it has been used previously on the car. So if you start playing with the configurator here:

http://tiresize.com/wheel-offset-calculator/

The 7.00-13 tire is 'equivalent' to a 185 82R13 (if I read this correctly). The Saab rims (-87) are 15x5.5" with 4 on 4.5" but with a 38mm (1.5" offset) If you put the original tire in the configurator and put the Saab rim and a 195 65R15 it appears to be extremely close to the 7.00-13 on a 4.5" rim with 2" offset.

I just ordered some Koenig rewind 0 offset 15x7 rims but am wondering if a bit more offset would be beneficial. Trying to decide on tires for these rims.

Adding more info, here. Looking at getting 205-65R15 for the Koenigs.

On the speedometer error:
I have a Muncie 4sp in my car. It has an 8T speedometer drive gear as did the OEM T-10. Available Pencil (driven) gears are 17-22T. The manual shows the OEM setup with 3.36:1 final drive, 6.00x13 or 7.00x13 tires calls for a 22T pencil gear and the 6.00x15 set calls for 21T.

Calculating this out for new tires: With: 8T driven,  3.36 final drive and the 205-65s (815 rev/mile) I get 8*3.36*815/1001 = 21.8T which rounds up to 22T with 1% error (low speedo reading), so this is almost perfect. Compared to the 205-60s which comes to 22.6T which is 2.7% error (high speedo reading). I think I'll be happy with the 205-65/15s.

Keith asked about speedometer gears in the other thread. These appear to be identical between the Automatic and the Saginaw 3sp but different from the BW 4sp at least according to the manual part numbers. The Auto with a 3:36 rear end and 13" rims has a  7 tooth drive and a 19T pencil gear. The auto pencil gear part numbers: 18T part number is 1164846, the 19T part number is 1164713 and the 20T is 1349483. I'd use this calculator and figure out what the error should be and get that gear. If the speedo is still off, you can get these calibrated.

Some part number and info: Chevelle Speedometers

A search on the web suggests that these are interchangeable as long as the diameter of the drive gear (7T worm) is the same as the BW but it is not entirely clear. I do not have an auto and cannot measure it to see, but there appear to be 2 different diameters of the drive gear for the Muncies/BWs. My guess is that it will interchange ans a plastic pencil gear is pretty cheap to try. The GM Parts wiki just gives part numbers, but no clear info in interchangeability of these.

Keith

Just mounted the 215-65R15s on the Koenigs last night. I had a slight rub in the rear on the driver side and was able to clear it with a bit of file work on the inside fender lip.

I have the disc conversion up front and had to keep my 5mm spacers for now. I was hoping I could get rid of these, but the CPP calipers touch the inner diameter of the wheel when bolted down. With my 14s, i made contact on the outer diameter of the caliper, but now it is the inner. Unclear why Koenig makes this so tight. I bought the '240 Z kit' with lug nuts (M14x1.25) and valve stems and had to buy a set of 7/16-20 lug nuts from Amazon. I do not know how much interference there is and if I can possibly grind the ear a bit on the caliper, but for now, the spacers are required to drive it.

Keith

keithg wrote:Just mounted the 215-65R15s on the Koenigs last night. I had a slight rub in the rear on the driver side and was able to clear it with a bit of file work on the inside fender lip.

I have the disc conversion up front and had to keep my 5mm spacers for now. I was hoping I could get rid of these, but the CPP calipers touch the inner diameter of the wheel when bolted down. With my 14s, i made contact on the outer diameter of the caliper, but now it is the inner. Unclear why Koenig makes this so tight. I bought the '240 Z kit' with lug nuts (M14x1.25) and valve stems and had to buy a set of 7/16-20 lug nuts from Amazon. I do not know how much interference there is and if I can possibly grind the ear a bit on the caliper, but for now, the spacers are required to drive it.

Keith

did you convert to power? what kit did you use?

100 spokes wire wheels.
Didnt want to fuc@ around with bolt pattern.
175/70/14 white wall hankook on it

Hell yeah!! I like the look!! I really dig the color of your car too BTW -- can you get us a pic in the sun??

A setup I did on my 63 Skylark involved 15" steel wheels from a 1973 Triumph TR6. The triumph uses the same bolt pattern and offset as the Skylarks 13" wheels. The wheels are also 5.5" wide (same as the skylarks) so they will not hit the front suspension when you go to turn the wheel. If you have all drums then the only modification needed are 4 centering rings. The skylarks stock wheel center bore is ~2 5/8" while the Triumph is ~2 3/4". I found a set of 4 poly-carbonate centering rings on eBay that worked ID=65.1mm & OD=69.85mm. These rims also work with the front disk brake setup that uses the Scarbird brackets (there is another discussion for it). The disks clear the rims but I needed to add a 1/2 inch wheel spacer to clear the brake caliper. The wheel spacer had its own centering lip so I needed 2 centering rings for the front. Not a bad deal since they come in packs of 4 so now I have 2 extra centering rings for the back and 2 extra for the front if I ever need it. Tires are Cooper Trendsetters 205/70/R15 White Walls. I had to roll out the front fenders a little bit since it would hit when the suspension compresses while making a turn or turning while going up a curb/driveway. Rolled fenders are barely noticeable and I was able to roll the trim from the wheel well to keep it on the car. The rear wheels fit no problem, even when the trunk was loaded with 300 lbs of sandbags going over bumps. Put a set of 15" hubcaps from a 70 LeSabre. Setup looks amazing, wheel wells look properly filled out and the car has a proper stance.

Update on the 215-65R15s on the Koenig Rewinds. I got them from a Datsun Z web page: The Z store Link
The metric lug nuts in the kit are not useful, but these are the same rims others have used. A set of 7/16-20 lug nuts are easy to come by on Amazon or Summit.

I still can get a slight rub on the LR side on the outside of the tire. Very slight. A bit more file work on the rear fender lip and it will be OK. These rims are not a 'bolt on'. The fronts seem to be OK. Every so often at a full lock, I used get a rub (it deformed the chrome lip a bit) with the spacers I was running. I had spacers to keep the CPP calipers from hitting the wheel hub. To remove the spacers, I had to file a chamfer on the caliper ears right where the wheel hub hits. I am now running without spacers and no interference as far as I can tell. This car is so old and so oddball, that I have to accept that there are no 'bolt-ons' for it.

Oh, yes, without the spacers, I can no longer fit the plastic trim caps that came with the wheels. I took a file to clip fingers on the caps to shorten them overall and can get the caps installed and secure. It would be better to put the hub back in the lathe and remove just a tiny bit of steel so the cap can fully seat on the wheel and not touch the hub.

Keith

don't know if these will count since I went 5 lug but using 205-65r15 on cragar chrome baby moon 15x 7 4.125 back space. back seems ok wagon sitting a bit high since no weight yet. Should settle a bit. don't want it to low since I'm running 70 side pipes.


front end isn't on yet so not sure of that.

I'm looking for wheels for my car, ideally American racing in 15". In France it's complicated to make them arrive and expensive so I would not be mistaken in the commanders. Please help

like the sheerider wheels
https://skylark616263.forumotion.com/t242-new-project-1963-skylark

see if you can find some like this for a Datsun/Nissan 240/260Z from the early 70s. I was able to get a package deal for one of these Z cars and got 4 wheels for a good price.
This is a sample web page for here in the US:
The Z store Wheels

Maybe you can find something in Europe or maybe find a Datsun group in Fr and coordinate to get some. The key is '0' offset and 7" wide and 4 lugs on a 4.5" (114.3mm) bolt circle.

Keith

Thanks Keith
I will search with this information, with Japanese cars is mainly japan racing not américain racing.
but I'm going to get.

Sorry i use a translator

I found a set of Appliance rims locally, paid $100 for them with good tires on them(guy didn't know what he had, I wasn't going to be the one to let him know). I pushed them out with a 1" spacers for a better looking(imo) stance, kept 4 lug. They do scrub on the rear, but I just go slow over speed humps and it doesn't damage the tire.... I really love the look of the bigger rims on these cars, I may do that in the future, I dunno. Either way, $100 well spent

What tire size ?
Please
I am from France and I do not know what to do this topic helps me to decide. (expensive delivery)

These are 13's. I love the look of the big wheels, but am also a purist when it comes to old cars

I just posted a picture in the 'for sale' of some 14x7 with 0 offset. They are not pretty but will work with the disc brake 'kit' with the same interference piece I had on my 15" wheels. The calipers I have (CPP Big Bore) rubbed on the base where the wheel hits the disc hat. The back of the caliper clears the ID of the wheel. They are free to any new home if the new owner wants to pick them up in Chicago.