| Author |
Message |
Chris Scott (Jcscott)
New member
Username: Jcscott
Post Number: 6
Registered: 12-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, January 23, 2003 - 7:45 pm: | |
For those considering a switch to a 16"/larger wheel, I can say that they made a huge difference in the way that my car handles. Probably the biggest impact you can make in the performance of these cars. Sure it can be expensive, but put a set of 16" ferrari wheels with Michelin Pilot Sport or Brigestone Pole Position tires and you will be amazed. |
Steve Magnusson (91tr)
Intermediate Member
Username: 91tr
Post Number: 1341
Registered: 1-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, January 23, 2003 - 11:13 am: | |
Matthew F -- do a search on "308 QV wheels offset" (AND mode) or "67 hub diameter" (AND mode), and you should find all the information you asked about. |
Matthew F (Mateotnt)
New member
Username: Mateotnt
Post Number: 17
Registered: 7-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, January 23, 2003 - 10:35 am: | |
I have TRX tires on my 81 308, and confirm that they are unnecessarily expensive to replace.
If I decided to replace the wheels, does anyone know what the bolt pattern is? How about the stock widths and offsets?
Thanks in advance! |
Robert W. Garven Jr. (Robertgarven)
Junior Member
Username: Robertgarven
Post Number: 98
Registered: 2-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 14, 2003 - 3:20 pm: | |
Guys,
when I had 225 on my 16x7.5 HRE rims the tire when turned and went over a bump grapped the lip of the rim and pulled it down. I switched to 205 55 R16's and it is fine now. I got some 16" ferrari wheels being painted and i will probably stick to the same 205 frt and 225 back as was stock on these rims. look at my profile to see the rims in question
Rob |
Allen Cook (Alcook62)
Junior Member
Username: Alcook62
Post Number: 69
Registered: 3-2002
| | Posted on Friday, January 10, 2003 - 2:12 pm: | |
Hans - I'm running Michelin Pilot XGT V4 (P225 50 R16) on my GT4 with absolutely no problems. I have had these for about a year now and ran them hard a few times in the 5K miles I've put on it. |
Steve (Steve)
Member
Username: Steve
Post Number: 271
Registered: 2-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 08, 2003 - 7:05 pm: | |
I'm running 235-60-14 on mine . They are Firestone Firehawks and are only H rated but I'm a street driver and don't have any high speed cornering problems. I usually don't take it over 100mph so the H rating isn't a problem.If I don't get new rims after I wear these down I'm going to go to 245-60-14 Dunlops. FYI |
Hans E. Hansen (4re_gt4)
Member
Username: 4re_gt4
Post Number: 724
Registered: 4-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 08, 2003 - 4:23 pm: | |
That's surprising, as Rob Garven screwed up his front fenders with 225's.
My 205's rub when turned to extremes. |
'75 308 GT4 (Peter)
Intermediate Member
Username: Peter
Post Number: 2360
Registered: 12-2000
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 08, 2003 - 4:11 pm: | |
Dave B. in Pt. Townsend WA. has 225's on the front of his '75 GT4. True, there's not much room up front... |
Hans E. Hansen (4re_gt4)
Member
Username: 4re_gt4
Post Number: 723
Registered: 4-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 08, 2003 - 3:41 pm: | |
Dom: If I remember the photos correctly, you have the optional factory 14" rims. I recently 're-shod' my car with XWXs. Why? The XWX is just about the only tire available in 215/70R14, which is what I use on the back to add a little 'non-oversteer safety factor', as well as correct the speedo. The 205/70R14 is available from numerous suppliers.
Oh, BTW, anything bigger than 205 won't fit on the front of a 'GT4. |
Mike Procopio (Pupz308)
New member
Username: Pupz308
Post Number: 42
Registered: 10-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 08, 2003 - 3:24 pm: | |
Matt's got it right. The Michelin XWXs were OEM on these cars (my 78 308 GTS). 205/70-14". These are non-metric. The later non-QV cars were the metric rims which are even more difficult to find tires for.
I was reading somewhere about TRX and XWX. My understanding is that they're more of a class of technology and ideology used in the tire, and not just a brand name or product line name.
As I recall, There is a difference in the dimensions and the proporation of the dimensions between XWX and TRX in certain ways, most memorably in the how much the actual rubber of the tire came OUT and OVER the outer lip of the rim of the wheel. The rims themselves changed in this regard as well (the curvature and design of the lip on the outer edge of the rim).
Mike |
Matt Lemus (Mlemus)
Intermediate Member
Username: Mlemus
Post Number: 1311
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 08, 2003 - 1:04 pm: | |
No Problem with the highjack.
TRX (metric)+ Ferrari rim = $$$$$
XWX (non metric)+ Ferrari rim = $ |
Dom Vitarella (Dom)
New member
Username: Dom
Post Number: 28
Registered: 11-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 08, 2003 - 12:57 pm: | |
TRX... XWX Now it's really getting confusing. So, in theory, my 75 car should have XWX tires and is a non-metric rim? What about the wider star pattern rims?
I should be getting my car on Sat, so I guess I'll be able to see for sure what wheels/tires I've got on them.
I think I've been confusing XWX and TRX. It will be a nice surprise if I can indeed use the non-metric tires on my GT4.
Any other GT4 owners out there that want to chip in? Hans...
(Sorry for stealing your thread Matt).
Dom |
Paul (Pcelenta)
Member
Username: Pcelenta
Post Number: 256
Registered: 7-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 08, 2003 - 12:50 pm: | |
trx was used on from 80 to about 84 on 308's...QVs later came with 16 |
Paul (Pcelenta)
Member
Username: Pcelenta
Post Number: 255
Registered: 7-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 08, 2003 - 12:49 pm: | |
I think Dom is confusing the TRX tire which is completely different and can only be put on a metric rim. |
Matt Lemus (Mlemus)
Intermediate Member
Username: Mlemus
Post Number: 1310
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 08, 2003 - 12:37 pm: | |
I checked with the tire rack people and they said the the XWX is the tire name, similar to P-zero or gatorback's. They said that there are metric rims for the 308 but they are on Euro cars. He said if the manual states 205/70-14 then and tire in that size would fit. |
Dom Vitarella (Dom)
New member
Username: Dom
Post Number: 27
Registered: 11-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 08, 2003 - 12:29 pm: | |
I just checked the manual for the 308gt4. It states for tires:
Michelin 205/70 VR 14 XWX Tubeless and
Goodyear 205/70 VR 14 Grand Prix (Steel)
This is for the 6 1/2 inch rims. My car has the wider star type rims (7" I think?), but I can't find a spec for them.
Are the Goodyears a type of XWX tire?
Sorry for the dumb questions, but I'm no tire expert. I'll need to do something for my GT4 soon. I'll probably upgrade to 16", but it ain't cheap to do so. If I could find an alternative to $250 coker tires, I might put of the 16" wheels for a little bit.
Dom
|
Matt Lemus (Mlemus)
Intermediate Member
Username: Mlemus
Post Number: 1309
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 08, 2003 - 12:02 pm: | |
When I got the car, it came with non XWX tires and I have put about 10,000 miles on the car with some hard driving. The OM did not call for XWX tires. It stated just 205/70-14. |
Dom Vitarella (Dom)
New member
Username: Dom
Post Number: 26
Registered: 11-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 08, 2003 - 11:11 am: | |
Hmmm. Is it dangerous to put a non XWX tire on a XWX rim? If your rims are XWX, and you've been running non-XWX tires on them for a while it seems, you haven't appeared to have any trouble. Have you tracked your car? High speed corners?
Thanks,
Dom |
Matt Lemus (Mlemus)
Intermediate Member
Username: Mlemus
Post Number: 1308
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 08, 2003 - 10:35 am: | |
Actually a correction. I just looked at my spare and it is XWX. I am not a tire expert but the sticker on the car and in the book states the car came/comes with 205/70-14. I think there is some confusion about if the XWX are metric or not. the XWX on my spare says 205/70-14 |
Matt Lemus (Mlemus)
Intermediate Member
Username: Mlemus
Post Number: 1307
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 08, 2003 - 10:30 am: | |
Dom,
Some are and some are not. Mine are standard. |
Dom Vitarella (Dom)
New member
Username: Dom
Post Number: 25
Registered: 11-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 08, 2003 - 10:28 am: | |
Hey Matt,
This may be a dumb question. But I thought the 14" rims were XWX rims and could only use the XWX tires? How can you get away with using non XWX tires??
Thanks,
Dom |
Randy (Schatten)
Member
Username: Schatten
Post Number: 544
Registered: 4-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 07, 2003 - 10:30 pm: | |
Sumitomo HTR 200 ----> 380 A A
ack! that's a hard tire. and your sidewall is huge, so there will be plenty of area to flex.
tirerack has the HTR 200's for $40 bucks a piece, so if you do switch out to a different tire, this shouldn't have set you back much. but its difficult to fit that size: 205/70/14 on a performance car these days. It might just be a good excuse to get some nice Kinesis 17's, right? =D |
Matt Lemus (Mlemus)
Intermediate Member
Username: Mlemus
Post Number: 1288
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 07, 2003 - 9:11 pm: | |
Paul,
To change a flat, all I did was have some lift the car from the rear bumper and it was fine. |
Matt Lemus (Mlemus)
Intermediate Member
Username: Mlemus
Post Number: 1287
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 07, 2003 - 9:10 pm: | |
Paul,
all my tires, the 225 and 205 are HR rated. It's now very hard, and expensive to find VR rated 14 inch tires. |
Matt Lemus (Mlemus)
Intermediate Member
Username: Mlemus
Post Number: 1286
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 07, 2003 - 9:09 pm: | |
Mike,
I had sumitomo's on before HT4's. They wore quickly (about 10,000). Pressure was 36/36 and it was a pleasure to drive. I got different Sumitomo's this time (HT200)and I guess I should fiddle with the pressure. They were from a local store and I paid $55 per tire. I guess there is a positive note for having 14 inch rims. I wanted to change back to get the original look to the car. With the 225's it was lower and scrapped speedbumps all the time. Now it's no problem. It does ride better on the 205's on the Freeways without rain grooves but I will be going back to 225's as soon as these wear out. |
Paul (Pcelenta)
Member
Username: Pcelenta
Post Number: 253
Registered: 7-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 07, 2003 - 9:08 pm: | |
Matt, I made the same mistake on my 78 gts...though when I had the 225s on I couldn't get the factory jack under the car to change a flat...car handled much better with 225s
now Yoko has discontinued the oem spec?? hmmm? what will I do when these wear out? Cokers XWX repops @ $250 each?
Matt, were the 225 you had VR rated? mine weren't and that was why I changed back.... |
Mike Procopio (Pupz308)
New member
Username: Pupz308
Post Number: 39
Registered: 10-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 07, 2003 - 8:42 pm: | |
Matt,
I've got original OEM spec, 205/70-14 VRs, Yokohama 321As (now discontinued, per my knowledge). Sorry to hear that you're not pleased--I can confirm that these puppies do understeer; then again, our 308s are fundamentally understeering cars. With prudence, slightly reducing (be cautious here of course) the air pressure in the front tires can make a noticable difference in the understeer of the car... So, did you just buy a fresh set of 205/70s? What did you put on, and where did you find them?
Well, that was my question for a while. Since you've got direct experience, and clearly aren't happy with OEM spec vs. the 225/60s, maybe I should consider those. Guess I might not know what I'm missing ;).
What exactly did you have on before? Why change back to stock? I take it you'd change back unconditionally to what you had before over the 205/70s?
Thanks Matt...
--Mike
|
Matt Lemus (Mlemus)
Intermediate Member
Username: Mlemus
Post Number: 1285
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 07, 2003 - 7:59 pm: | |
I thought it would be a good idea to go back to the stock 205/70-14's from the 225/60-14's I had on the car. And boy does it suck. It understeers like a pregnant pig and darts and follows every nook in the road. I can wait for these to go. |