Tire sizes for 16 wheels

Hi all,

I'm just about to buy 16" wheels from superformance to replace my stock 14".
Sizes for the front are 16"x7"and 16"x8" for the back.
First question:does that mean that you can't fit the same tires front and back?
Second:could you please tell me which tire size to use for the front and the back?
Third: wich stock tires where fitted on QV's
BTW,did anyone purchased the 16" superformance wheels?Are you happy with them?
Cheers from Paris,

olivier

 

I gather the correct sizes to achieve the same rolling radius are 225/55-16 which you need for the rear.

On the front you can go to 215/55-16 or 205/55-16 to make slow speed steering easier.

The 55s are slightly harder to find than the 50s in 16" so many people opt to have a smaller rolling radius but more tyre choice.

 

The somewhat "standard" tire size for a 308 with 16" wheels is 245/45 rear and 225/50 front. I have also seen people use 250/45 rears (but that gives you less room to compress suspension without the tire hitting the febder lip, if you go real fast.

There are a lot of threads about tires and wheels on the site, including the 308 stickies. One thing happening with 16" high performance tires is that there is not a lot of choice anymore in those sizes, so there's not a lot of decision anymore. I like the Yokohamas myself.

I've heard great things about the Superperformance wheels - want to get some myself!

 

for what it's worth, the factory OEM sizes with 16" wheels were 205x55 front, 225x50 rear. But I have put 225x50's on both front and rear in the past, due to availability at the time, with no clearance issues. I have also run 245x45 rears. I have a set of Superperformance wheels now, and am happy with them. But get the centering rings with them, just in case.

 

THE STOCK 16" QV SIZES are 205/55-16 front and 225/50-16 rear, originally fitted with Goodyear Gatorbacks (no longer available).

The "upsized" tires you can go to with no clearance issues and maintaining almost identical diameter while putting more rubber on the road are 225/50-16 on the front and 245/45-16 on the rear.

 

I've had the 16" Superformance wheels on my 82' Mondial for several months now. Very happy with them and I've received many compliments on them. Finish is about what you'd expect for the price - a few minor blemishes here and there.

 

I currently have 225/55/16 Falkens on this "parts" car now, with HRE 3 peice "GTO" wheels with 8" inch wide rims front, 8 1/2" wide rears. The rims have different offsets, so that the rears are about one inch wider on the outside. Currently I have seen no clearance problems, but I do need new tires. The fronts look really stuffed into the wheel well, so dropping to 50's up front might help that out. I was thinking of a 235 50 16 for the rear, but, Mike, your 245/45 sounds hot too. Any knowledge of difference from '77 GTB to a QV as far as clearance??? Tires Plus guy is trying to talk me into Fusions. Any good???
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I am considering the Superformance 16" (7" wide) wheels for my '82 Mondial & am exploring tire optins as well. Presently the car has the 240/55-390 Michelin TRX tire/wheel combination. A 225/55-16 tire seems to be identical in terms of size such that there would be no speedometer error. I'm curiours as to everyone's comments on this tire size & also recommendations on a tire manufacturer & model. Thanks

 

I stand corrected on my earlier post - the correct 16" size for the Mondial is 225/55-16 whereas the GTB/GTS had smaller wheels so 50s profile is probably right.

I have put Goodyear F1 GS/D3 (or whatever the code) on my Mondial with 225/55-16 on 8" rims on rear and 215/55-16 on 7" rims on front. Both rims are the conves Mondial 3.2 style which really complement my silver QV.

Seems to understeer a lot on turn-in compared with the old TRX 390s and front of car feels very 'light' now both in steering weight and in bounce at low speeds (below that which the front air dam works). Rear grip seems OK. If I did it again (which I might) I would put 8" all round and use the 225/55s on the front as well.

We have adjusted the shocks and sway bars to make it turn in better and now it is starting to feel OK again.

FF

 

I went through the same process several months ago. Check out this thread: http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=98609&highlight=mondial+tires+wheels

I hit the books and did the math. Basically,

Original tire = 240/55 - 390

240 = width
55 = aspect ratio
390mm = wheel diameter (15.35")

Width X aspect ratio = section height, so 240X.55=132

Overall diameter = wheel diameter + (section height X 2)

So, the original tire/wheel overall diameter = 132X2+390 = 654mm = 25.75"

Therefore 16" tires that will closley approximate the overall tire/wheel diameter are:

245/50 - 16 which gives a tire height of 25.65"

225/55 - 16 which gives a tire height of 25.74"

205/60 - 16 which gives a tire height of 25.69"

I'm sticking with 16" tires since I purchased the Superformance wheels.

My first choice was to go with the 245/50, but the Superformance wheels are 7" wide and 7" is the lowest limit width. Many people have cautioned me against going this route.

My second choice is to go with the 225/55. I ordered Goodyear F1 GS-DS3s from TireRack but they just called me to say they are no longer in production in this size.

So, back to square one on tire selection. TireRack is pushing the Avon Tech M500s. They have plenty of them in stock. The reviews and price look good, although I'm not overly concerned about price. One of my top concerns is noise level, to keep the ride comfortable for longer distances. The Avon performance numbers look good as well for the road. I'm not planning on tracking or crossing.

PS - I've had the wheels and tires on the car for several months and about 1k miles. Happy with both. The tires are quiet and have a predictable breakaway in the corners. I've had many comments on the Superformance wheels. Fit and finish is about right for the price, not perfect but good.

 

FezzaFella & Doug - Thanks for the comments. I'm now awaiting a reply from Superformance about the wheels.

 

I'm current looking at a 328 with the Goodyear F1s, but the car currently has 225 50! (FIFTY!) 16 on the rear (8" width) and 205 55! (FIFTY-FIVE!) 16 on front (7" width).

Can anyone tell me what the effect will be on driving besides inaccurate speedo readings?

Thanks,
James in Denver