Okay, I'm thinking about 16" wheels on the Dino. Superformance has a 16" version of the Cromodora. http://www.superformance.co.uk/wheels_a.htm We know that tire choices are severely limited in 205/70-14. As can be seen below, a 215/55-16 is identical to the stock tire in diameter and circumference, and there are lots of choices in that size at realistic price points. Thanks to the tanking dollar, the wheels are a bit expensive (695 UK Pounds per set of 4), so I haven't made up my mind for sure. Of course, I'll keep the 14" wheels and tires. Image Unavailable, Please Login
The 215 width might be the problem. With possibility or rubbing brake lines or touching fender lip if you hit a big bump while turning sharply.
Possibly, but it's only a centimeter (0.4") wider, right? If it's split evenly (which depends on the wheel's offset),that's only 2/10 of an inch per side. To me, that doesn't seem like enough to cause a problem. As mentioned, the circumference is exactly the same as the stock tire. Obviously a totally different situation, but on the Camry I went from a stock 205/65-15 to a 215/50-17 with absolutely no issues. I guess I should make sure before dropping a bunch of money, though... Thanks.
I know you're not asking opinions on whether or not to do this, but I would worry wider tires might affect the nimbleness of the little car. It doesn't take much to change the feel of a car and the nimbleness of the Dino is its best dynamic feature IMHO.
Well, actually, I am kind of asking opinions. Otherwise I wouldn't have posted this. (The only opinions I'm not especially interested in are the ones from people who require that all their hose clamps be exact duplicates of the factory ones, because those people would object to the very idea of 16" wheels, strictly on principle. Not that there's anything wrong with that.) Generally, shorter tire sidewalls increase nimbleness, steering response, etc. due to having less compliance (which also results in a harsher ride). Corbani swears by his low-profile (17"?) tires, and I certainly respect his judgement. I'll tell you what. We'll make this a research project, and I'll accept donations towards the purchase.
Haven't driven a 246 dino, but alot of us with the 308 GT4 Dino's have upgraded to 16" wheels. I personally went with 328 wheels on my car, and I feel that they did improve performance (note: This is seat of the pants, and may have been influenced by the fact that my wallet was lighter...). There are quite a few 308 GT4 owners on this site that have upgraded to either 308 16" wheels, 328 wheels, or the superformance wheels. I went with the stock 328 tire size, which is 205/55 front and 225/50 rear (rear wheels are wider than the front on the 16". I think it is 7" wide on front and 8" wide on rear), with no problems. Original was 205/70 x 14" (and 7.5" wide). Don't know how similar the suspension bits are on the 246 vs the 328, but hopefully not too different. Dom
Thanks for the input. I'm not sure about the 328, but I think that the 308 GT4's suspension is very similar to the 246's. I figure that 215/55-16 is a good all-around compromise. I emailed Superformance to find out the width of the 16' wheels that they have. I'm guessing 16x7. Yes, the old wallet-lightening effect is well documented! The biggest jump in tire size in my personal experience is on our old '65 Fiat Moretti coupe. OE size was, get this, 145/80-14. It now runs on 195/60-14 (and aftermarket wheels, of course) with no issues other than a pretty hefty steering effort at low speeds!
Hi Dan, Corbani's are sixteens. He'll likely chime in here shortly, but I believe his are an inch wider at the rear than the front. Re Superformance, scroll over the picture of the rim on their site & a little window appears indicating "7x16." I believe the offset is similar to, or the same as, the stock Cromadoras...so as to be a bolt-on swap. 'might try a Search here for the thread on the Superformance 16's; I recall reading that someone has tried 'em. Also, just to compare with BigTex's Assuros, enter 'Vredestein' in the Search mode. A couple of folks have tried the 205/70VR14 "Classic" & are very happy with the performance and the looks. There's a supplier on the East coast who has great pricing, too. Keep us posted, Coop
dinodan, I've been thinking to do the same. Maybe when I get my car back from the bodyshop, I'll finally be forced to make a decision. I have another car that I took from 175-13 to 215-17 and it is night and day. The ride is definitely harsher. And the unsprung weight has increased considerably even though I got some of the lightest wheels out there. The tires with their steel construction...no way around it until they start making tires with CF. But the "on rails" feeling is what gets me. Never looked back. When you call Superformance to check on the width, you might also check on the weight. And more importantly, the combined weight of tire and wheel. Manny
Weight is certainly a consideration, though as anyone who has lifted the spare out of a Dino will tell you (after the back surgery), the factory wheels and tires are anything but light!
T Rutlands (aka Maranello Auto Parts) and Superformance have more than a casual relationship. In fact they periodically visit each other. I'd call Lee or Ted and ask if Rutlands in the USA has access to these same parts.
Right On Dom, I run 205/55 ZR 16 front, 225/50 ZR 16 rear. 7" wide wheels in front, 8" wide at rear. Fantastic! Ride is a little harsher but you can still go on back roads with potholes. No wheel damage. Ride is OK. Still enough sidewall to cushion things. 18" and up are very harsh unless you only run on newly paved roads. 7" wide wheels all around should be OK. The 225s will still be supported. 225/50 rears are as large as can be used without moving wheel in an inch or so. 205/55 in front is also as large as will fit. There is no interference at front or rear if wheel offset is 0", same as stock 14" wheels. Hub to brake-disk line is dead center of the tire width. I posted a number of Sagas dealing with the 16" question so a search of the Dini Saga Index will give you the links. Note that offset in some drawings is measured from wheel edge to hub rather than wheel center to hub. Gets you the same spacing. Cornering is much improved. Less roll. More stable over bad roads. My tire/wheel weight is same so shock setting is same. Only downside is a little more effort to turn wheel when stopped. Have to have a little motion to make it easy. You have a huge number of suppliers. Use directional tires, performance tread, softest sidewalls you can get. 26 psi in front, 30 psi in rear. 1/8" measured front to back of front tires is proper toe in. You will love it! John
Weight isn't a huge issue. The 16" tire weighs one more pound. 14" wheels weigh 13lbs each, how much can the 16's weigh, 15-16 each? So, you're adding 3 lbs to the unsprung weight. Suspension should be able to handle that. I am a purist, but not for your car, just my own. I'd never assume to tell you what to do with your car. I expect you'd get some improved handling, which you're going to trade some harshness of ride for, as you would with any car where you go lower profile, larger wheel. Want to do it? go for it. Keep the old wheels, just in case you change your mind. Get us some before and after pix, I'd be interested to see what the wheel wells look like all filled up with tires. DM
Uro, The car gets nimbler. No hesitation when starting a turn while the car rolls to a stable position. Wider low profile wheels turn NOW and the body rolls a little less and a little later. Also better on bad roads. The wider tire ignores repair ridges better. Tire center is same so no extra side loads on spindle. Tire plus wheel can and should weigh the same so shock settings are same. Only downside is parallel parking. Wider tires require more strength unless you move the car while you turn. A little practice takes care of that. John
Hmmm. In the 1960s, I had a Triumph TR4, which I loved, but it rode harshly and bounced around the corners. I dreamt then of a Lotus Elan, which had a reputation for sublime handling and a great ride. I finally managed to buy a Lotus Elan in 1977. It had the original narrow knock-off wheels with textile-belted 155SR13 Dunlop SP Sports. When I restored it in 1982, I was able to find the same size Dunlop SP Sports. I avoided steel-belted radials, since I didn't have good experience with Michelin Xs in my TR4 (sudden breakaway). I also thought steel-belted tires were heavier and harsher. Then I went racing and installed on the Elan special 26R hubs (the 26R is the racing version of the Elan), which took 6" superlight 26R magnesium wheels and aluminum knock-offs (hold one in your hand and you will be amzed at how light they are). I installed Dunlop vintage racing CR65s tires, which are period-looking but beefier. The Elan and I have since retired from racing, and the Elan is back to street trim, albeit with rose-jointed suspension. I have been going thorugh old advertisements and reviews of the Lotus Elan, and again get drawn to the look of the car which attracted me so much to it in the 1960s. Part of the "look" was the high ground clearance and and the tall, rather narrow tires. I have screwed back the suspension to as close to standard height, but, with the fat tires, I don't think my Elan has that appearance anymore. I also miss the gentle slides at fast corners. I can get 155R13 Michelin XAS tires (no more SP Sports), but, unfortunately, my 26R hubs and KOs won't accept standard wheels. The 26R wheels at 6" are too wide for 155s. So the lesson in this long-winded, non-Ferrari note (my apologies for both) is that wheels and tires constitute (at least to me) a great part of what makes a car. They affect how the car looks, rides, and handles. So tread carefully (my apolgies again)! By the way, you knew that warning would attract all the purists, right!
Wheel wells should not be any more filled up, since the OD of the wheel and tire assembly will be the same, and the difference in width will be slight. The visual difference will be the OD of the wheels in relation to the car. I'll get before and after pics, though.
It would be great if I didn't have to pay for transatlantic air shipping. I'll definitely contact Rutlands. Thanks for the tip!
I wonder why only the Cromodoras were upsized to 16 and not the Campys as well. If the Campys were available in 16", that would seal the deal for me.
Actually the last 16"s were mostly Speedlines, Enzo played them against each other so they were made in batches over the years. I am just glad Goodyear is supporting me at 14".....it's a nice looking tire, fits the 275GTB as well.....
Before reading this thread I was unsure....thanks to you DD, I've decided to get a set. I placed my order today for a set of 16" from Superformance.
Dang! You beat me to it. I've got a good paycheck coming this month, so I decided to wait for that. Superformance agrees with Corbani that 205/55 is as big as can go on the front without interference on full lock. So, I'm thinking 205/55 on the front and 225/50 on the back, just like John C. recommends. I'm probably going with Michelin Pilot Exalto A/S.
It's not a 246, but on my 308 when I upgraded to 16" wheels from the stock 14", I couldn't believe the improvement in handling. Birdman
Just for the record, on a 1977 sports car that I have, I went from a 14x6 wheel to a 17x8 wheel fitted with 255/40 Yokohamas all the way around. The improvement was mindboggling....so much for period correctness. Ciao, George
