Tire size

Just ordered 16 inch reproduction wheels from Super Performance. Any good advice or suggestions for tires sizes? Tire Rack sales guy recommended 205/55 16 on front and 245/50 16 on the rear.

 

There's other recent threads in the 3x8 section which address this. However, the widths and aspect ratios below look too far apart for equal ride height.

 

You can go 225 on the front

 

Many many many ! The factory rear size was 225/50 16

 

And it's still a good recommendation.

 

Imho 205 front and 225 rear.

 

2nd front option could be 215/50-16

 

I enjoy sliding my cars around. After 2 years now of driving the 308, I have come around to the factory 16" tires widths of 205 front and 225 rear. There is a little too much understeer for my taste, so I usually keep my rear tires at 36 psi instead of the recommended 33 psi which effectively tunes out the understeer. A better solution for me will be to someday get a slightly stiffer rear sway bar, but I have not yet looked into this.

Those 205/225 widths stick plenty fine and there are concerns by some regarding the higher axle stresses from wider tires (and/or sticky rubber). I recently learned that the metrix TRX wheels were 220 width both back and front. I am not sure if Ferrari used different sway bars for the metric vs 16" cars. If they used the same swaybars, there would be less understeer with the metric wheels.

 

+1...I have the large sizes, but I'm going back to this.

 

1986 328 tires. For the front, 205 50 16, or 205 55 16. Rear I am ordering 225 50 16. Thanks

 

I tried 245 50/16 and they looked good but to close to fender. I sent them back.

 

I run 225/50/16's, on the front and 245/50/16's on the rear. I would probably up size the fronts to 225/55/16 to give me a little more ride height. No clearance problems on the rear that I have experienced.

 

Hi

Yes the original 220/55VR390 Michelin TRX was fitted the same size front and rear. i would think that would give balance handling.

I have often found it interesting that Ferrari chose to fit smaller front tyres on the later cars clearly intending to change the balance . I wondered if it was done because people were becoming more and more accustomed to front wheel drive cars that under steered. so less grip at the front would diminish over steer.

Personally i think over steer is cool. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j95GIA8YGvA

Michelin make a set of tyres with the larger 245 rear as it is a Porsche set up Michelin SX MXX3 N2 I think it is a silly name but it is a good tyre

 

Dougal,

The name may sound strange, but it would be appropriate, at least on a French 328.
The first batch of french 328s, from September 1985 to the spring of 1988 were delivered with the Goodyear “Eagle” NCT as the original tyre.
But from the spring of 1988, more or less coinciding with the “série 2” cars (modified suspension and bulged wheels) the original MXX was the original mount on all French 328s.
So having “MXX” somewhere in the name of that tyre is appropriate indeed. The original “MXX” was –more or less and so to speak – the successor in inches to the TRX.
MY GTB still had her original ones on the rims when I bought her in 2008.
(Dimensions were 205/55/16 front; 225/50/16 rear)

Rgds

 

To expand on this, these cars and all their suspension components were designed around slippery 70's vintage 70 series 14 inch tires. With the 328 they started to have suspension failures from over stressing the front lower suspension mounting forks. They had a recall and upgraded them. They still at best are designed for 80's vintage tires, a long way from the tires we have now even in the stock sizes which are vastly superior than what we had 30 years ago.


Remember, you are driving a vintage car by anyones definition.

 

Ah that is interesting, that backs up what Ferrari did with tyre fitment on these cars. they started off with a 205mm tyre section initially then with the TRX they went to 220mm then with the 328 they went back down to 205mm on the front, therefore taking some of the load off the front suspension

what is a bit of a shame is that Michelin make the Michelin SX MXX3 N2 | Longstone Tyres in 2 sizes which has the perfect front tyre for you, and they allso make the 225/50ZR16 Michelin Pilot Sport | Longstone Tyres which offers you the perfect rear, but sadly they are in different designs.

I kind of don't totally agree with the idea that stock size tyres are "Superior" to tyres of 30 years ago. I'm just being picky about the terminology to be fair. I would respectfully suggest that the tyres of 30 years ago suited the cars of the period. Cars and tyres developed in conjunction with each other. So when tyre manufacturers developed some new tyre technology then cars would develop to take advantage of it, then when car design develops the tyre manufactures would develop a tyre to maximize the benefits of the new advances . It is fair to say that a modern tyre offers greater grip, but a '70s tyre will handle better on a '70 car. However in retrospect, if we admit that modern cars are superior to '70s cars then i suppose it is fair to say that part of it is superior tyre technology is part of that. A modern car would be rubbish on a '70s tyre. However a '70s car would suffer when fitted with modern tyre design. Apologies for my ramblings. Maybe i should have deleted this paragraph before posting.

 

If not cool, it is a lot of fun. I've tuned the understeer out of my two E30 BMWs and they are a lot of fun to drive like a hooligan. With the rear-mid engine in the 308, I doubt I will ever be able to slide out the back end out on the 308 the same way. The thing just sticks like it is glued.

I have heard that automobile manufacturers have dialled in a lot more understeer over the years because it is easier for the average driver to handle. The front end starts sliding and the natural reaction is to lift off the throttle, which is appropriate since it loads the front and tighens things back up.

I blame poor engineering standards and performance testing that lead to the weaknesses in the suspension system. It stub axle issue is my biggest disappointment in owning a 3x8. Other cars of that era have plenty strong suspensions. Ergo, Jason Cammisa from Motor Trend magazine:http://youtu.be/iBkObmAPvs0

I have 16" Cromodoras and may try 'squaring' the step by putting 225 on front and rear. (To my peril,,) I have been running super sticky RE-11As. I love the safety they offer regarding stopping distance, but don't like the stresses they put on the stub axles. I may put less sticky tires next time.

 

It's not the tires that put extra load on the stub axles, it's the driver.

 

I keep telling myself that I should drive the car like the dignified gentleman that I am. ��

 

Hmmmmm.

 

I have a spare set of HRE 505's 16 X 8's and 10's being rebuilt that I would like to find a decent set of tires for. Tirerack has some 225/55 and 245/50 g-force sport comp-2's. Good 16's getting difficult to find now also.

 

I did not specify but the sizes I quoted from my original MD88plt post were for a 79 308 GT4. 245's on my GT4 were to large for my oem set up.