Re: Milano Tire Size

["Leslie J. Singh" <Les.Singh@domain.elided>]

>Joel in Houston asked:
>>  Does anyone have any comments about changing tire size on an '89 Milano
>>Gold from the 195/60/R14   to  205/60/R14 ?  Thanks.
>****
>Les in Wellington, NZ  answered:
>Should be passable if you have 6.5" rims. Going too wide on narrow rims
>plays hell with the handling. For diameter, I preferred 205-55 x 15; the
>tyres were BFG Comp Z.
>****
>Joel's proposal results in an increase overall outside diameter.  The
>conversion should be:
>195/60/R14 to 205/55/R14, more exactly 205/57/14 (inexistent), or all the
>way around: 213/55/14
>
>for recommended conversions check: < http://www.dsm.org/tools/tiresize.htm >
>
>Les prefers 205-55 x 15.  Hmm!
>My 89 Milano V6 manual recommends either
>195/60/VR 14" with 5 1/2 J x 14" rims  or
>195/55/VR 15" with 6 J       x 15" rims.  This translates exactly to
>215/50/15 (try to find it)
>That's why the 220/50/15 metrics worked just fine.
>
>I personally drive on 205/50/15's on 7" rims, er... wheels.  Go figure.
>Jorge in Redlands, CA, USA
>

Jorge is perfectly correct about the exact conversions. My comments were in
response to Joel's desire to go bigger in diameter, which implied that he
didn't care too much about ratios .... here we go again! Sometimes
selection of a "better" final drive for whatever purpose is more easily
done with a change in tires and wheels. A case in point: the GTVs (105s of
course) which all came with the 1.41 diff which is way too tall for fun
driving on circuits. Going down in diameter to 195-60 x14 tires helps
heaps, and when combined with the 1.43 diff out of a Berlina with more lock
dialled in to the LSD becomes a potent combination. 

Rim - peripheral part of the wheel. Split rim - two part outer, allows easy
adjustment of offset and  width. Sort of like the ones on my 1928 Rugby
which I gave away to a friend last weekend, and the Gotti 3-piece wheels
off the GTA. Here endeth the 1st lesson... :-). 

Note that tyre has been spelt "tire" as in exhaust  for our Murrican
cousins ... go figure :-)

Ciao tutti

Les in Wellington - hey no wind!

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