Re: alfa-digest V8 #444 - Wheels And Tires

[AlfaNeely@domain.elided]

       I would recommend 205 50 15 or 205 55 15 tires if you can find the 
latter.  I ended up putting the stock size 195 60 15 on my 91 Spider Veloce.  
The 6 x 15 Phone Dial wheels are not wide enough for a wider tire than 205.
       My 82 Spider has 225 50 15 tires on 7 x 15 Mustang GT wheels.  These 
wheels fill the fender well nicely.  They have rather more offset than the 
stock (on the 82 spider) 6 X 14 Daytona style wheel.  They also have more 
offset than that 6 x 16 Alfa Phone Dial Quadrifoglio wheel.
       My spider is lowered with yellow Centerline springs.  It has yellow 
Konis.  It also has adjustable upper control arms with one degree of negative 
camber, which helps increase clearance.
       To fit these tires, I had to roll the fender well lips flat with a 
baseball bat.  I still had problems with the tires rubbing on the inner 
fender wells in the rear.  A large hammer on the rub marks seems to have 
cured that problem.
       Therefore you can run a 225 50 15 tire, but I believe you need a seven 
inch rim to fit it properly.  Plus it will rub unless you move some sheet 
metal around.

       By the way, Mustang GT and LX wheels have a chamfer on the inside.  
This must be cut out square.  The end of the stub on the rear axle measures 
just under 2.75 inches.  Thus the cut on the back side of the wheels is 2.75 
inches.  The cut only needs to be about a quarter of an inch to clear the end 
of the axle.  I guess a wheel spacer could be used in the back, but these 
wheels are pretty wide and might rub.  Other than that, the 4 1/4 inch bolt 
pattern for all four bolt Ford wheels matches the 108 mm Alfa bolt pattern 
exactly.   4.25 x 25.4 = 107.95 mm or real damn close to 108 mm.

Ciao,
Russ Neely
Oklahoma City


In a message dated 02/06/2002 7:57:42 PM Central Standard Time, 
owner-alfa-digest@domain.elided writes:


> 
> Date: Wed, 06 Feb 2002 17:18:51 -0500
> From: Forza <headroom@domain.elided>
> Subject: Wheels And Tires & a Mirror
> 
> Hello Again,
>     This time it's wheels and tires.  After finding out the my tire of 
> choice, 
> the Yokohama AVSI was no longer available in 14", I decided to investigate 
> the purchase of 15" wheels and tires (AVSI are still made in 15").
> 
> My questions are..
> 
> What size tires do those of you with Quads, phone dials, use?  I believe 
> they are 15X6 wheels, the same as the Panasports I've chosen.
> 
> Will a 225-50-15 fit in the wheel well?  Using the tire size calculator, it 
> appears like that's the size gives me the closest diameter to my original 
> 185-75-14. Therefore a correct speedo reading.  Is this correct?
> 
> Do any of you use that size wheel/tire combo?  What are your experiences 
> with a low profile 50's on the spider.
> 
> BTW: my car is an 86 Spider, with centerline sport springs that lower the 
> car approximately one inch.
> 
> <snip>
> Thanks,
> Gabriel Forzano
> AROC South Florida

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