What are the biggest wheels you can put on a 300ZX ? 20" ? 22" ?

 

I'm assuming (other things being equal) that the bigger the better ? I know bigger wheels should make the car handle better, but make the ride harder.

 

Why do many wheels only made to a certain size ?

Wider tyres make the car grip better, until you get too big and lose grip due to not enough downward pressure on the road.

The size of the wheel has nothing to do with it.

 

But seriously I have heard people say who have 19's who have said they wish they didnt have them becuase the ride has become to hard to almost painful.

 

Plus your speedo will be out, not that they are accurate any way.

 

Stuart

Bigger wheel size (not wider) means there is less tyre to distort when driving the car hard round bends for instance. This means better contact with the road and less bodyroll - the supsension does the work of balancing the car, the wheels just grip.

 

BUT, F1 cars have quite thick tyres - not sure why. Ne1 know why ?

 

This is my understanding. Anyone think this is bollox ? please explain why........

Ahhhh. You mean tyre profile. The tyre wall doesnt flex as much when going round corners with low profile tyres.

cos no one wants big wheels,. the only reason gt/tourer/rally cars have big wheels is to fit big ****er brakes behind them, no other reason, theyd be much happier with smaller lighter wheels, big wheels will make no difference to the handling besides **** it up. Even 18s youll be pushing it i reckon, i mean, just cos 22" may get under the arches doesnt mean itll be great.

Stick to normal sizes, and its pointless getting bigger wheels if you arent getting big brakes, just get the best tyres you can. Unless you want it just for show, which = pointless.IMHO

edit - RE. tyre flex, slicks have a totally different sidewall construction to road tyres. As do poor quality roadtyres compared to good quality. Its not just a case of the profile per se, its whats the sidewall is made of etc. The whole tyre design plays a part.

Id hazard a guess you get dreadful 'handling', bastard tramlining, and clattering like funk over bumps with even 18s.

 

You said it yourself...f1 dont have big wheels

 

regards

 

when i say no-one, i mean no one in the sportscar 'industry'

This may read like a scything statement...but is meant with the best of intention, if I could be arsed to edit it to make it read nice i would

 

[This message has been edited by Ay3388 (edited 11-08-2002).]

Thanx for the info.

 

Do you reckon Nissan chose 16" wheels for a specific performance reason ?

I think 16's give a nice balance for comfort and performance and as AY says, the brakes fit under it. The Skyline R32 I think had two models one had 16's one had 17's standard and the main difference in the cars where brake sizes.

Dont forget 12 years ago when the car was made 16 inch wheels where large and I bet the tyres where expensive. Its only now because of new technology and trends for big wheels have tyre costs for large wheels have come down. I was told by the place where I get my tyres from that the cost of the tyre has little to do with the size. Its how common the size is, and 245/45/16 are basically the one of largest tyres you get on a 16 inch alloy, so not many are made hence cost loads.

I am thinking, when I have the money, of buying 17's and upping to 255 or 265 on the rear. The increase in the cost of the tyres are not that much difference becuase those sizes are more common for 17's.

Also if you get 18's or larger, the ZX brakes look really small and pathetic. There was a pic of Glenns car with his 18's on and his brakes looked tiny and ridiculous.

If you want larger wheels, 17's suit the car very well. They look the part, tyres are affordable, and there is room there to fit Skyline brakes which are mile better than then ZX stock ones.

 

Stuart

 

[This message has been edited by SRRAE (edited 12-08-2002).]

Don't Ferrari's and Lambo's have ~20" alloys ? Is this because their suspension systems are setup differently ?

 

Do jags have larger overall wheels ? I mean the size of alloy plus tyre - larger overall dimaeter/circumference ?

I saw a new Lamborghini a few weeks ago, and that had 335/30/18. So the wheels are not has huge as you think.

 

 

I filmed a walk round of it if you want me to post it.

 

Stuart

Now if I was designing a car like that, I'd make sure that the windscreen wiper arm went down behind the bonnet (or at least out of sight) when it's not in use ...

Don't Ferrari's and Lambo's have ~20" wheels ?

 

Do jags have bigger wheels (tyre and alloy - ie. overall size)?

Yes - good idea - for less wind resistance.

How come Lambo's have 335's while a heavier 300ZX has 245's ?!

If you look at Porsche 911 sizes from a similar era to the ZED, they run 225 on the front and 255 on the back, you can goto 285.

 

I would go for 18" wheels with 225/40/18 on the front and 255/35/18 on the back. This will give the necessay grip at the back end, and will also keep the front turn in sharp without tramlinning.

 

You could also go for 245/35/18 and 285/30/18. Either will keep the rolling radius within tolerance to the original 225/50/16 fitted.

 

Leigh

 

 

Originally posted by Nelson MainFella:

How come Lambo's have 335's while a heavier 300ZX has 245's ?!

 

Because the ZX is 300bhp standard and cost £30,000 new and the Lamborghini is 600bhp standard and is £150,000 new.

Plus I think its a gimic that Lamborghini do saying it has the biggest rear tyres standard. Only Pirrelli make them large enought to fit them.

This Lamborghini is actually heavier than a ZX, by about 90Kg. Plus its a rear engine so it has the weight over the rear tyres.

Another point that the Lamborghini Diablo had 17's as did the Ferrari F40, Dodge Viper. The F50, McLaren F1 have 18's, so it just goes to show that the larger isnt better, if the fastest road cars only have 17-18. The only reason for anything larger is just for show.

 

Stuart

;-}

Thanx 4 the info.

 

Probably go with 18's then.

I've got 18's on mine (see rides section) and I did notice a difference.

Ride is sightly harsher.

Tramlining a bit worse.

BUT the steering feels much much sharper and the car generally feels alot more stable on the road, well worth the trade-off in my opinion.

 

Please excuse my ignorance, but what is tramlining ?

Tramlining- when your car would rather follow a groove in the road than go where you want it to. Bit like a tram on a line I guess. Reinstatements where the road has been dug up in the past normally catch me out and sometimes thick white lines, when a motorbike does it it scares the s**t out of you.

McLaren F1 rear tyres = 345 45

 

------------------

 

I only use the brakes so I can accelerate all over again.

 

http://bagpuss.swan.ac.uk/dunk300zx/

According to www.mclarencars.com

The McLaren F1 has 315/45/17

Not the McLaren Formula 1 car

Maserati 3200 tt is about the same size and weight as a Z but with 370-400bhp and has 18" with 235 front and 265 rears. I find these sizes also look the part on my UK Z and only cause a 2% ish error in speedo. Just wish the ride was a bit more supple and the tyre noise a bit lower when cruising fast. Handling is superb in the dry. Scarier in the wet. Still cant have everything. Also I notice that there is not much clearance left when on full lock so maybe at a push you could fit 255 front and 285 rear but I would'nt do it even if I could afford the rubber!

Willie