Tyres on 15" rims for my 1.5

[Mk1 Turbo Powered Steve]

Got my car back from Woodsy and boy does it fly, far more power than i expected and looks fantastic
The only thing is i need more rubber,it has 195's on it at the moment and i really don't want to get bigger wheels, as i like the ones i have.
I want to know how much wider i can go?
Any help will be greatfully appreciated

[coverco]

Try the tyre size calculator in the following link, although I think unless you actually change the alloys then you will be restricted in the size you can go up to

http://www.alloywheels.com/tyrecalc.asp

[crazybrightman]

if they are your typical 6" wide jobbies then 205 is the biggest really before the tyre starts balloning. you idealy want 7" wide then get some 225's on the back.

[Mk1 Turbo Powered Steve]

I'm sure they are 6", want to keep the wheels, so 205's will hopefully help a bit I will try them and see what happens.
Thanks for the quick replys.

[mr2mk1chick]

maybe go for a really good tyre compound too, rather than keep going wider (and prob weird handling)
Advan Neovos (sp?) maybe?....

[System-G]

maybe go for a really good tyre compound too, rather than keep going wider (and prob weird handling)
Advan Neovos (sp?) maybe?....

Yup Yokohama Advan Neovo (LTS) - the ones designed for the Lotus Elise Fronts. But expect to pay about £90/corner

[mr2mk1chick]

maybe go for a really good tyre compound too, rather than keep going wider (and prob weird handling)
Advan Neovos (sp?) maybe?....

Yup Yokohama Advan Neovo (LTS) - the ones designed for the Lotus Elise Fronts. But expect to pay about £90/corner

but after spending £££ on a great conversion it would be silly to put naff rubber on the road with all that extra power.
you need optimal grip without going mad with wide wheels.
I would do that personally

[Charged]

Would stretched/wider tyres on fairly standard size 15" wheel really effect the handling?

[mr2mk1chick]

Would stretched/wider tyres on fairly standard size 15" wheel really effect the handling?

not much, but going to 7" would i rekon

stick to 205's IMO

[Charged]

I'm in the same situation as steve... 1.5, big power, standard size 15" wheels.

The situation I'm in is that I'm getting extended rear arches so I need something which is going to fill the arch. I have some great looking Jap 1990s Jap wheels which I want to use but they are a fairly normal size, I want to try and stretch a biger type as possible over the wheels and i may look at using spacers as well.

[mr2mk1chick]

would be great to hear how the different approaches to this problem of power versus grip goes, whether to go for wide wheels or std with big grippy tyres.
spacers may be the way to go.

[spudgun]

I have 7" wide 15's on mine and it seems fine to me.

They do fit alright and the handling seems fine to me, but then again maybe I have just got used to it

[Icsunonove]

I wouldn't go wider than 195mm on the fronts. I had 16" 205s on mine and didn't like the handling on the road at all .It was ok on trackdays though.

I've now gone back to 14" wheels with 185mm wide tyres which, after all, were what Toyota specified (and they should know best).

[oukie]

On my old mk1 I had 205/50/15 all round yoko's they were expensive though I think about 350GBP for a set but that was back in 1997 so ,The grip was unreal but were a soft compound so never lasted that long but ok by me ,I then bought a set of continenel (spelling?)tyres(cause i was skint ) and they were cr@p massive under and oversteer without doing any heroics ,I saved up quick got some more yoko's and dumped the old tyres with over half there tread left

[Mk1 Turbo Powered Steve]

maybe go for a really good tyre compound too, rather than keep going wider (and prob weird handling)
Advan Neovos (sp?) maybe?....

I will probably go for them then but only planning on putting them on the rear.

[dgh.mr2]

On the sc I recently sold I had the new, softest compound, Toyo 888s and absolutely loved them.

Grip especially once warmed a bit was fantastic wet or dry (about 2 days!) and they coped with flooded roads and icy conditions really well too. In the wet and greay conditions this winter the car was a joy to slide about through country lanes and empty roundabouts (and I'm not an especially good or confident driver).

Not sure about longevity but I had 888s on other cars (sc, M3 etc) and they lasted really well - say 6 months plus including track days and an average of 350 miles per week.

[crazybrightman]

i would be warry of r888's almost all the crashes ive seen at trackdays when wet involved these fitted to the rear of a vehicle.

[eRATic]

Marangoni Zeta linea tyres are what i will be using next on my 1.5. They are supposed to be very good. i run on 195/50/15s no problem with grip. like i said on two brutal learn the car and the power delivery. youdon't need to go to really wide wheels and tyres. try a 205 on the rear but the rolling changes and you might run into clearence problems if you have changed your suspension.

like you i want to keep the car looking standard ( bar 2 side sccops )

[Mk1 Turbo Powered Steve]

Marangoni Zeta linea tyres are what i will be using next on my 1.5. They are supposed to be very good. i run on 195/50/15s no problem with grip. like i said on two brutal learn the car and the power delivery. youdon't need to go to really wide wheels and tyres. try a 205 on the rear but the rolling changes and you might run into clearence problems if you have changed your suspension.

like you i want to keep the car looking standard ( bar 2 side sccops )

Thats what i want, except the huge exhausts i have, blow it away! too much for me 6 " both sides is too much!

[eRATic]

steve, get over on TB and go to the wheels section. few posts about tyres. i will be trying out the marangoni's in about a month once my yoko 539 are dead.

i dont think the marangoni's will last a track day though but will be spot on for road use.

Jim SR was looking to use these as well.