215 on a 6 inch wheel? or is 7 better?

Shaun @ Tru6 · 08-14-2009, 11:37 AM

getting some tires in for the 73:

195/65Z15 for the front

215/60ZR15 for the rear

I can either go with deep 6's all around or 6x7x15 cookie cutters.

how will 215's fit on the 6's? looking for observations on both performance (priority) and aesthetics (will the tire bulge too much/look right on the 6)

kenikh · 08-14-2009, 11:45 AM

I am actually doing this combo w/ 7R in the front and custom 8R in the back, to mimic the RS. 205 is my limit for a 6 - anything more can look to pinched. It will work, though.

What tires are you going with? The choices are pretty limited and the only ultra high performance tire you can get is the Avon CR6ZZ (DOT race/street compound).

Gogar · 08-14-2009, 11:51 AM

Shaun,

I have Dunlop 215/60/15s on my Gas Burner Wheels (16 x 5.5), and I don't think it looks dumb. I think with a 6' you'll be fine.

You might have a problem getting 7x15s on that car, but I don't think you'll know until you try.

kenikh · 08-14-2009, 11:57 AM

7Rs work better, but have seen regular 7" on a LWB narrow car work fine. The 944 offset 7s have a lot of meat on the back and you can flycut a few mm if needed, too.

Shaun @ Tru6 · 08-14-2009, 12:00 PM

Thanks guys, I'm getting these as posted on Early S. Seller says they were stored properly and are soft. I think they'll be OK. I know they'll be difficult to get on, all 008's were, but should be great once that's done.

Jeremy, do you have any pics of your car with your gas burners? I've got some 7x15 cookies with/without tires and will test first but I think I can squeeze a 7x15 with 225 rubber in there...was considering using my S03's but will save them for the E next spring.

kenikh · 08-14-2009, 12:02 PM

225s actually work quite nicely on a 7" wheel. My buddy has them on 7Rs on his rears on a narrow bodied car. Nice score on the tires; I used to have a set and they work very nicely.

ERN911 · 08-14-2009, 01:21 PM

We put 225/50/15 on my buddies 73T and the right rear rubbed against the oil line for the front cooler so be carefull going that route

Shaun @ Tru6 · 08-15-2009, 04:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ERN911

We put 225/50/15 on my buddies 73T and the right rear rubbed against the oil line for the front cooler so be carefull going that route

Do you have any pics of the final application?

cashflyer · 04:32 AM

Are you asking what size rim those tires should go on?

Since tire construction can vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, most of them have a place on their website that allows you to look up the proper rim widths for a specific brand and size.

The Yokohama website says those tires are designed for 6" to 7.5" rims.
Also, the P suffix designates they were designed and approved as a direct replacement tire on Porsches.

If you were just asking what looks good.... well, that's another story.

Shaun @ Tru6 · 08-15-2009, 05:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cashflyer

Are you asking what size rim those tires should go on?

Since tire construction can vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, most of them have a place on their website that allows you to look up the proper rim widths for a specific brand and size.

The Yokohama website says those tires are designed for 6" to 7.5" rims.
Also, the P suffix designates they were designed and approved as a direct replacement tire on Porsches.

If you were just asking what looks good.... well, that's another story.

That's exactly what I was asking, but in real world terms; having mfg. verification is great though. Thank you for researching the info, much appreciated, looks like deep 6s all around.

Bill Verburg · Bill Verburg's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shaun 84 Targa

getting some tires in for the 73:

195/65Z15 for the front

215/60ZR15 for the rear

I can either go with deep 6's all around or 6x7x15 cookie cutters.

how will 215's fit on the 6's? looking for observations on both performance (priority) and aesthetics (will the tire bulge too much/look right on the 6)

Way back when, I used 215/60x15 on 7ET23.3 for a very short while on an unflared '72. The tire would rub on jounce a couple of inches up into the paint above the lip. It might have worked better w/ a stiffer suspension or more rear camber, I just did the RS flare mod and moved the 7s to the front and used 8's in back.

Lots of folks use 205/60 or 205/50 on 7s.

It's always better for performance to use the widest wheel a given tire is spec'ed for, and yes some times it looks like the tire is too small for the wheel but they do perform better that way.

cmcfaul · cmcfaul's Garage

beware of going too low a profile. It makes a significant difference in gearing which is annoying on the highway as it takes 5k rpms to keep up with fast moving traffic. Stock was a 190 70 15 on the S.

If your car is lowered at all you will need to dial in more camber in the rear which is great for agressive driving / track but will wear the inner portion of the tire faster then the outer portion.

Chris

73 911 e

Bill Verburg · Bill Verburg's Garage

Here's a comparison of speeds @3500 in 5th w/ a real short and a fairly tall tire
915/02 used in a '72 or '73 911
205/50x15 ~67mph@3500rpm
205/60x15 ~74mph@3500rpm

cashflyer · 08-15-2009, 07:39 AM

Not only does a profile change affect gearing and actual speed at a given RPM, it affects the speedometer accuracy.

If you know your gearing, you can calculate the exact difference in speeds per each gear.

javadog · 08-15-2009, 08:21 AM

I'd sell the cookie cutters and spend the money on a pair of 7's. They can usually be made to work.

Check the date on the tires. Stored properly or not, they don't last forever. There are still a few choices in those sizes, particularly if you are willing to run a 195 on the front.

JR

kenikh · 08-15-2009, 11:08 AM

This is the best deal out there:

Bridgestone Potenza RE960AS Pole
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/Sizes.jsp?make=Bridgestone&model=Potenza+RE960AS+Pole+Position&vehicleSearch=false&fromCompare1=yes&partnum=16HR5RE960PP

They are damned near the equal of the Michelin Pilot Sport (which can't be had in our fitments anymore).

$315 for a set of 4 and great traction/reviews:

I always think I will buy the CR6ZZ until I remember that FOUR of these tires cost as much as ONE of the CR6ZZs...

Shaun @ Tru6 · 08-16-2009, 04:52 AM

Thanks for all the great info here. I'm going to stay with the deep 6s for now and see what happens. Can always switch over to a 7" Fuchs in the rear or Cookies all around, which I think I'm one of the few that really like the look. I'm going to start digging into the car seriously this Wednesday-Thursday when work slows down a bit, may be able to mount the new tires on Friday if they get in from CA then.