Wheel size for use with flares

joncdeke · joncdeke's Garage

I thinking about putting on steel fender flares sometime in the near future. What would be the best size of wheels to use with these flares? I was thinking about the following configuration: Front 7" X 16" Rear 8" X 16" or 7" X 17" 8 X 17" respectively. Any ideas?

Thanks!!!

Rich Hilgersom · 05-29-2001, 08:40 AM

I think 17's look a bit odd. I have 7s and 9s x16 with 245s at the back. I had to roll the fenders to get them in. You will see a huge price jump from the 8s to 9s so unless you run into a cheap set of 9s I would think the 8s would look perfect.

-Rich

Wayne 962 · Wayne 962's Garage

I just picked up a set of 7s and 9s for my six (which will have fender flares installed at the repaint). Any of you guys running spacers?

Did you say you had to bend the flare with the GT flares on there?

-Wayne

maf 914 · 06-06-2002, 10:37 AM

Wayne,

I am also interested in wheel sizes with respect to factory flares. In a previous thread someone (I don't remember the name, sorry) posted a picture of their flared car equipped with 8" Fuchs front and rear. He commented that he did not use spacers. These filled the wheel wells pretty well, so I guess if 7" were used in the front a 1" spacer would be about right. I would rather not have spacers, but I'm not sure how 7"s would look without them. Check this thread: wheel spacers?

The next question is what length studs are required?

Mike

Va914 · 06-06-2002, 11:34 AM

I think you would only need about 1/2" spacer? The 7" wheel will be 1/2" shorter on the inside and outside.
This is assuming the offsets are the same of the 7" and 8"

Kerry

finadict · 06-06-2002, 11:48 AM

I know i'm period correct but I just put flares on the back, with 8X16 the 7X16 fit the front with out flares. so 8X16 should easily fit the front with flares.
I couldn't 9X16 under the rear without rubbing issues.

maf 914 · 06-06-2002, 11:51 AM

According to the chart below the offset of Fuchs 6, 7, and 8" wheels is not the same. The backspace is the same though, as the additional width is added to the outside of the wheels. If the offset were the same the backspace would increase and interfere with the 911 suspension. This is a handy chart: http://members.rennlist.org/911pcars/WheelWts.html

Those Fuchs wheels are light!

Mike

boxstr · 06-06-2002, 09:33 PM

I just added front and rear 7x16 fuchs to my 75, without flares. Rolled the rear inner lip and used 205/45/16 Dunlop tires. Works great and I think they look even better.
Craig C. Laughlin CAMP 914

gruntie · 06-07-2002, 11:12 AM

I think there are 2 different 9x16 fuchs. I had a pair (no longer, unfortunately, so I can't check a part no.) off an early-ish Turbo where most of the additional width was on the inside, so the from the outside looked like an 8x16. On the last production year of the 3.2 Carrera though, 9x16's were fitted at the rear instead of 8's and the extra width is on the outside so there is an immediate & very noticeable difference. Maybe someone can confirm. Incidentally tried 9x15 with 225/50's on the back of my car with GT flares and they rubbed, so went back to 8's.

Don914 · 06-07-2002, 03:08 PM

There are at least 2 different models I know of. There were 9 x 16s offered for the 911 turbo as well as the "turbo-look" 911s. They have different serial code numbers stamped on the inside of them. Other than that, I don't know what the differences are between the those two 9 x 16 wheels are, or if Porsche made other 9 x 16 wheels.

I currently have 16 x 7s and 16 x 9s from a 911 turbo mounted on my flared 1974 914 with no spacers. I am running 225/50 tires in the front and 245/45s in the rear with no rubbing, even with the front wheels turned fully left or right or under hard cornering.
The build quality of the bodies were supposedly much better by 1974, but I still hve a slight variation in the gaps between the rear tires and the flares; about ¾ inch on the right side and ½ inch on the left. The gap difference could be because of me instead of the factory, though .

Hope this helps,

Don

maf 914 · 06-08-2002, 04:37 AM

Don, or others using 225/50s on the front,

Is the steering effort really heavy with this size on the front? Unlike 911s and 944s which used this size our 914s don't have power steering, and I've wondered if 225s are just too much.

Thanks,
Mike

Don914 · 06-10-2002, 01:27 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by maf 914
Don, or others using 225/50s on the front,

Is the steering effort really heavy with this size on the front? Unlike 911s and 944s which used this size our 914s don't have power steering, and I've wondered if 225s are just too much.

Thanks,
Mike

The steering effort is high, but not terrible.

When I bought the wheels, the fronts came with VERY used Yokohoma 205/55s from the PO's 911 turbo (He must have been running some extreme camber as the inside of each front tire was worn almost to the belt while the outside still had good tread left). When I switched to some new Bridgestone 225/50s, there was a slight increase in the steering effort, but liveable.

Remember, a 914 is light compared to modern cars (appx. 2200 lb), the car has a rearward weight bias (about 46% / 54% ftont / rear), and the steering wheel is several turns from lock to lock to ease low speed turning (which is why some of the more "financially equipped" racers switch the steering rack to one of Porsche's quick racks). Of course, having said this, if a friend drives the car, the first thing they remark about is how hard it is to turn the steering wheel.

It is going to be subjective to determine where a steering wheel becomes heavy to the point of being annoying, but I have no complaints about mine

.

Hope this helps,

Don