Tyre Size

taylor2800 said:
So, for the rear of a bone stock 2800cs, I could go max 205 without rolling the fenders? Stock 14" wheels.
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i think that would be an easy answer of yes for the rear. with 16" we use 225 / 50 - 16 for the rear and 205 / 55-16 for the fronts (the fronts require rolling)
 
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225/60/14s on my bav. The tightest spot is at the front strut at top of tire. I still have all of 2mm of clearance. Pic to prove. No issues at the back yet, but I still haven't done a fully airborne at speed landing.:) it will be close at the back when the suspension is fully compressed, but nothing that fender lip rolling wouldn't correct. We'll see.
 
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Those are 225s on stock rims? That's good news. Any spacers? I have the old steelies on mine and they sit quite far inboard and thought maybe some spacers would help a bit. Mine is still far from completion, but I like to plan ahead...:)
 
Yes, 225 bfgs on stock 'chromodora' style rims on the bav.
Easy 2 mm clearance at front strut, no spacer

Perhaps condsidered minimal clearance?

I will be moving them to the coupe RSN.

RSN...back in the day, computer programmers said RSN to describe when the software would be done...Real Soon Now. And by that we meant...don't' hold your breath :)
 
Yep but staying stock 195 70 14 is almost impossible in the UK. Stock is V rated, and they are NLA at least here. Running any other speed rating could lead to problems with insurance or possibly the MOT. What to do?
 
with all of the speed cameras that you have in the UK, you can't drive fast enough to warrant a V rated requirement over an H rated. and most coupes probably can't achieve 130 mph
V rated - above 130 mph / 210 kph
H rated - up to 130 mph / 210 kph
S rated - up to 112 mph / 180 kph

sure, there is a bit more grip in a V rated tire with soft compounds ... but modern tires simply have better adhesion than most did back-in-the-day.
 
rsporsche said:
with all of the speed cameras that you have in the UK, you can't drive fast enough to warrant a V rated requirement over an H rated. and most coupes probably can't achieve 130 mph
V rated - above 130 mph / 210 kph
H rated - up to 130 mph / 210 kph
S rated - up to 112 mph / 180 kph

sure, there is a bit more grip in a V rated tire with soft compounds ... but modern tires simply have better adhesion than most did back-in-the-day.
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Yes I agree with all you say, however those nice insurers in the UK always state that "using tyres of a lower speed rating can invalidate your insurance" Nice cop out.
 
Good point, the bfg are s rated. I imagine the varying sidewall stiffness is important.
I just bought some falken h rated for my e30 but they are 195/65/14

I got to say it, use the correct valve stems.
 
I have later E30 16" alpinas on mine 225/45/16.

These have a smaller rolling circumference and I am swapping them for 225/50/16 which are the same circumference as the 195/70/14's.

15mm Spacer needed on the front.

Regards
Matt
 

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I bought the somehow cheap Maxxis 205/70R14V for usage here in Germany. I cannot recommend these tyre manufacturer. Have an incredible number of balancing weights.
Regards, Willy
 
Mattiee7 said:
I have later E30 16" alpinas on mine 225/45/16.

These have a smaller rolling circumference and I am swapping them for 225/50/16 which are the same circumference as the 195/70/14's.

15mm Spacer needed on the front.

Regards
Matt
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i think you are going to rub these tires on the front fender wells with a 15mm spacer.
 
wait until you compress the springs, especially while turning ... that's when you will catch the fender lip ... like going over a curb (into a driveway) or speed bump. i know this from personal experience with 205 / 55 - 16s with correct staggered wheels
 
Have not checked back here for a few days, delighted to see all this feedback. Great forum! Thank you all, much appreciated. I'll update when I have made a decision on this..
 
Hi all, so my current thinking is...of the 5 tyres with the car, I believe two are useable on the rear. These are Pirelli Cinturato 225 60 v r14's which seems to be a discontinued tyre. I have one 185/65/14 which I will use as a spare. I plan therefore to buy two new tyres for the front and am thinking http://www.longstonetyres.co.uk/page/185-70hr14-pirelli-cinturato-cn36.html . The other two tyres with the car are not fit for use...

So, 225/60/14 on the rear and 185/70/14 on the front all Pirelli Cinturato). Does that seem like a reasonable strategy?
 
I'd check the date on those tires. My Coupe had old BFG Comp TA tires with plenty of tread. They were plastic and extremely useless when driving on wet.
 
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