I have an 88 formula 5 speed and ARI 3.4 and am trying to decide which wheels to use on it. Do the 14 inch rims have poorer handling due to less tire being on the road? And what about acceleration, from what I understand a smaller daimeter wheel/tire will offer quicker acceleration, but will they not get enough traction with the smaller width of tire? I dont know jack about physics and was wondering what would be the best for handling and for acceleration. Or should I get some aftermarket wheels that are a little wider. I dont know what to do, any information is appriceated! thanks!
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12:07 PM
PFF
System Bot
FieroBUZZ Member
Posts: 3320 From: Ontario, Canada Registered: Feb 2001
The 14" and 15" is the diameter of the rim. It has nothing to do with the contact patch of the tire on the road, and little to do (alone) with handling.
Given an equal circumference of the tire, the 14" rim will have a little more sidewall. This means the tire will flex more under cornering.
A smaller overall circumference will effectively alter the 'gearing' of the car allowing more acceleration. It will also cause your speedo to read incorrectly.
There are so many variables here. A big rim with a crappy tire will never outperform a small rim with a quality tire, and vice versa.
The whole wheel/tire package has to be considered.
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01:10 PM
intlcutlass Member
Posts: 1431 From: Cleveland,Oh.44067 Registered: Nov 2002
What you want to look at(as far as handling) isn't the wheels , but rather the tires. the first set of digits is the width of the tire (p225 is bigger that p215), next is the % os sidewall , 60 is more sidewall than 50, then finally the rim size. 14,15,or 16.
Now 15 " offers you more (and better) tire options for handling purposes....
16 better yet...
Just don't forget to take into consideration the bolt pattern (Fiero is 5x100) and the wheel offset (ranges from 37 to 40 mm depending on the year) when shopping for wheels.....
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02:00 PM
Will Member
Posts: 14290 From: Where you least expect me Registered: Jun 2000
What do you want to do with the car? The stock 15" wheels are 7 inches wide, so you can get more rubber to the road than with the 14" wheels, which are 6 inches wide. However, there is still a large selection of DOT legal race tires for 14" wheels, and many AutoXers use those.
------------------ '87 Fiero GT: Northstar, Getrag, TGP wheels, rear sway bar, rod end links, bushings, etc. '90 Pontiac 6000 SE AWD: Leaking ABS unit fixed, load levelling rear suspension fixed, still slow
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05:16 PM
TaurusThug Member
Posts: 4271 From: Simpsonville, SC Registered: Aug 2003
Definitely the stock 15" rims with a speed rated tire will enhance the overall handling and safety. Nitto, Yoko's, Goodyear Eagle, etc. just to name a few. Good Luck!
------------------ Deezlfitr "Life is just a bowl of cherries... ya just gotta watch out for the pits!"
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02:21 PM
88GTAL Member
Posts: 91 From: St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada Registered: Aug 2002
One thing to check is if the 14" will even fit over your brakes. The "88" has larger brakes. I got some spare tires (space savers)(was going to store the car on these) and the ones they gave me were 14". They wouldn't fit over my 88GT brakes. Al
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09:08 PM
Oct 31st, 2003
FierOmar Member
Posts: 1649 From: Glendale, California, USA Registered: Dec 2001
Remember, on the 88 the stock 15" rims are 6" wide in front and 8" in the rear. (Earlier cars ran 15X7" all around). The stock size tire was 205-60 in front and 215-60 in back (approx 24.7" and 25.2" diameter respectively). If you want stock rims, go with the 15's. There are some lightweight 16's and 17's that would allow for a greater selection of tires.
If we are talking about stock wheels. They are both equally worthless. The stock fiero wheels are giant shiny slabs of crap. They weigh a ton. Upgrade to a light weight forged wheel. You will have better acceleration and braking.
/rant
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03:53 AM
2-tone Member
Posts: 592 From: Winchester, KY Registered: Jan 2002
If price or budget is not a great concern, the lighter wheels are generally better. Rota makes a very light (13.2#) 16"x7" five spoke rim ("Slipstream") that is reasonably priced (around $500-600 per set). They also make a 15X7. However, Rota's minimum offset is 40mm.
Team Dynamics makes a couple lightweight wheels ("ProRace 1" and "ProRace 2") in 15X7, 16X7, 17X7 and 18X7.5. They will soon have a 17X8. These wheels are made is various offsets from 23mm to 48mm. The ProRace 1 is quickly becoming the wheel of choice for Spec Miata racers.
Both Rota and Team Dynamics offer these sizes in a 5X100 bolt pattern.
