Re: Wheel fitment.

["A. Bjorkheim" <andreb@u.washington.edu>]

> Has any one had any experience with 16X7 rims on a Mk1?  Got a free set of
> used Rota Wave's.  I currently have 15X6.5 MSW Type 5's and I get some rear
> wheel rub on medium to large dips.  The car is lowered of course.  I know
> there is no exact size to dupilcate the O.E. diameter.  The closes calculated
> size I come up with is a 205-40x16 or a 205-45x16.  The first is slightly
> smaller in O.D. and the second is slightly larger in O.D. than stock.
>  Someone else says go for a 215-45x16 because it will look better than a 40
> series(~1" larger O.D.).  Any opinions? Any experiences?

    I know someone with 16x7 rims for their MK1 and yes he rubs a bit too.
The rims he has are DP selects and are originally for older BMW's, the
only difference is that his are 25mm instead of the recommended 27-30mm
for the MK1.  I think you could actually get away with almost a 35mm
offset with a 7" wheel and still be okay.  BTW, he runs the BFGoodrich
Euro TA in a 205/40/16.

    I owned a set of 15x7 DP selects with a 30mm offset and I rubbed a bit
in the back as well.  Had they been 35mm I probably wouldnt have had to
shave the rear fender lip at all.  Once I shaved it, my 15" rims didnt rub
at all.  I had the Euro TA in 195/50/15 and they seemed to be wider at the
shoulder than most other tires.  They actually looked like 205's compared
to other 195's.

   Then I upgraded to 16x7.5 Centra type 11's with a 25mm offset and Euro
TA's 205/40/16.  I began to rub a bit more so I had to shave off even more
of the fender lip.  Still no problems with the front.  I think 30mm offset
probably would have done me better.  Suprisingly enough when I laid the
195/50/15 on the 15x7 next to the 16x7.5 with the 205/40's, they were
almost identical in width.

   Well, the 16"s didnt last long and I went to 17x7.5 with 35mm offset.
I still rubbed on the rear fender, moreso on the front part when I hit a
large bump and not so much on the back part of the fender.  Even though I
went 10mm inward towards the spring, I still rub on the fender lip cuz
a 205/40/17 is as close to stock i could get, it being .80 inches taller
than stock.  Now with the increased offset I rub a bit on the rear spring.
Luckily, I practically shaved the entire rear fender lip off except on the
front part before I painted the car.  I still wish I had shaved the ENTIRE
rear fender lip before I painted the car. Still no probs with the front 
although I cant have as much negative camber as before with the 15"s or
16"s. 

   As for you choice, a 205/40/16 will better serve you.  Albeit I only
know of 2 manufacturers who make a tire in that size, one of the being
BFGoodrich, the other is Nitto.  No info on that tire.  The 205/40 is
.20" smaller than stock, versus the .60" larger than stock of a 205/45
A 215/45 would be almost 1" larger than stock and I can gaurantee that
you will rub all over the place with that one.  Granted it is only a 7"
rim, the diameter is still taller than mine, and I rub on the front part
of the fender so I would imagine you would have it just as bad if not
worse.  Even for a 215/40 you would be .12" taller than stock but probably
just as wide or wider than most 205 tires so I would believe you to rub
there as well.  Stay with the 205/40 tire, it will be less of a headache.
The Euro TA is an OK tire in the dry, but it sucks in the wet.  I imagine
the Nitto to be a better tire but it is also probably more expensive.
Perhaps the Nitto is not as wide or has a softer shoulder than the Euro
TA, something to look into.

   I recommend either rolling the fender or doing what I did, using a
grinder and just eliminating it entirely and then primer and paint it.
Hopefully my long reply didnt put you to sleep  =)

  BTW, what is the offset of the rim?  Do you have coil-overs in the back?


      Andre'
      Kermit Green 79'

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