Ok to cut a long story short is there adverse effects to having 14 inch wheels on a 1963 beetle? I have been told by a few people that 14" wheels are no good, and they cause problems is this true or are they ok ?

The reason I want to know is that I have found it easier to obtain 14" wide wheels then 15s and 14" tires seem to be cheaper too.


Thanks

There is no disadvantage in terms of performance in having 14" wheels. Or atleast i have not seen any ...... you may even find improved handling dependign on the tyres you have on the 15's. (Bigger wheels need lower profile tyres to prevent sidewall roll etc)

Drawbacks to 14's may include putting the spedo reading out (depending on the size of the 14's you put on)
You may also find the tyres rubbing on suspension parts if you get the wrong offset or too wide wheels.

I think that 14's will also give you greater accelleration at the cost of top speed (but im yet to be totally convinced on that one)

On the other side 15's with lower profile tyres woud look better on most cars
:vader

the problem is that if you don't maintain the factory total wheel diameter when u screw up the gearing (ur gearing down with a smaller wheel) and u screw up the suspension geometry too.

However if you used a higher profile tire to compensate for the smaller tyre you get more sidewall flex and u are forced to use more narrow tyres as a result. Higher profile tires would make the car feel mushy and handle like crap, as well as having to stick to narrower tires.

Gearing down can be of advantage ... depending on how fast you want to go ...... or how fast you want to accellerate.

Aside from possibly needing to reset the rear suspension how would the slight difference in tyre height affect the front suspension other than making the car a little lower to the ground.

:bounce

Who ever told you 14 inch wheels cause problems needs their head kicked in. What a load of crap. 4 years of having 14 inch rims and not one problem caused by them.

hey Herb's, i dont think that writing is big enough !
crank it up a bit !!!!!!!
:bounce

I think just as long as the actual diameter of the whole wheel remains the same there should'nt be any problem.Just measure the diameter of a stocky and go from there. The offset has to be the same as well...

ie225/35/17 = 205/45/16 =195/60/15 = 185/70/14(Im not 100% if this is correct but all reputable tyre shops will know)

W(!)

there wont be any problem with suspension unless you use much smaller ones on the front than the back. That would change front castor, but which can be corrected with castor shims.

Larger diameter tyres give better grip as more rubber is contacting the road.

Aint it funny how the world started out with big horse n cart size wheels, gradually went down to where 12's and 13's were normal (10's (?) on a mini) and now we are back up to 19's and 20's.