foyler

So I fitted some 5zeigen alloys (All 4 17 by 7 instead of OEM 17 by 8.5 on rears) I had to my 04 AP2, still waiting on spigot rings as they weren't sitting right but the car feels very unsettled and seems to want to rotate on turn in.
Also fitted UNiroyal rainsport 3's which I think have a soft sidewall which may be contributing to the unsettled feeling along with the need for an alignment which I'll get done next week.

Love the alloys but fear the smaller size on the rears may be the main issue and as we all know you don't want the back end feeling unsettled given their love of swapping ends....thoughts?

Daytona-Dave

They don't need spigot rings the wheel centralises with the taper of the nut, I've run RS3's on the road and in sprinting even won a round on them and have no issues with the car being unsettled in fact the cat feels very good for the road and the grip in the wet is immense and very good in the dry , 7's on the rear isn't good plus get your GEO checked

foyler

Cheers Dave for the input, there's definitely a vibration in the steering that wasn't there with the OEM wheels so they're not sitting right somehow.
The rings should arrive tomorrow and I'll get geo done next wednesday, thereafter will look at getting a matching pair of 8.5's for the rear which isn't a total pita as 2 of the wheels are starting to de-laquer.

On the geo, has anyone a printout of fast road settings just in case the local crowd don't have them?

Daytona-Dave

If you have a vibration in your steering after fitting the wheels it will 100% be nothing to do with not having spigot rings it will be a wheel or balance problem the wheel is held on with 5 self-centring tapered nuts, so either the surface or mounting flange has debris on it or the wheel is buckled or the tyre isn't mounted or balanced correctly, the 8.5's for the rear is the right way to go, On the GEO front look in the FAQ for the pre 04 revised settings and these will do you as a good starting point, different suspension, tyres, wheels and personnel feel all dictate what settings you end up with further down the line

djchocice

That's bloody narrow on the rear, it'll feel like it's going to rotate more because there will be so much less tyre on the back compared to before.

foyler

Dave - Could be alright, wheels were balanced before fitting new rubber, so will take the wire brush to the hub before I fit the rings, thanks for the heads up on the geo.

dj - Still running 245's on the rears but you can see the sidewall bulging over the wheel and the rainsports are known to have a soft sidewall and it feels exactly as it looks, ie the car shifting under you as the weight transfers. Have 225s on the front so likely not helping either.
Having parked an AP1 in a ditch after I ran out of talent while exploring the limits on a late night hoon, I'm all to aware how sensitive these are to changes and the best advice being not to mess too much with OEM parts and settings...

CynicG

Why did you put a 245 tyre on a 7" wheel?

djchocice

Can't be terribly safe running a 245 on a 7J wheel, it must be really bulging over. Someone posted a very handy guide on here not long ago showing what tyre widths were within acceptable limits for wheel width.

I seem to remember the minimum on a 7J was 195, ideal was 205/215 and max was 225. These are all safe options from memory.

djchocice

http://www.brick-yard.co.uk/forum/tyre-size-for-rim-width_topic60146.html
A guide found after a quick google. Useful for wheel width and what tyre widths to use for the wheel size you have.

Daytona-Dave

225 on the front are ok but on the limit for a 7inch wheel more so with them being a soft side wall but 245 on a 7inch rim Christ it must handle like a puppy on a lead, the tyre fitter wants a roasting as well for not refusing to fit them