17" Wheels on Fiberglass Buggy

[Bkhansen93]

Hey guys searched the gallery to the best of my ability and only found a couple of pictures of buggies with 17" wheels. Been looking for a set of wheels for my buggy but can't seem to decide on anything. Bolt pattern doesnt matter as I have to get at least one adapter already. I am running a 1974 super beetle with the front end removed and replaces with the torsion front from a 1958 beetle. So my bolt patterns are 5x205 up front and 4x130 in back so either way I have to change at least one. Any pictures of wheels with any pattern is helpful. Thanks guys!

[Bkhansen93]

I am considering going 5x205 and getting some appliance mags and refinishing them or going 5x4.75 and getting a new set in either 15" or 17".

[Hot Air]

17x7 front, 18x9.5 rear.
4" narrowed beam.

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73' Bug
85' Porsche 911 Carrera 3.2

[Bkhansen93]

Is a narrowed beam only necessary when using disc brakes?

[oprn]

I can't help but think that 17" rims with low profile tire would make the ride quality pretty harsh on the front. These Buggies are rough enough as it is. I put 17" rims on my daughter's '92 Jetta and it sure did change the ride on it. Is that your experiance?

[gtrplyr]

This is what mine looked like when I bought it with 17" Torq Thrust II's

[Bkhansen93]

Did you stick with the 17" wheels?

[bugvert]

I'm running 17"s

[Bkhansen93]

So I decided ona. Wheel style. But not size. I am either going to go 15x6 and 215/60/15 front with 15x8 with 255/65/15. Or 17x7 with 215/50/17 and 17x8 with 255/55/17

These are the wheels (or similar, many brands make this style)

Here is a buggy very similar to what I am going for. This one has 15x6 and 15x8 with 205/60/15 and 275/60/15 respectively

Any thoughts?

[woodoctr]

I swear you could blindfold me and have me ride in a buggy or kit car, one with 15s and one with 17s and I think I could tell which one rides harsher. I don't like to go over 16s on most anything anymore. Yes, tire selection is more limited however they are out there. If you move to 17s you really need to fool around with springs..... And I think the look/stagger on that buggy is pretty great.....

[oprn]

I really like that style of rim, looks very appropriate on a Buggy.

I put a set of 17" rims on my daughter's Jetta and regretted it immediately. Not only did the ride change dramatically, the tires are stupid expensive! The extra diameter even with super low profile tires degraded the already poorish braking performance a lot.

If it's a Curb Queen then go for it for the looks but if you actually drive it distances you will most likely be disappointed.

[Bkhansen93]

I decided i'll go with the 15's which leraves me with 2 last questions. Can I safely fit a 275 on an 8" wheel or should I go 255? Also, what do you think the drop is on the rear of that car?

[germanx]

The BFG Goodrich Radials are rated for 7.5" to 9.5" rim width for a 275/60 R15 tire. So, yes, there are some 275 tires you can safely mount on a 8" rim.

Be aware the tire will bulge over the rim on both sides by about 1.5" (the tire's section = widest width: 10.9"). You have to check if the tire does not rub to any body or chassis part in the back, e.g. the dead end stop of the swing axle (if you have one). Tire width varies between Brands. Best is to check locally at the dealer if you can.

If you want to make tire size an "art": For the looks, it is recommended to keep the tire height and tire bulge ratios balanced between FA and RA.

If you run a smaller tire in the front, you might want to go with a slightly higher sidewall ratio, otherwise the rear tire will be come too dominant. (with the same sidewall ratio, but a smaller tire, the sidewall height decreases as well:
The front tire sidewall will have 215mm x 60% x 2.54 = 5".
The rear tire sidewall will be about 6.5".

This is already some noticeable difference between FA and RA. Looking from the side, the front will look relatively small compared to the 275 in the back.

Also, the front tire will bulge about 1.25" to either side over the 6" rim, so you should make sure your front rim has the correct offset to ensure your tire does not rub the chassis with the inner tire at full turn.

See here:

I once mocked different tire sizes I run 15x6 and 15x8 rims as well:

Another consideration which comes to play is the tire weight (unsprung mass) and the impact on acceleration and suspension behaviour. I checked the impact of the unsprung mass (x 4!) between a 255/65 and a 275/55 tire was equal to about 70Kg more or less. this is about 10% of the car, and you will feel if you carry this around or not.
Also the suspension performance - if in a buggy we can speak performance - is better with a lighter rim and tire. Your buggy might look cool with fat rims, but feels like glued to the ground when releasing the clutch. The weight impact made me choose a 255/60 over 275/55 tire. But this is my preference...

So, take your time to check some conditions on your buggy, e.g. front axle width, distance from tire to fender edge between on FA and RA etc...
Many things make the look, and many criteria are purely subjective.

Personally, I would consider to mount maximum a 195/65 on the front. It will have a similar diameter than a 205/60, is smaller but keeps the 5" sidewall. Meaning the sidewall will become a little more dominant. In the pic above, the 205 on the FA is a low porfile tire, and (as per my taste) low profile tires are made for GT or race cars, not necessarily for buggies (if not dragged or raced). And 205s on the FA are buggers to steer in slow speeds.

You might want to check a 185 + 255 tire combo. I thick there are some nice tires out there in those dimensions not looking too much 'race' with a slightly bigger sidewall height. Larger sidewalls was the look of early tires, they will nicely match the classic touch of your rims shown above.

One thing is for sure, there is many chances to easily disturb or destroy the stance of the buggy with the wrong tire size combo...

This is my buggy:

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'73 Beach Buggy
'66 T1 Deluxe

[timcurtis67]

5" Narrowed front with 17" on it. 2" Narrowed rear with 18" rims.

Lowered down here.
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67 Desert Fox Spoiler

[Bkhansen93]

Thanks for all the information! That was really helpful. I would run a smaller tire up front but I am using a stock speedometer so with that size I sit as a diameter of the necessary 25.25" for accurate speed readings. I realize that it is best to use tires with the same sidewall ratio but getting them close should be ok right? after a bit of trial and error last night I'm looking at 215/60/15 and 255/70/15. 8" wheel in back 7" wheel in front.

[MrGoodtunes]

[oprn]

Interesting! And the results are fairly linear throughout he speedo range?

[MrGoodtunes]

[kitcarguy]

17s on my Invader GT

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