rim and tire combo...

['74super]

i was looking through my latest eurotuner and noticed a nice set of rims that would look just awesome on my sb. they are black and 5 spoke...but only 15" in diameter. would the application of a good directional tire (toyo, pirelli) allow me to get optimal handling and tire stick or would a larger rim be better? -nick

[vujade]

the only problem with using a 15" rim with low profile tire is that you dramatically change the diameter of the stock tire height which will affect your highway speeds and you wont be able to use a larger brake like 944T or bigger.

[zen]

trade offs. larger rims means more unsprung weight. smaller means less weight but you limit larger brake options. you can make 15's work and work well. you will have to run 60 profile or up to keep diameter and you will be limted to Ghia brakes or something similar. Ghia brakes all the way around is more than sufficient though unless you are doing autocrossing. i am guessing that you are looking at the Flix stuff. i have been looking at the same for my Vanagon. i went 17" on the bug for look and to fit the larger brakes.

long story short, what are you looking to do with your car? street only, street and some autocrossing, some racing, drag, circuit???

['74super]

in response to vujade, i won't be running a low-profile tire. it will still have a significant sidewall to it. my brother has some toyos on his jetta (14" rim) and they stick just amazing. my car will be mostly street. i won't do any autocrossing in it....just some intense street driving. i live in ga, the roads are nice and twisty..i want a car tha can handle them...

[yellow73]

I am in the process of putting 15" cookie cutters on my '73 std beetle and the offset is the same as the empi-style 8 spokes so I hope they are an easy install. I plan to put CB Performance rear discs since I already have the Ghia style fronts and stock rears. I have never had a braking problem until I went driving in the North Georgia mountains and up and down Brasstown Bald (the highest mountain in Georgia) and at the bottom of the hill I had almost no brakes and some smoke!!!! So this seemes like a good reason to invest in some better rear brakes. Airkewld has a set up similar to CB Performance's with cross drilled rotors but they are more expensive. I have 195 65 15's on the front and 60's on the rear and it held on really well around the corners.
Hope this is useful

[zen]

see, nigel, i knew you could find a good excuse.