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I want 14s on my 2wd DL


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Did a search but everything I found had to do with lifted rigs. I've got an '84 hardtop with the stock 13s and was looking at some new tires and was shocked that there's not much AT ALL to choose from. I'd like to broaden my horizons by moving up to 14s. Does anybody have any experience with running 14s on a 2wd that rides at the stock height? And if so, what wheels did you go with and why? I don't care a damn bit about looks.

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X2, Redrill your hubs(what I recommend) or some wheels.

 

If you want more options move to a 15 or 16" wheel. You can still get tires that will be the same size as the 185/70/13's that you have now, they'll just have a smaller sidewall.

 

A buddy of mine ran 195/60/15's on his GL and they are almost the exact same size as a stock 13" and really common too. You can even go with some 6 lug 17" yukon/escalade wheels and run some 235/40/17's..they're only an inch taller than stock. With redrilled hubs the sky is the limit, any wheel, any style, any size and any tire.

 

Use a tire calculator like this to help:

 

http://www.discounttire.com/dtcs/infoTireMath.dos

 

Put in what you have now and what you are thinking of and it will tell you all the differences side by side.

 

Josh

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easiest to install is steel 14 inch peugeot wheels.  might be a bit tricky to find, check craigslist and maybe put a looking for add on there.  they are the proper pattern, take normal lugs, and have the correct offset.

 

they have peugeot alloys too that look nice but need special lugs.

 

I would drill your hubs rather than drill the wheels, it only takes a minimum amount of more work and then you can swap out for any common 6 lug rims you want.

 

the 4x4 section will have more info. 

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I redrill wheels

 

Half the work.  No studs to buy.  Easy to replace hubs if you have one wear out.

 

Limits wheel choice to steelies with a flat center......but they are easy to find from Nissan/Toyota/Mazda/Mitsubushi trucks from 80's and 90's.

 

Here's my GF's stock height Loyale with 185/70/14's  About 1-1/4" bigger than the stock 13'sIMG_3736_zps9949ad95.jpg

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I bought stock size 13's from Tire rack.com. They were about half the price of anywhere else I looked. General Arctic Ultima x or something like that. Directional, lots of sipes and voids. Took very little weight to balance. Made in Germany. 

 

Join

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  • 5 weeks later...

... Does anybody have any experience with running 14s on a 2wd that rides at the stock height? ...

 

I ran my 2WD (FWD) Wagon with stock height, with 15" rims and 25" tires for a while, no problems, just a small rubbing on the front fenders, during closed turns only...

 

Also I recommend to move to 15" instead of 14"

 

Kind Regards.

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I decided that I'd go with 15" wheels, and I like the look of these trailer wheels.

 

http://ecustomhitch.com/i-10782365-2-boat-trailer-rims-wheels-15-15x6-6-lug-hole-bolt-black-spoke.html?gclid=CIq5--vjxbwCFeJF7Aod7V8AxA

 

I plan to redrill to a 6 lug and am mounting 185/65/15 wheels. My only question is about offset. I've seen some pics of lifted rigs with trailer wheels and the tire seems to sit directly under the lip of the fender. Will that be an issue with a car riding at stock height? I routinely carry quite a bit of weight in the car and don't want any rubbing going on. However, I COULD adjust the rear torsion bars to raise it up a bit I suppose.

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  • 2 years later...

Less than stock offset = further "away from center" of the pivot point of the king pins making constant side pressure (unless your in the air... ;) causing early wear and added steering resistance & more stress on the ball joints, and the steering will not be the same because the kingpin is no longer pivoting in the center of the wheel. It also will cause constant pull on the lower A frame wearing out it's ball joints/bushings sooner. But if you want a wider wheel base maybe it's worth it. For street/daily driving I wouldn't want it. Off road maybe so :)

Edited by Craigar
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Phiz's website linked further up shows the hub-drilling option.

 

My preference is slightly different. I get a stock rear brake drum, punch out 2 of the 4 studs (diagonally opposed, not next to each other!). Bolt the other holes on to your donor 6 stud wheel. Drill 2 fresh holes into your 6 stud wheel, which makes it 8 studs, using the brake drum as a template.

 

Then weld up 4 of the 8 holes in the 6-stud wheel. Grind back and paint. Will look stock so no legal issues.

 

Finding a suitable offset wheel is the trick - especially for a Loyale. And it needs to have a smooth centre, as many modern steel wheels have ribs around the 6 existing studs.

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