wider stance

[robinimpey]

What is everyone's opinion on how a Delica will handle with a wider stance? I can put rims on with a wider offset giving my Delica about a 3 inch wider stance. Better? Worse? A notable difference?

Let me know what you think.

[jessef]

See below. There are many threads regarding tire width/sizes.

Everything depends on how wide the rim is, what the offset/backspacing is, how high your Delica is (stock or lifted) and what size tires you have.

Put all of those together and figure out using the previous postings below.

Widest rim/tire I have seen on a 'normal' Delica is what I have now. 3.75 " backspacing 8" wide rim, 10.5" wide offroad tire. That puts my stance/width right at the sliding door (meaning I can't open it).

If you get one of the ridiculously lifted monster Delica's that ride on rocks, you can go with a wider rim.

The limitation on the Delica's is the front wheel well. Going wider would need lots of trimming and cutting from the body.

Right now, I'm 6.8 inches wider than a stock Delica rubber to rubber from the outside of the tire.

If you only want to go out 1.5 inches on each side, you can get a 7" wide rim with a 9.5 or 10.5" wide tire which will do it.

This is what mine looks like now :



http://www.delica.ca/forum/backspacing- ... r-2542.htm

BACKSPACING / OFFSET CALCULATOR :

http://www.bigcustomwheels.com/info_specs.jsp

http://www.delica.ca/forum/so-what-s-th ... -4424.html

I think the best setup for 'all-around' 50/30/20 city/highway/offroad for an auto (99% of Delica's) is a 30x9.5x15 tire on a 15" rim.

I'm set on 15" rims because of the added rubber on the sidewalls. If you need to air down, there is more rubber.

On the other hand, a 16" rim will be lighter with the same diameter tire.


1" lift via Torsion bar re-index/crank to level out and a 1" lift in the rear via leaf spring re-arc.

With this, you get a solid ride for both city/offroad.


If you are looking at more off roading, a 31" tire size is great because it will give you a wider stance (more stable) with the right offset rims but you'll have to go higher. 2" in front/rear via suspension upgrade.

I personally like the ride with the 2" lift and 31's.

The Delica feels more stable around corners, much more stable on the highway over 100 km/hr and takes bumps,etc.. a lot softer.

Compromise is the cost of the larger tires, fuel consumption if you drive with the foot to the floor and cost/time to do the modifications.

Anything larger would require a lot of modifications and some compromises. Unless you're doing all the fabricating/experimenting, I'd leave it at 2" max lift.

So on an auto, a 30" diameter tire with a 1" lift is ideal.

On a 5spd, a 31" diameter tire with a 2" lift is ideal to offset the poor choice of gearing.

As for fuel consumption on an auto. Going to 31" tires, my mpg didn't change at all providing I drove 'conservatively'.

If I put my foot to the floor, then mileage is worse with larger tires.

Normal easy-go-driving with 235's, 30's or 31's are all very similar.

As for tires and rims, you can look on craigslist for a set of used rims for a Toyota or Chevy truck.

If I had a choice on 31x10.5 tires, I would opt for a 15x8 rim with 4" backspacing. That way you can still use the sliding door to it's max.

I have 15x8 rims with 3.75" backspacing and that 1/4 of an inch is all that is keeping me from sliding the side door all the way back.

You can also get away with a 15x7 rim with 31's as well.

For bang for you buck, performance and what you get out of it all, a 1" suspension lift and 30" tires is the best compromise.

[DoubleMonk]

Wow! I have read tons on this subject all over this site. It's mentioned oodles of times in many threads. You almost all of them to get a good picture of what to do, yet at the same time reading so many becomes equally confusing. But this ... BUT THIS, is a piece of work! Nice explanation. Pieces like this ought to be a sticky.