Technical 15" 195-45-15 on Seicento Abarth

[jaspernina]

I'm sure this has been covered many times but can't find the right answers. My 1998 Sei Abarth has the 14" wheels with bolts. It's been lowered by 20mm. Will I have problems with 15" wheels, been to different retailers giving different advice. Most of them say the bolts go and wobbly nut kit fitted, but my car has fiat spacers for the bolts, won't this bring the wheel further into the arch? Don't want to spend the money only to find they rub.

The wheels i thought of getting are:
TEAM DYNAMICS ARNAGE 6.5x15 With 195-45-VR15 Tyres

Thanks in advance

Stephen

 

[chaos]

Totally depends on the offset of the alloys TBH.

However, IIRC you will have to roll the rear arches to make the 15s fit and you may have to limit the steering rack so that the front wheels don't rub at full lock.

 

[fingers99]

That's about it. But why go for wobble bolts (which may mean -- much more significant -- using wheels with an incorrect centre bore)? There's lots of stuff with 98pcd and FIAT/Alfa/Lancia centre bore out there. The Abarth spacers take the wheels out from the centre line of the car (effectively they reduce the et) and are unlikely to be big enough. You need to end up with an effective et (after spacers fitted) as close as humanly possible to the original, otherwise handling, steering and component life will be affected.

 

[allanhelen]

If you need to fit largish spacers to correct the offset on top of the spacer studs then the chances are you will have to loose the std studs and fit new new regular studs as they will not be long enough make sure you factor this in.

Hope you get them to fit without problems but from others experience you won't especially if the car is lowered

 

[blu73]

My cinq has 15's on it and is lowered 20mm, its fine but rears catch a bit with people in the back on bumps. But comparing my cinq to my sei then i'd say theres more room on a sei than a cinq for big wheels not alot but a bit. Can't remember what size my tyres are but i think they are 195/40's rather than 195/45's, i will go check i a bit for you though.

 

[J333EVO]

6.5" wide wheels are pretty big on a Cento, if you can find 6" wide wheels then you can fit a 165/50 15 tyre which gives a radius almost exactly the same as a 185/50 14 tyre 10.6" V's 10.7" or in other words diameter 21.3" V's 21.5"

You can even buy Bridgestone Potenza RE040 in this size at only £43 a tyre.

Or if really brave Toyo R8888 are available in this size but again max width 6" and only recommended for track day work as they do not shift standing water, though do work in damp conditions.

You could also go to 175/50 15 tyre, again a few options when it comes to tyres and size difference over the 185/50 14 is small, radius 10.9" diameter 21.9" so just over half inch bigger than the default 185/50 14 tyre as fitted to Abarths. (yes I know 175/50 14 was fitted by Fiat but availability of tyres is small.)

We are going to be using Lancia Thema Turbo alloys on our 16V Cinq, 5.5" wide 15" with Toyo R888's. They fit straight on in terms of PCD & centre bore & at only 5.5" wide should help with clearing the 6 speed gearbox by fitting some spacers to make track as wide as possible, and not rub at the rear as not too wide. This will allow us to use the Toyo R888's as the next size up is a 195/50 15 tyre which would just be too big, plus there 14" tyre option is a 185/60 has to high a side wall.

 

[fingers99]

There are a fair few 6J 15s ex Alfa wheels out there. Tend to have high ET numbers which means big expensive hub centric spacers, but (in 4 stud) they have the right PCD and centre bore. Through a ClubCento contact I picked up some 195/45/15 Marangonis at £32 a corner!

I've yet to do the full scrubbage test (springs out, full lock, etc.) but on a cento lowered 30mm or so they don't seem to foul at the front even on full lock, at the rear the rear arches need rolling gently. Amazingly the Magnex fouled on the tailpipe, but that won't be going back on. This with the ETs "normalised" back to standard with the spacers.

With 15s you really are pushed for space, and the fronts look a wee bit too sticky-outy to be absolutely legal (but with a bit of static negative and a friendly MOT man I should be OK and avoid pulls).