lazy question..

[ggzilla]

Funny ... some Aussies ive conversed with think the Datsun engineers chose 139.7 when designing the wheels, not realizing they were mostly using non-metric prior to 1967.

 

I mean hey, where you going to find metric tires?

[datzenmike]

The Z20 long rods at 152.5mm. I always wondered why that exactly until I converted them to inches.

[Ron1200]

I mean hey, where you going to find metric tires?

 

Though not common, they are available. I have Michelin tires in the size 185/65-390 (mm / % - mm) on my Alfa.  B)

 

Ford TRX wheels from the 80s (?) used metric tires. Also used on: BMW, Audi, Mercedes-Benz,Citroen, Peugeot, Ford, Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, Renault, and SAAB.

 

 

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

 

The Michelin TRX, (and the related TDX), is a radial tire introduced by the Michelin Group in 1975. It is one of the first volume-produced low-profile tires. Although technologically advanced, and reasonably successful, the tire's requirement for a non-standard rim ultimately condemned it to a relatively short commercial life. It has thus been called the "Betamax of the tire industry. Michelin used metric sizes for TRX roadwheels instead of the standard imperial wheel size, (normally stated in inches).

 

Also... Regarding the Toyota alloy wheels, and maybe others, I believe that they use a special lug nut.  Just something to consider when planning ur wheel swap.

 

[jrock4224]

what happened to the wheel question

[ggzilla]

That's correct. I've had many sets of metric TRX tires, they were most excellent. Where you going to find a set in 2013?

 

We don't find metric tires for a Datsun truck, because the Datsun, Chevy, Toyota engineers specified wheels in inches such as 14 or 15 or 16 etc inch wheels. Same with the bolt pattern - the Japanese engineers specified 6x5.5 inch.

[Figbuck]

When I was a kid the first spoked alloys I noticed were 5 spoke Cragers on hot rods. American Racing made spoked wheels too and they were all five spoked wheels. For a long time all the Indy cars and endurance sports cars had 5 spoke mags. It's a '70s truck I would like to see a five spoke wheel of some kind.

 

In 1990 I was so off into riding sport bikes and my Datsun was just a rusty POS to tow my trailer for track days. I needed better tires so I could stop a trailer with bikes on it. I took it to local tire shop and told the guy to get me some wheels to fit the biggest Dunlop Qualifiers you could put on it. They had like maybe six or eight types of wheels... I got a basic 5 spoke AR steelie painted white. Eight inches wide. It was such a dramatic change from the stock wheels.

 

They made it really fun to drive out in the hills, it handles like a slot car. So I have been through two sets of 225/60r14 Dunlop Qualifiers. Great tires for the money performance wise. While they are new anyway. The last set I got, I had to buy three new ones because of sidewall cuts and one of them de-laminated and blew up. Every new tire i bough the design and tread patterns were changed. Then they discontinued making 14s. Of the seven Dunlops I bought, only one is still on the truck nearing 60K miles.

 

I have three other different brand-x used tires on it. I have been through three used tires in the last two years. It's hard as hell to any used 14s anymore. So why not buy some new tires? I wish. You would think that there would be some Chen Shings or Brand-X tire in that size or even close like a 210/60r14, but It seems like nobody make 14" tires much anymore and nothing that wide... except for BF Goodrich TA Radials... for $150ea massaged and fondled.

 

Six hundred bucks a set would be totally cool if it was lovin' on my toy Z-car or 510. But since fun was cancelled, this is my daily driver. I want to be able to get good tires that are cheap and expendable. I'm wishing for an 8" wide wheel so I can fit 225s.

 

Would I be correct in saying that I will have to look for 18" Titan/Armada wheels to get an 8" width? Is there a 17x8 Titan wheel??

 

I'm thinking some kind of plain 5 spoke wheel; 15x7, 16x7 even 17x7, but that's making the side-wall a little small. A sixteen inch wheel would be better looks wise and I think 16" wheels are more common... I don't know that to be true but...

 

is it really too hard to find a plain five spoke 16X8 wheel with the with lug pattern so I could run 225/60r16?