Hi,
I have a 1990 740 Turbo Wagon which came with 16" wheels,It has been suggested that if I change to 15" wheels I will get a better ride quality ??
Your thoughts/Comments please

Something else to consider: Winter tires. If you get them, I would most certainly recommend 185/65 15s on rims. "Narrow" tires work so much better on snow and ice. (But I see from your postal code you're in Gabriola, BC. I'm in Ontario, but my brother lives there. Not sure what the snow conditions are most winters there.)

If you go to a taller sidewall you will probably notice an improvement in ride. For example, if you have 205/50 16s now, and go to 15" wheels and 205/60 tires, you should be able to feel the difference. 205/65s will make it somewhat more apparent. The taller sidewalls will also reduce cornering grip and steering feel, in proportion to the improvement in ride. Not that it will turn the car into a Buick or anything, I liked the way mine felt with 205/60 15s----better than with stock (for a non-turbo) 185/65s, and WAY better than with the puny 185/70 14s the car originally came with, which are, in my opinion, completely inadequate for a car the size and weight of a 740, particularly a wagon.

Depending on which type of front brakes you have, there is some possibility that 15" wheels will not clear the calipers. Check to make sure BEFORE you buy new tires.

The only 15" wheels that might be an issue with clearance are the 240T "Virgo" 5-spoke wheels. All the 15" alloys for 740, 740T, 760, 940, 940T and pre-95 960, will fit all 740/940/T models without clearance issues for the big ABS calipers.

The Virgo wheel is an oddball regarding its profile on the backside. They'd work fine on the rear of any 7/9 though. The issue is only on the front of some ABS equipped models (which are mostly all Turbos).

The spares supplied with all these are 15" steel wheels, so that should define what is needed to clear the brakes.

--Rob Bareiss, New London, CT

I recently put 15" Virgos from my turbo '83 245 (non-ABS) on my '92 245DL (has ABS). Haven't run it much since (less than 100miles) and haven't noticed an issue. Will I experience a problem?

Mike
--
'83 245 GLT, '90 760 GLT

Are you looking for a smoother ride, or is handling and roadholding a greater priority? Given the same tire diameter (which you will want to maintain to keep speedometer calibration) the 15" wheels would have a taller aspect ratio tire, which rides softer, but also handles more vaguely than your lower aspect ratio 16" tires. Here is a good website to compare diameters and speedometer readings for different size tires: http://www.net-comber.com/tirecalc.html

Just FYI, the 15" wheels take 185/65 tires, but being 6" wide they'll easily accommodate 195/60 tires. Beyond that, you'll be getting the bulged out NASCAR look.