I have a 1986 240DL sedan with 14” factory wheels. The second set of wheel plates/covers is in need of replacement. Turbo wheels would eliminate the need or use of wheel covers and be otherwise beneficial for the car (still only 80K miles)

I do note, however, that 15” turbo wheels seem much more available than turbo 14” wheels. Is there enough room for 15” wheels with my car, and or will 15” wheels rub or be non-functional in some way ? Or is it wise to restrain myself from buying anything but 14” turbo wheels ?
Thanks,
Jerry

You will find that the 15 inch Turbo whell with a 195/60R15 will be a smaller overall diameter likely than the 14 inch wheel you are currently using. At least that was the case when I switched my 84 240 from 14 inch coronas to 15 inch Turbos. The formula used to determine overall wheel size is such that it is easy to determine.
For the 15 inch wheels I had with 190/60R15 rubber, the '60' is 60% of the 195mm (the width), giving a ratio of width to height. So 60% of 195 is 117mm, times two equals 234mm, or 9.2 inches, plus rim size of 15 inch equals 24.2 inches overall height. Do the same for the wheel and tire combinatin and see what you get, and compare..

Bottom line is you will have no problem making the switch.
JD

Never heard of 14" turbo wheels, but the 15" turbo wheels will work just fine, no problems with clearance. You will also have a better selection of performance oriented tires beyond the regular touring types used for most cars.
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Zack Silver 83' 242Ti (225k)

Just for the record, there were produced at least two 14" copies of the Virgo wheel. One was very close to the original, ony smaller. The other one had less rounded "corners" on the spokes and was easier to tell apart from the original. I do not know if they were sold outside of Scandinavia - and they were not very popular here either.

Regards,
Erling.
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My 240 Page

Thanks, Zack, Do you have any idea why Volvo would use 14" wheels in the first place if 15" wheels seem to have the advantage. Or is 1986 so long ago that the entire scene was different?
Also, your experience is that the 15" wheels, with the turbo rims will not rub or bring about a problem in the wheel housing with the car that I have ?

I would imagine 14" steel wheels were cheaper and easier to mass produce at the time, and the taller sidewalls allow for a smoother (softer) ride like that found on most family cars of the era. 15" wheels were used on the "performance" models such as the 240 turbo, which allowed for a more sport oriented suspension and handling setup.

Similiar to the comparison today between stock 15" wheels and performance 17" wheels.

You will find a lot of people both on this board and elsewhere that have run 15" wheels for years with no problems, the size difference is minimal.
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Zack Silver 83' 242Ti (221k)