1980 242 GT: PANASPORT 15 x 6" wheel sold by iRoll Motors will not clear the front calipers. What minimum thickness spacers do I need to clear the calipers?

IPD sells a 25 mm set, and BONOSS sells a top quality one , in various thicknesses.

Thanks for you advice!

Hi, I looked at the iroll site. They have the Panasport wheel in 2 offsets, 12 and 20.Somewhere on the wheel you should see either ET20 or ET12. I don't know what the ET part means.

All 240's I know back to 1980 use a 20 mm offset on the stock 5.5 inch wheels. I think the 15"x6" Volvo alloys have a 25mm ofset, so If you have the 12mm offset wheels they will need spacers to move the wheel out 12 or 13mm.(1/2 inch).

That's my best guess but don't buy anything without getting a second opinion. I think Iroll could help you out. Something else you could do is put a 1/2" worth of washers on 3 of your wheel studs and see what the clearance looks like with the wheel on.

Offset is not the issue. The 'spokes' of the wheel do not recess enough, and rub against the caliper. Mike Dudek at iRoll Motors said 3/8" spacing would clear. I could use washers, but will get something more substantial, like proper spacers from BONOSS in a custom-made 15 mm thickness. IPD sells them in a 25 mm , but that seems too much, and may cause tire rubbing on the fender lip. Will check out some measurements and see what will work. OR, ... I could just bolt-on the VIRGO wheels I have!

Thanks,
Mark

Hi Mark.

I should have been clearer. I was not suggesting that you use washers to permanently mount the wheel. Only that you could simulate the effect of a spacer to observe the clearance.

The purpose of a spacer is to change the offset, so if a spacer solves your problem, then it is an offset issue. I suspect you have 12 offset wheels because 3/8" spacers will change that very close to 20.

https://tiresize.com/wheel-offset-calculator/

The original set up was 185-70-14 tires with 20 offset and zero spacers.

good luck
Peter

Consider 740 alloys. They are 15xs6 and no spacers required on 240's. 205/60-15 give an OD very close to original 185/70-14 on the stock steel wheels.

Hi,

Another option is 185-65-15, which at 24.5" comes in closer to the 24.2 height of the 185-70-14. The 205-60-15 is 24.7". https://tiresize.com/comparison/

The 205 is noticeably wider which some may consider to be worth the extra money. I recently replaced the 195-60-15's in the front of my 90 245 with 185-65-15's. They are the same width as the stock 14's and I found the ride to be better. Some of that may be due to the fact that I replaced worn tires with new. It's hard to say, but I'm very happy with them.

For the rear, narrower tires usually perform better in snow and slippery conditions.

Peter