[Turbo Man]

The tyres on my '97 Aero are now due to be changed (Michelin Pilots). As the alloys are also a bit worse for wear (thanks to previous owner), I'm thinking of going up to 17".

If any of you folks have gone the 17" route:-
What are the effects on ride,handling etc.?
Will I need to alter suspension bits,use spacers etc ?
Also what alloys (in your opinion) suit the 9000 ? In my opinion - most do not !! I was thinking Azev 'AS'.
Any thoughts/comments will be most welcome.

 

[JFP]

Dear Turbo man,
I also had this dilema on my aero.
If you go to 17'' i think you need 225 width tyres, which might rub when on lock.

Also I had concerns about aqua planing and that the 17'' tyres cost significantley more.

I purchased some 97' aero alloys (dished centres with nuts on show) from two stroke to turbo which seemed a bargain at £325 for a set of 4 origional SAAB new ones.

I agree most wheels do not suit but I was tempted by a set of 17'' multispoke wheels from Europarts but after speaking to a guy in a car park who had a set, I was put off because he was not happy with their quality .

 

[aeropilot]

I was thinking of going the larger diameter wheel route as well, so as to be able to fit the AP 4 pot brake kit at a later date. Trouble is that means going to 18" (according to Abbott's,unless you fit 17" Kahn RS-S...yuk!) and means doing mods to the rear suspension geometry. However, the main reason though I haven't bothered is that the only wheels that looked OK were the ones Abbott fitted to most of the cars they converted, the Speedline Supertourismo's. Unfortunately they aren't made anymore so I'll be sticking to the standard Aero wheels.

 

[quarryeff]

Leave standard. Larger wheels means lower profile tyres (or else speedo readings affected with effective gearing). Lower profile = stiffer sidewalls = harsher ride. Take it from me - it is normally done for cosmetic reasons or because someone sees a cheap set of wheels.

 

[mpen]

when I bought this carlsson it had 225s on it.....looked wicked......I changed it back to 205s within a week.......the ride was a nightmare....

 

[Paul D]

I wholly agree with the last two postings.

Plus, if you catch a curb or pothole, low profile tyres are much more likely to cause damage to the alloys, as less sidewall = less protection! In which case you could end up buying a new alloy!

Also, when parking you mustn't touch the kerb as the alloy wheel gets scrapped as opposed to the tyre sidewall.

But if it's looks that you want.. roll on!

 

[1989agoodvintage]

Hmm, nice to have a set pf 17"'s to slap on for track days (if u can afford to do them).

 

[James]

If it's 17" wheels you're after, you could always get your hubs re-drilled with the 9-5 / 9-3 5-bolt pattern. Then you could use any of the 17" wheels from the 9-5 (and 9-3). Assuming the offsets are the same.

HTH

James

 

[mpen]

1989...I wouldnt even try them on track days..it totally changed the car..it just did not feel safe at speed........but if anybody needs to try it I still have the tyres in my garage..

 

[wrighar]

Well I still use my Aero 16" wheels, but I've been using 225/50*16's for the last 4 years.

The side wall height is the same, but you get an extra 3/4 inch of width.

Andrew

 

[1989agoodvintage]

I'm taking into account that a good racetrack won't be littered with potholes and you'd get to utilise the superior grip of the 225's.

I agree that 17"'s are worse than 16"'s for normal road use.

 

[Turbo Man]

Thanks for the comments,some good advice here.
I've decided to stick to 16"'s, but as for the type of alloy - hmmmmmm, the jury is still out !!
Don't get me wrong - I like the Aero as it is and I know some of the purists would disagree to change the alloys from Saab originals. But I've had the car for 1 year now and have always personalised my motors in the past. I don't want to do anything too drastic - so to start with I've just got some clear side repeaters from Elkparts.

 

[aeropilot]

If you do go to 17" wheels fit 215/45 x 17 tyres not the 225's. Should have less problems with these than going the 225 route, altough it will tramline a bit more and the ride will be harsher than with the standard 205/55 x 16 setup.

 

[roadrunner]

I have 235/40/17's on now..goodyear f1's absolutely superb ..ride unnafected and just a little more tramlining
rims were stil auto manta rays not so good
two have corroded and one is badly buckled
(after 2 years !)any suggestions ?

 

[mutungi]

Stick to 16" - genuine SAAB wheels, for tyres you can't beat the 205/50/16 V-Z rated....SAAB performance is optimised with this size! If you are keen on using 17" wheels, buy a Ford Granada and fit some on that car, they will look superb! BUT NOT ON A SAAB PLEASE!

 

[gadgeteer]

Hi Turbo Man

If you do change up to 17" wheels and want to sell on your old aeros I'd be interested in buying them to replace my standard 15's.

Cheers
Gadgeteer

 

[gassy]

I recently changed the standard 15" cross-spoke wheels from my '91 2.3 SE to a set of new SAAB aero 16" c/w Gislaved (?) 205/55 tyres for £600 + VAT. I'm very pleased with the change. I had considered 17" but didn't want to risk ride comfort. I'm pleased. The car looks good, & the ride and stability is slightly better than before. And they're so much easier to clean. I treated them with a proprietory solution (let me know if you want me to provide the details) that makes the brake dust rinse off very easily.

I think the price was pretty good, apparently SAAB is making a bit more of an effort in the after-market arena and offering good deals to some recognised specialists.