Looking to switch up the wheels and tires on my 240. Currently still got the 14 inch stocks. Wanting to switch to 17s. Anyone have knowledge of this or has anyone made that switch??

 

a 240 will ride like **** on 17", the suspension just isn't suitable for the sort of super-low profile tire you'd need to mount.

whatever you do, keep the outside diameter of the wheel constant, and keep the offset consistent (ET of 20-25 mm). biggest wheel I'd put on a 240 would be a 15" with like P195/60R15 tires and even that will have a harsher ride than the stock 14 P185/70r14 or whatever..

if you have steel wheels now, you'll need different lug nuts for alloys.

 

OK thank you. Do you have any experiences with lowering a 240?

 

Okay.... 15" came standard on some 240s. It is what I am running. You *should* get different lugs, however if you use something like volvo's Virgo rims, they have steel insets in the holes, so steels lug nuts work just fine. Other (read cheaper) alloy rims don't do this, and you certainly don't want to put steel lugnuts on to an aluminum rim.

As to lowering... Of course it can be done. Two issues... Okay, three: The first is that I don't think it really improved the looks that much. The car has a decent look as it is, and it doesn't really make the ride significantly better. Second, If you want more track handling, stiffer springs will be a much better option. Finally, lowering the car significantly alters the suspension geometry. A lot of people don't realize this when they lower their cars, and the really screw up their camber. This of course provides all sorts of uneven tire wear. With the McPherson strut up front, the camber is not adjustable, so what you need to do is either a) live with terrible tire wear and short tire life or b) get a kit with some new parts will adjust your angle and make it right. *IF* this is the avenue you take, IPD can probably hook you up.

 

not only camber. lower the rear end, and if you don't modify the panhard rod, your rear suspension is offset to one side. you also change the angles of the drive shaft

the real question is, whats the purpose of this exercise (bigger wheels, lowering) ? is it handling performance or is it purely cosmetic, going for that ghetto 'slammed' look?

 

I'd like to improve handling and sure the cosmetic look has something to do with it. Not exactly trying to achieve a ghetto slammed look. But some might consider it that.

 

the ipd sport springs and sway bars, along with all new suspension bushings, and some bilstein HD shocks/struts, will get you the best handling mix with a bit of lowering (maybe 1.5" lower than stock). your ride comfort will suffer, you'll be finding new rattles in the car every day, but it will go around corners like a go-kart.

if you insist on going 16", you'd use 205/55-16. 15" w/ 195/60-15 will be less harsh of a ride. 16x7 ET20, or 15x7 ET20 rims with 5x108 bolt patterns probably fit.

The Volvo OEM rims used on various 240, 740, 940 are really high quality, and perfect fits. earlier years of sporty 240's got the Virgo Turbo 15" rims...


the sportier of the 740/940 turbos got the Hydra 16" wheels,



but to me these are a bit too modern looking for a 240, they go great on a 740...



(mine, loaded for a road trip)

 

If you bushings at at all worn, the biggest improvement you will see will probably be from new bushings. It made a world of difference on my 240. One of these days i'll probably go with a swaybar and whatnot, but the improvement with the new bushings was so dramatic that swaybar has moved way down the list. I did use polys, but think it was more that the old the bushings were old and torn up and not so much using poly instead of rubber.

As to Virgos, I think they are about the best looking wheel you can put on a 240.



But, I have my biases. Above is my car this past winter.