Hap - 175/70/13 or 185/70/13 for your Superlights?

[twas_brillig]

Dang! just composed a comment worthy of Shakespeare, and the modern equivalent of The Prince of Darkness wiped it out!

Try again:

1 - our 'running' Sprite is on 155/80R13 Kumho tires. I think I mentioned 165 earlier; I'm assuming the the 155s are about the widest you'd want to go on a stock rim

2- I went out and measured up a Rostyle wheel that we'd salvaged years ago from a Midget of unknown vintage (if you need decent front fenders, holler with a PM as the shop in Edmonton, Alberta, that I gave them to still has them hanging on a wall). The wheel is 5 3/8 inches from outer width to outer width; the mounting flange is inset 3 5/8" inches from the inner 'outer' edge of the wheel

3- the Rostyle weighs about 7.5 pounds,which is about 2 pounds heavier than the original BE wheel

Doug

 

[Hap Waldrop]

Thanks guys - and good luck with the new wheels Hap!

Are you going to post some pictures? Hint, hint, hint...

Yes, it will be about early March before the new 13x5.5 arrive, the one style will be very simular to the Superlite, it's called the Classic 8, we're already selling these in the 15x6 and quite pleased with them, they are lighter and better looking, we'll have the Classic 8 in the 13x5.5 as well, and will be introducing the new design, the Retro 4, it is a modern remake of the American Racing Libre.

 

[regularman]

I ran a set of those Khumbo tires on the wifes Ford Festiva. It uses 155/80/12s and with her driving it, we only got about 14k miles and the tires were worn slicker than a moles butt. I would not recommend these if you are looking for mileage. The only reason I ran them is that 12s are hard to find at all any more. Thats why I had bought wheels and some adapters to get 13s on her car and hopefully get some decent rubber on there that I won't have to change every year or so. I am looking at 165/65/13s for her car made by bridgestone. Great little car with super gas milage but tires is the bad part.

 

[tdskip]

Last question on this topic - I promise (and maybe to help out future research for yet-to-be Sprite owners since this seems to be a regular topic)

If I go with the 175/70/13 for the Bugeye over the 185/70/13 am I correct in that I <span style="font-style: italic">shouldn't</span> have backspacing issues and will just be trading off some contact patch?

<span style="text-decoration: underline">To illustrate the trade off in width of rubber on the road</span>

"Stock" tires on stock rims;

<span style="font-weight: bold">155 / 25.4 = 6.10 contact width in inches</span>

Superlites with 175/70/13

<span style="font-weight: bold">175 / 25.4 = 6.88 contact width in inches</span>

Superlites with 175/70/13

<span style="font-weight: bold">185mm / 25.4 = 7.28 contact width in inches</span>

So it seems like the 175 would give me a nice increase in contact patch without over doing it for a street car.

(I know to some extent this comes down to personal preferece)

Thanks!

 

[Trevor Jessie]

The interference often comes from the sidewalls, and there are no standard measurements. However, a 175/70 on the superlite rims should be OK on the bugeye. If your rear spring bushings are worn out, it may rub on hard cornering (but then your handling is compromised and tires are irrelevant)

 

[aeronca65t]

This is not exactly what you're looking for, but maybe it's a "worst case" illustration.

Here's my vintage race Spridget with 185/60-13 DOT tires (these are really Yokohama race tires that are barely street legal).

The rims are stock Rostyle Midget rims with 3/16" spacer.

There is about "one (small) finger" of space between the sidewall at the leaf spring. Without my panhard rod, this would rub on turns. It actually does lightly graze the leaf spring under certain conditions.
Some racers use crazy Z-shaped "offset springs" to add clearance in this area (I'm sure Hap is familiar with them).

 

[tdskip]

Thanks for the pictures -that helps me visualize the fit. That is one mean looking Spridget! Very cool.