TR2/3/3A TR3A Wheel Options

Evening All,

I am looking for opinions on the maximum size wheel options I can fit comfortably on a 1960 3A.

For example, can I fit a 7 inch wide rim with 205/65/15's mounted?

What is the maxiumum/minimum offset I can go?

Is it possible to go with a 16 inch rim with lower profile tires if there are issues with wheel rubbing on the control arms?

I am looking at all options available at this stage of the game.

Cheers,
M. Pied Lourd

I'm not sure of the exact sizes, but last summer I tried to install a set of older Jag. XKE tires on my TR3 and they rubbed when taking turns or large bumps. I can't remember the tire size, but they were stock Jag. size tires, so maybe low profiles would have worked.

After thrashing the options around for a bit I ended up with 185/65-15 on stock rims. They work well and look good as well.

Here is the thread ; LINK

Hi M. Lourd, I have tried a couple of different wheels on my TR-3s. The widest wheel you can use is a 6 inch wide, the reason is that anything wider will rub your rear leaf springs. My friend has run 205/60/15 tires but found that they rubed on something up front, so after 10,000 miles went back to 195/60/15 tires. There are several inexpensive Pannasport style 15/7inch wheels on the market that are tempting but they just don't fit. Many years ago when I was racing an RX-3 in SCCA I needed lighter and wider wheels. I couldn't find any thing cheap but I had a set of wheels that had a different bolt pattern. I found a wheel business in Phoenix that redrilled my wheels and installed steel tapered inserts where the lug nuts went. I recently bought a set of EMPI Volkswagen wheels (8 Spoke American Racing lookalikes) and took them over to this company to have them redrilled. They wouldn't drill them for me, their reasoning was that the liability was too great. But they did tell me where to buy the inserts. I want my new project TR-3 to be a little different so I am still searching for a set of wheels. Good luck, I hope that this information helps. Bill C. Mesa, AZ

Thanks All for the advice.

I am restoring a vintage racing TR3, so I wanted it to maintain that racing look. It came with two sets up rims....one stock set of TR4 or TR250 rims with the studs for the hubcaps and one set of alloys with Yokohama racing slicks installed. I am not crazy about the look of the alloys that came with the car (although they are different.) One guy suggesed that they may have come off of a 70's English Capri. I was looking for something a little different than the minilites or panasports. I may go with the center knock off minilites with spinners although I know that that is a pricey option.

Here is a pic of the alloys that came with the car. If anyone could help identify what they might be off of, that would be appreciated.







Cheers,
M. Pied Lourd

They look similar to wheels used by TVR's.

TR-3s work well with 5.5" rims, and 6" fit well, but beyond that, if you want to clear everything inboard you are going to have to have all the offset outward and it is going to look like a full size Hotwheels toy.

I routinely ran 5.5" wheels - I liked the TR6 wires on them, and I also ran 14" x 5.5.

When I put on my MGA hill climb wheels that were 7" wide, they of course stuck out of the wheelwell (which makes themn illegal for the street) and also looks stupid. The 7 1/2" slicks certainly worked in the slalom, though!

This is my dead stock (well, I did install a front sway bar, but only because I needed a place to hang the front plate) TR-2 with 72 spoke TR6 wires. Gotta lay them Brooklands screens flat on the track to reduce wind resistance, you know!

Note the relation of the uotside of the rim to the fender lip - about even.

BTDT - lots of previous posts on this subject, if you search.

We run 205/60-15 Yokohama AVS on KN Minator 15x5.5 rims on the 58 3A. Needed a thin 1/8" spacer on the rear to prevent inner tire sidewall from rubbing on the leaf spring in fast corners. The fronts have 1/8" spacers as well and will rub in a hard braking tight corner or backing up fast at full lock. But for normal (even fast) driving, they fit. Can't remember the exact back spacing of my wheels but ISTR it's 3.75". 4" b.s. ain't gonna fit.

-Pete

This is how they look https://mysite.verizon.net/kentech0822/triumph/traaa_sm.jpg

Few wheels look nicer on a TR than American Racing Silverstones.


My 250





Watkins Glen Sept. 2008

Check out the superlite great price and great look. 6" wide on my TR3 with tires P195/65R15. I have a little rubbing on the front tires when I turn the steering to full lock.

https://s257.photobucket.com/albums/hh221/fad64b/

https://packracingproducts.com/acatalog/Order_by_Car.html

fad64b said:

I have a little rubbing on the front tires when I turn the steering to full lock.

Click to expand...

FWIW, you can very likely tweak the steering stops to fix that. I adjusted mine so the 205/55 tires would just barely touch the sway bar.

Revington, and maybe others, sell a larger steering stop to deal with just that issue.

Thanks All for the replys. Will let you know what I decide.

Cheers,
M. Pied Lourd

The little round disk with the hole drilled off center is so easy to make, you could make two of them yourself any size you want.

Frank,

Thanks for the photos and links to the superlites.

One more question for you....in one of your pictures on photobucket, it looks like you are using hood pins on your three. Is this the case or am I mistaken?

Cheers,
M. Pied Lourd

Don Elliott said:

The little round disk with the hole drilled off center is so easy to make, you could make two of them yourself any size you want.

Click to expand...

The hole doesn't even have to be off-center, if you get the size right the first time, or grind it down to fit.

One thing to check before buying wider wheels is that many sidescreen cars had the body mounted offset to the chassis. Typically on such cars the left rear tyre had up to one inch less clearance to the upper wheel arch than the right rear tyre.

Might be worth measuring up the car before making any new purchase.

Wishing you a TRiffic New Year,

Viv.

TS39781LO had that, but it looked like the body itself was asymmetrical. Never did figure out why. It might have been old accident damage, but there weren't any signs of repair in the rear. (The front had previously been crumpled though, and the apron replaced.)

Hood pins were installed by the previous owner.

I have a spacer on the rear spring for the RHS. It was reputed to compensate for the camber in the road where there is a crown. I also heart that it was because a driver is always in the car but the passenger's seat on the RHS in No. America is often vacant. That was rarely my case !