bugeye tire size

I have searched the forum for bugeye tire sizes and learned a lot, but had another question I couldn't find an answer to....

Car is still in rotisserie but getting parts as I can. I have a set of NEW 165-80-13's on my donor midget, and was wondering if these are a good fit for the bugeye original steel wheels. Bugeye currently has 155-80-13 tires but they are cracked and falling apart.

If anyone has this size on their bugeye, do you happen to have a picture of how they look? How about performance?

Thanks, Nick

there's another active thread about this same topic, here's a link. You may have had a hard time finding it as it refers to Bug-eyes and tyres instead of bugeyes and tires. There's also a thread about british to american translation...

Great info on that thread, looks like they should work. Has anyone used 165-80-13's on a sprite? I would like to know how they handled or looked....

I have a set of 165 80 13's on my bugeye. The car came with 2 zxz Michelins on the rear and 155's on the front. The tires look great on the car so I purchased a pair of Firestone's for the front. They rubbed now and then when turning so I swapped the slightly worn Michelins to the front. The car used to handle fine now it is "squirley". New tires have softer sidewalls. I plan on keeping this size of tire and I like the look of the original wheels so I plan on widening the stock rims and expect this to cure the problem. Anyway, thats my experience so use your own judgement. If you could find tires with a stiffer sidewall perhaps they would be fine.
You're out nothing by swapping them and trying for yourself.
KA.

We're running 155/80-13s on stock rims. I think that they look good and handle well; we have gotten a bit of rubbing on the inside of the tires at the rear occassionally during hard corning, but the various bushings etc. are nearly 50 years old now so presumably there's a bit of wear and flex.

To be honest, going to wider rims and tyres on our other bugeye is probably mostly about looks (but I can't admit that). I'll be trial fitting 175/80-13s on 5 inch wide rims tomorrow, and can advise of the offset and what I find if of interest. Won't really know until we have a chance to drive.

Doug

Tire pressure info:

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From the Haynes manual "MG Midget Austin-Healey Sprite, 1958 thru 1980"

Crossply tyres:
Normal car load: Front 18 psi; rear 20 psi
Maximum car load: Front 18 psi; rear 24 psi
Sustained high speed driving: Front 22 psi; rear 28 psi

Radial tyres:
Normal: Front 22 psi; Rear 24 psi
Maximum: Front 22 psi; Rear 26 psi
Sustained: Front 28 psi; Rear 30 psi

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From 'General Data' in The Austin-Healey Sprite Mark I Workshop Manual, Issue 6, from The British Motor Corporation (no date)advises (for the cross ply tyres in use at that time):

Pressures:
Front 18 lb./sq.in. (1.27 kg.cm2)
Rear 20 lb./sq.in. (1.41 kg.cm2)
For sustained speeds in excess of 80 to 85 m.p.h. (129 to 137 k.p.h.) increase pressures to:
Front 24 lb./sq.in. (1.69 kg.cm2)
Rear 26 lb./sq.in. (1.83 kg.cm2)

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The Haynes manual identifies wheels as
Pressed spoked: 4 1/2 JSL x 13
Pressed disc: 3.5D x 13
Wire: 4J x 13

They also show Tyres
Type: 5.20 x 13X Crossply or 145SR x 13 Radial