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13" tires

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aeronca65t

aeronca65t

Great Pumpkin
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13" tires

I know some of you guys have mentioned difficulty finding 13" tires recently.

While the 165 and 175 sizes are fairly rare, it's not too hard to find 185 sizes.

Click Here for a decent list of 185/70-13 tires

You can also check eBay and search of "13" tires".
I bought 4 new Faulkens (<span style="text-decoration: line-through">185</span>175/70-13) for my 948 RWA Spridget off of the eBay store of Discount Tires Direct last week.
$242 including shipping.
 
Re: 13" tires

While there may be some cars that will take 185s, BES and RWA's, most Spridgets don't have the space for them before they rub either the springs on the inside, or the inner fender. .. 175s are generally the largest fitment without modifications.

YMMV
 
Re: 13" tires

Yes.....185s are a bit tight. I agree.

I've had decent success for 185s with just 1/8" wheel spacers on the back and just not turning the steering wheel too far in the front. But it can also depend on the actual shape of the tire (not all "70s" have the same profile).

By the way, I mispoke about the tires I just bought. They're 175s. The other "skinny" option are the Hoosier vintage A70-13s. But they're not truly street legal and are like $150 each.
There's also 13" tires (tyres?) on eBay UK, but the shipping is a killer.
 
Re: 13" tires

I purchased a set of 5 x 13 Minilites for my BE. Minilite suggest 155 as best choice, or 165 tires. I finally settled on some 155's, since that would be a big step up from the cross-plys I was running on original rims. I found a "55k economy radial" at NTB that I took a gamble on and they work fine IMO. They cost $56.00 each and I have been up and down my favorite twisty road a few times on them and they stick just fine, even when I am pushing it at my personal limit. I have not driven in the rain with them yet.

The tires are a house brand made by Sumitomo for NTB/Tire Kingdom, they are called "Tempest Touring Plus SR" and the size is 155/80R13.
 
Re: 13" tires

There are a few newer cars out there that run the 175/70/13 and they will probably be around for a while but the other smaller sizes are getting scarce. Did I tell you guys about having a flat and needing a 13 inch tire in Myrtle Beach, SC? I bought the only 13 inch tire anyone had after going to every tire store I could find and having them call around. The guy gave me a 15% discount on it because it was discontinued and he had no plans to restock any 13s.
 
Re: 13" tires

I appreciate that finding a spare "right now" when you have a flat is a PITA but, I remain perplexed.

Just searched Walmart, they list

Kumho Solus KR21 Tire P155/80R13 for $57

Kumho Solus KR21 Tire P185/70R13 for $69

and eight different options for 175/70R13 - and they ship free to a store

The calculator at Tires1010 lists 21 13" tires of various sizes and brands (even winter tires) and a quick search on Ebay even produced 145/R13 tires.

I bought mine at Canadian Tire and they were about $35 a tire, cheap as chips and common as dirt.

Am I missing something? They seem very easy to get.
 
Re: 13" tires

aeronca65t said:
13" is not so common is US.
Actually, the problem is finding performance tires in that size. It's not real hard to find M/S or all-weather tires.......not what I'd normally want in one of these cars.
Click to expand...

Try this site. - Vredestein 13" Tires
 
Re: 13" tires

Those Vredsteins are an excellent street tire, but are hard (high UTQG rating) and will wear almost too well for a light car. They are 80 series tires (tall, skinny profile) and are a good all purpose tire, but not designed for high performance.

Ten years ago you could buy a 13" version of various low-profile, summer-only, <span style="text-decoration: underline">performance</span> tires (such as the Sumitomo HTR-200 or Hankook Ventus R-S2): the type of street tire that was good for autocross and not so good for bad weather.
I currently have a set of the R-S2s on my Miata and I have the HTR-200s on my MGB (both 14" size).
Typically, these tires would have a UTQG rating of under 200 (pretty soft) and will rarely make more than 30,000 miles.

These type of performance tires seem not to be available in the 13" size anymore.
All that seems to be available (in the US) are the harder, all-season, standard tires (or trailer tires).
 
Re: 13" tires

JPSmit said:
I appreciate that finding a spare "right now" when you have a flat is a PITA but, I remain perplexed.

Just searched Walmart, they list

Kumho Solus KR21 Tire P155/80R13 for $57

Kumho Solus KR21 Tire P185/70R13 for $69

and eight different options for 175/70R13 - and they ship free to a store

The calculator at Tires1010 lists 21 13" tires of various sizes and brands (even winter tires) and a quick search on Ebay even produced 145/R13 tires.

I bought mine at Canadian Tire and they were about $35 a tire, cheap as chips and common as dirt.

Am I missing something? They seem very easy to get.
Click to expand...
Perhaps it depends on the area of the country.
 
Re: 13" tires

aeronca65t said:
Those Vredsteins are an excellent street tire, but are hard (high UTQG rating) and will wear almost too well for a light car. They are 80 series tires (tall, skinny profile) and are a good all purpose tire, but not designed for high performance.

Ten years ago you could buy a 13" version of various low-profile, summer-only, <span style="text-decoration: underline">performance</span> tires (such as the Sumitomo HTR-200 or Hankook Ventus R-S2): the type of street tire that was good for autocross and not so good for bad weather.
I currently have a set of the R-S2s on my Miata and I have the HTR-220s on my MGB (both 14" size).
Typically, these tires would have a UTQG rating of under 200 (pretty soft) and will rarely make more than 30,000 miles.

These type of performance tires seem not to be available in the 13" size anymore.
All that seems to be available (in the US) are the harder, all-season, standard tires (or trailer tires).
Click to expand...
I was very fond of the firehawks and have run them on all my vehicles including the Midget but they no longer make them. I like the tire because they have a very square corner and don't roll to the sidewall as easy and they tread water really well and don't hydrplane(which is also good for a 1400 pound midget) but I guess there was just no demand for it. I also like the white letters but they are also a thing of the past on 13s unless you get some high dollar cokers or something.
 
Re: 13" tires

Tire Rack currently has 6 all season 175/70/13 tire choices, all in stock, ranging in price from $48 General Altimax (pretty good tire), up to Michlein at $80 a tire.
 
Re: 13" tires

I got 185's for $15 each at Townfair tire. Cost more to mount and balance. My only problem now is not burning the rears off.
 
Re: 13" tires

Tellingly, all of Tire Rack's offerings are all season tires. None are performance, let alone "High Performance" or "Ultra" as are available in larger sizes and had been available in the past. All the offerings they have are for Mini-Vans.
 
Re: 13" tires

I just ordered (5) of the P165/70R-13 Sumitomo HTR T4s from Tire Rack and having them mounted today... Hope they work ok... :smile:
 
Re: 13" tires

on a car with quarter springs,stock rims and no spacers the inner sidewall will rub on the spring or the mount for the link...but only going around corners where the tire becomes stressed. that's was my experience... 70's are wider and not as high as 78's or 80s.
 
Re: 13" tires

I see the Vredestein T-Trac summer performance tires in that size at $118 each. They look nice, but are definitely more expensive.

https://www.tiresbyweb.com/p-9413-vredestein-t-trac-tires.aspx

seano said:
I just ordered (5) of the P165/70R-13 Sumitomo HTR T4s from Tire Rack and having them mounted today... Hope they work ok... :smile:
Click to expand...

I'll bet they will work just fine, good price too.
I see this in their description now:

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:]...as well as offers many 70-series sizes for the small 13” and 14” rim diameter sizes often used on vintage sports cars, coupes and sedans.[/QUOTE]
 
Re: 13" tires

bug_sixty said:
on a car with quarter springs,stock rims and no spacers the inner sidewall will rub on the spring or the mount for the link...but only going around corners where the tire becomes stressed. that's was my experience... 70's are wider and not as high as 78's or 80s.
Click to expand...

Was this referring to my post? i never even thought of the rears rubbing...
 
Re: 13" tires

yea, I found more problem's with 70's in the rear than than the front. I think many solve by longer studs and spacers... Wheel well is fine.
 
Re: 13" tires

Pythias said:
Tellingly, all of Tire Rack's offerings are all season tires. None are performance, let alone "High Performance" or "Ultra" as are available in larger sizes and had been available in the past. All the offerings they have are for Mini-Vans.
Click to expand...


OK, I'm going to duck when I say this, because Bill I know you are one of the folks that got caught out on Barry's decision to not make the 14" for the Spridgets, that shortly after, a year or so got offered anyway, but if you ever decided to sell your 13" VTOs and go to the 14" VTOs, I give you special discounting to make up for that ordeal you went thru in your wait for 14", so you can get some sporty tires on your beast.
 
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