TR4/4A Tire options tr4a 60 spoke wheels 4.5 inch wide

[60TR3A]

I am considering buying 72-spoke Dunlop chrome wire wheels from the UK (made probably in India, I am told) which are 5.5" wide and which can take a 195 tire. I am also considering chrome 72-spoke Dayton wires from a domestic vendor. These are only 5" wide and can handle up to a 185 tire. Some have warned that the Dunlops require truing whereas the Daytons don't. Is there any truth to that? Which wheel do you think is the better wheel if all things are equal (except width)? I'd prefer the wider wheel but if there are too many minuses (trying, higher freight), maybe I can forgo that extra half-inch. Opinions?

(I am posting this here and in my original post about tire sizes on the TR3 forum, so forgive me if you read it twice. I am only trying to get the widest variety of views & opinions since some TR4 owners won't read my post in the TR3 section and vice-versa)

 

[Andrew Mace]

Part of the cost of classic car ownership. If you want it to look original and be safe to drive. Less expensive tires are available if your more interested in driving the car for any real distance or at any real speed. Ninety-nine percent of the public would never know the difference.

And the vast majority of the remaining one percent will probably applaud you for a: wanting to be safe and b: wanting to DRIVE the car!

No problem saving a set of wheels shod with original Dunlop Gold Seal or RS5 or Michelin X tires, so long as you can find a quiet parking area within the car show grounds where you can change tires and drive onto the field in your "correct" tires...and that's probably about as far and fast as you really want to drive on the oldies!

Funny, though, how we have no problem spending $5-25k buying and/or restoring these things but get panicky when we have to spend $150-300 on a safe set of tires even though the old ones still "look" ok? At the same time, we hardly bat the proverbial eye when the daily car needs tires....

 

[DanB]

Richard,
I found this tire conversion tool: https://www.onlineconversion.com/tire_size_conversion.htm and this from Moss, https://www.mossmotors.com/graphics/products/PDF/Tire%20Sizes.pdf.

Original 5.90x15 tires were 25.62 inches in diameter. 165 radials are 24.7. That is why our speedos read high. You can use the first tool to enter available tire sizes to get the correct diameter.

Dan B

 

[Richard_Brown]

Richard I put some 185-60's on your rim and not a bad fit, and fills the wheel well up.
I took the time to get a few results in Seattle.

https://www.discounttire.com/dtcs/searchTiresBySize.do?r=WASINT|c|Seattle&cs=185&ar=60&rd=15


Wayne

Thanks Wayne, I was thinking this might be the best option to get into a better tire.

actually that would lower the car about 1 inch which is not great since its so low as it is.
this is a cool tool https://www.mintylamb.co.uk/?page=tyre.htm

 

[60TR3A]

Part of the cost of classic car ownership. If you want it to look original and be safe to drive. Less expensive tires are available if your more interested in driving the car for any real distance or at any real speed. Ninety-nine percent of the public would never know the difference.

And the vast majority of the remaining one percent will probably applaud you for a: wanting to be safe and b: wanting to DRIVE the car!

No problem saving a set of wheels shod with original Dunlop Gold Seal or RS5 or Michelin X tires, so long as you can find a quiet parking area within the car show grounds where you can change tires and drive onto the field in your "correct" tires...and that's probably about as far and fast as you really want to drive on the oldies!

Funny, though, how we have no problem spending $5-25k buying and/or restoring these things but get panicky when we have to spend $150-300 on a safe set of tires even though the old ones still "look" ok? At the same time, we hardly bat the proverbial eye when the daily car needs tires....

I've been driving the car almost daily, whenever weather permits. It's not rain that's preventing me: it's the oppressive heat. I can usually take her out for breakfast before the sun gets too high and too hot (low-to-mid-80's) and at sunset to run errands (it's 9:00 PM and finally 81). It's a good thing I'll be in VT soon and can escape the heat. I've decided to ship the TR3 up to VT and enjoy the winding country roads. Can't wait!

 

[60TR3A]

OK, I am buying a set of 5 Dunlop reproduction 72-spoke chrome wires from the UK together with 4 spline adapters & 4 knockoff spinners. The wheels are 5.5" wide. Does anyone know what size tires I need to order for them? I'd like to go as wide as safely possible so as to add traction, but not go to low profile so as to maintain the period look (even though there weren't 72-spoke wires back in the day, so please humor me; this is a driver, after all, not a show car). Is 195/65/15 the right size? That's what's on my Minator 5.5"-wide wheels now so I know that fits but I wonder if I cold go to 205 and if so, what the next number should be. All opinions and advice are welcome! Thanks,
Jeff
PS: Once again, my apologies for posting this question in my O.P. in the TR3 forum so as to get the widest variety of replies so sorry if you read it twice. I'm just trying to get the most advice possible and not trying to be annoying (though I'm sure I am to some!)

 

[RJS]

Sorry for the delay, here are a few photos of the 205/70-15s on 60 spoke 15 x 4.5 wire wheels.

Bob

 

[60TR3A]

Can't open the attachments.

 

[bgbassplyr]

PS: Once again, my apologies for posting this question in my O.P. in the TR3 forum so as to get the widest variety of replies so sorry if you read it twice. I'm just trying to get the most advice possible and not trying to be annoying (though I'm sure I am to some!) [/quote]

Post whatever you want to. Be as annoying as you like.

It is always our option to read it or not. I always read every post on the off chance that I may know the answer and be able to contribute to the general body of knowledge.

Even a blind pig..........

 

[60TR3A]

:-D

 

[RJS]

Sorry, didn't realize I needed my photos on a webserver reachable by a URL. I thought I could simply add them as attachments.

Can any one open/view the one attachment I added?

Thanks

Bob

 

[TR3driver]

Can any one open/view the one attachment I added?

Yeah, but it's too small to see much. That's the problem with attachments, the size is very limited and, unless you are a paid member, you're only allowed one per post.

Using a service like Photobucket allows you to post larger pictures, and as many per post as you like.

Here's some 5.5" wheels under my TR3

 

[60TR3A]

Wow! Really deep-dish. I wish I could get Borrani wire wheels for my car since they were also quite deep dish.

 

[TR3driver]

Mine are just stock TR6 wheels ...

 

[swift6]

It's the trim rings that give that appearance.

 

[TR3driver]

It's the trim rings that give that appearance.

Also stock TR6. And the hub caps are stock TR3 (although those emblems may be from a TR4).

 

[billspohn]

Gents,

Personally I would stick with 165/80-15 for purposes of original handling. Both Vredestein and Nexen make tires in this size. The 185s noted above would be good too.

I have to ask 'Who in their right mind would want original handling??'

I drive my vintage cars as they should be driven, and that means decent modern sticky tires.

I am currently using 5.5" rims with 195x60-15 AVS ES-100 Yokos with a nice sticky compound. Pictures of the MGA (sorry, no TR-3s currently in the fleet) are with original size Michelin 165 ZX on 4.5" rims and the Yokos on the 5.5" tires. Which do you think are more fun. And I laugh at people that complain that modern sticky tires won't last as long. With the amount of miles most hobbyists manage to put on their vintage cars, any new set of tires runs a good chance of lasting far longer than the recommended tire life.

 

[60TR3A]

Gents,

Personally I would stick with 165/80-15 for purposes of original handling. Both Vredestein and Nexen make tires in this size. The 185s noted above would be good too.

I have to ask 'Who in their right mind would want original handling??'

I drive my vintage cars as they should be driven, and that means decent modern sticky tires.

And I laugh at people that complain that modern sticky tires won't last as long. With the amount of miles most hobbyists manage to put on their vintage cars, any new set of tires runs a good chance of lasting far longer than the recommended tire life.

I totally agree. BTW, nice-looking MGA! Especially the knockoff wheels.

 

[DNK]

Bill, that bottom pic is doctored. No way was there ever a day like that at VanDusen

 

[Geo Hahn]

Gents,

Personally I would stick with 165/80-15 for purposes of original handling...

I have to ask 'Who in their right mind would want original handling??..

I would for one (though some may wonder if I am in my right mind).

I do have a set of wide modern tires that go on the TR4 for about 6 months of the year but by and large I drive on 165/15s and always that size on the TR3.

For me it's not a race -- shoot my wife's Toyota will out-handle the TRs whatever I do to 'improve' them -- out-handle in a totally boring fashion that is.

I actually like the somewhat quirky over-steer handling of the skinny tires. Much of my driving is on mountain roads where I can push that set-up to the limit and only be 10 mph over the speed limit. And if I do get into a jam I can recover. Push a modern Porsche to it's limit on those roads and if you get in a jam they will be peeling you off the granite or hauling you out of the canyon.

I suppose someone might say 'In that case why not use bias ply tires?' Well I don't know, guess even my strange tastes have their limits.