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Tire size for wire wheels

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gjh2007

Jedi Warrior
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Hello all:

Happy Holidays

I just picked up a set of wire wheels & hubs for my 250. I am currently running 205/70/15's on steel wheels, but I think they may be too wide for the wires.

I am looking for more of a classic look anyway & was wondering what people are running on their wires. I don't care about originality, (redlines), but am looking for a decent tire that will give good handling on a stock car, with uprated shocks, bushings and front sway bar.

Any help would be appreciated.
I will also need a set of knock offs if any one has some.

P.S. if I go a diff size I have a nice set of Pirelli 4000's that will be for sale.
 
I went with original mitch. redlines>>>>

((Thanx Paul))

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LastDeadLast said:
205/70-15 on Dayton wheels. Lowered 1" and still no rubbing:

normal_2006-08-27-Exterior%20017.jpg
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I wanna see that kids drivers licence!!!!....LOL /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/driving.gif

yer car looks great!!
 
kodanja said:
LastDeadLast said:
I wanna see that kids drivers licence!!!!....LOL /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/driving.gif

yer car looks great!!
Click to expand...

Thanks! I absolutely love the looks of wires on our cars.

I'm still wondering how my boy reached the pedals to pull the car out of the driveway!!! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/driving.gif
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Andrew Mace said:
Key here is the width of the wheels themselves. If they're older 60-spoke, 4.5" wide, I wouldn't go much beyond the 165SR15 for them. If they're a later 72-spoke, 5.5" wheel, the 205/70R15 might be ok.
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Very true.
 
The rule of thumb is that the rim width must be at least 70% of the tire width. So, if you have a 5.5" rim, divide by .7, which is 7.86 x 25.4 = 200mm. You could get away with a 205.

If the rim is 6", then the math yeilds 217mm.
 
As Andy says, and others restate, rim width determines the tyre section you can use.
Wires look classic with a taller, narrower tyre, say a 185/70 or 185/75 on a 5 inch or 5.5 inch rim. Low profile, modern tyres on wires look "hotrod" not classic.

While they do look nice, personally I don't think wires look as good on a TR6 as the earlier cars, but thats a matter of personal taste.
 
gjh said:
...I just picked up a set of wire wheels & hubs for my 250. I am currently running 205/70/15's on steel wheels...
Click to expand...

Have you considered keeping the Pirellis and switching back & forth? I run both wires and discs at various times. Get so much practice at R&R that I move around the garage like a NASCAR pit crew.

I guess I just like both looks and put enough miles on the tires that I still wear them out before they get too old. Someday (maybe next week) I'm going to show up on a club drive with wires on one side and discs on the other and see who notices.
 
Geo Hahn said:
Have you considered keeping the Pirellis and switching back & forth? I run both wires and discs at various times. Get so much practice at R&R that I move around the garage like a NASCAR pit crew....
Click to expand...
Cool idea. But don't forget that you must use a spacer under the wire wheel hub in such a situation. It's that, or shorten the studs as emphasized time and time again in Triumph Service Bulletins. But once you shorten the studs for the wire wheel hubs, you really can't safely go back to steel wheels, hence the suggestion of a spacer (1/4" should do it).
 
Has anyone gone to the spacers to allow going back to steel, or alloys?
 
I use the spacers from Revington as they are made to fit the TR3 hub exactly although I know folks running the 6mm-1/4 in. generic with no prob. I have both sets of shod wheels.
 
gjh said:
Has anyone gone to the spacers to allow going back to steel, or alloys?
Click to expand...

I use the Generic version from a local Hot Rod wheel shop (thanks Andy for bringing this up, I should have noted spacers in my comment).

spacers.JPG


They may sell as 1/4" or as 6mm. I think one of the books (Williams or Piggot) mentions using a 9mm spacer but this would appear to be an unfortunate typo.

Have used them for years w/o a problem.
 
I just bought a 1964 TR4. I'm a newbie to the TR4 world so I have a lot to learn.

The car has stock steel wheels and I want to put wire wheels on it. My question is whether there are any technical issues or clearance problems with using wider TR250 wheels on a TR4?

My car has 195/65R15 tires. From what I read in your posts, it seems these tires are too wide for 4.5" wheels -- they should be on wider wheels. But can I put wider wheels on my TR4 without problems?

Thanks for your help!

FYI, there is useful tire size conversion info in British Motoring Summer 2004 page 18 https://www.britishmotoring.net/
 
Shannon,

I'm still wondering when you're gonna buy him a nice TR6 cap???
 
Will the spacers be an issue with the 205-70's?
 
Gary,

They might be.. I know mine are pretty close to the front fenders now, but then again, my rig is lowered an inch.

Brosky,

Where did you get a TR had to fit a kid? I've been looking for one.
 
Doug,

The 72 spoke wires should fit without modification on the TR4, and 195/65 15 tires are fine for this size wire wheel. I have this set-up on my 65Tr4A.

I don't have any experience with using spacers, but this would be the most convenient way to add the wire wheel adapter, and still have the flexibility to switch back to solid rims..as well as avoiding the task of either replacing or cutting the stock wheel studs to achieve the shorter length required for WW's. I my case I cut the studs because this was the path of least resistance at the time.

Cheers

Mike Godley
65 TR4A
 
Like Mike, I have a 1965 Tr4a, and have 2 sets of wires, the correct original ones with 165/15 and a 5.5 inch 72 spoke set
with 195/60/15 for general driving.
I did have 205/50 race tyres on the wider wheels at one time and had no clearance problems, though they are 2 inches smaller, which looked pretty strange but gave good acceleration!
Incidentally, i think the TR250 wires are 4.5 inch wide, same as the TR4, the steels may be 4 inch on the earlier cars.
simon.
 
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