TR2/3/3A Tire Size

[btuinstra]

I have a 1960 TR3A with 60 spoke wire wheels. What size tire should I buy. I currently have BR78/15 tires on the car.

 

[TR3driver]

Are you more interested in handling, or looks? How important is speedometer accuracy to you?

 

[Mickey Richaud]

Welcome to BCF!

When I had my TR3 a while back, I put Vredestein Sprints on it. https://www.vredestein.com/car-tyres/classic/sprint-classic/info/

 

[trglory]

Unfortunately, Vredestein has no listings for Triumph. I believe that the modern tire closest to original dimensions is 155/82-15. If it were me, I would put that size on a trailer queen. If I wanted to actually drive and enjoy the car, I would use 195/65-15. Save the best old tire fitted with a new tube for the spare compartment because the larger tire will not fit.

 

[Andrew Mace]

With 60-spoke wire wheels, the wheel width is (IIRC) 4.5". A 195/65R15 tire appears to want at least a 5.5" wide wheel. Typical "modern" replacement size is 165(80)R15. Of course, you'll also need tubes for the wire wheels. https://www.cokertire.com/searchbya...rim_diameter=115&sidewall_style=0&tire_type=0

 

[TR3driver]

With 60-spoke wire wheels, the wheel width is (IIRC) 4.5".

Whoops! My bad. Somehow I was thinking they were 5.5".

 

[croz]

I'm running on Dayton 15x4.5 60 spoke wire wheels with 195/65 Michelin Primacy MXV4 tires.
Excellent ride. No inner tube. Better stance for a great look (better on the car).

 

[Vila]

I am assuming you want radials, but you never did say what you wanted out of your tires, performance or originality.

I am an original size tire kind of guy, so that is what I will write about.

My friends in high school that had TR3s all had 165-15 Michelin X radials on them and I believe that was the original radial option for TR3s. Coker also lists that as the correct size radial, but they do not list all the 165-15 tires they sell when you search their using tire size on their website.

Between Coker and Universal tire they sell at least six different 165-15 tires.

For black walls, on the low end is Firestone tires at $80 each from Universal and Coker. You probably get what you pay for their. Next is Vredestein Sprint Classic (narrow tread) 165-15 tires at $119 from both. Michelin 165-15 XZX tires are next for $161 each from Coker. The high end is the Michelin XAS 165-15 for $295 each. On the Coker website most of the tires do not come up when you type in the size 165, All Aspect, 15. You need to select Brands along the left side then select each brand they style then it will show the sizes.

I'm not, but if you are into white wall tires for your TR3, then Coker makes the Coker Classic with 2 1/4 wide whitewalls for $160 each and they also sell a tire called the American Classic with 2 1/4 white walls for $192 each.

I don't understand the one comment above. Just because a tire supplier or manufacturer does not list a specific car maker does not mean they don't have the correct tires for your car.

Vila
1933 Chevrolet
1962 Triumph TR4
1984 BMW 633 CSi

 

[Geo Hahn]

Unfortunately, Vredestein has no listings for Triumph...

I got a set of 165x15 Vreds a few months ago. At that time (with free shipping and a discount coupon I had) Summit Racing had the best deal:

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/cok-579821/overview/

Great tire if that is the size & look you seek. I actually like the handling characteristics of the skinny tire -- though I also have a set of wide alloys that I can switch too once in awhile.

 

[smdichter]

Nankang CX-668, 165/80/15. They look fine. Mounted with tubes on Dayton 60 spoke chrome wheels on my TR3A. About $60 per. Lots cheaper than the Vreds I used to have.

 

[2long]

Any good reasons not to use 155 types, other than a small loss of grip? Seems like it would mean lighter steering, less stress on suspension, and a nod to originality.

Dan

 

[Geo Hahn]

Any good reasons not to use 155 types... a nod to originality.

If you look in the owners manual (aka Practical Hints) I think you'll find that the radials TR3As came with were 165/15.

Non-radials (when supplied) were sized 5.50/5.90-15.

 

[2long]

Mine is a TR2, and I am pretty sure original tyres were 155.

Dan

 

[TR3driver]

The available tires changed several times. When the TR2 was introduced, only 5.50-15 bias ply were available. The 155 Michelin X radials became optional sometime in 1955, according to Bill Piggott. Then later, the bias ply option became 5.90-15 and the radials moved to 165. Bill fails to mention when the larger tires became available, but I believe it was around 1960. 165 tires are an incredibly tight fit in the earlier spare tire compartment.

Only the 6th edition of Practical Hints mentions the 5.50/5.90 and 165. Earlier versions don't mention the tire size, but you can see in the "road speed" table that the radial tires got taller between 5th & 6th edition. However, the bias plys stayed about the same, which I believe was because the 5.90 tires were actually a slightly shorter profile than the 5.50 tires. Back then, they didn't specify and tire makers were more or less free to do what they wanted. BTW, the speedometer calibration numbers changed slightly as well.

 

[trglory]

The spare tire compartment was larger on post TS60000 cars. Maybe that's when the switch was made.