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NutmegCT

NutmegCT

Great Pumpkin
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I'm looking for a new set of radials:

185/80R13

Yep - 13" rims. For the M-B. Don't want (and can't afford) new 14" wheels plus the resulting "modifications and re-calibrations". My present wheels are original, but are straight and true.

Where would you guys find 185/80R13 tires? Touring (not all weather) preferred. White or black wall.

Only for rural and highway driving in good dry weather; not for concourse competitions at all.

As a tangent, has anyone bought tires off Craigslist? Seems very if-y, unless you know the seller already.

Thanks.
Tom
 
I go straight to Tire Rack, Tom. Both Lotus cars are 13" rims.
 
Thanks Doc. I actually already tried them. The only 185/80R13 they sell is a Goodyear Marathon, marked "for trailer use only". Ack!

T.
 
you may want to ask on the Spridget form as we are all running 13" tires. I think mine are 175/70 R13
 
Argh. Sorry Tom. Last time I checked they had Sumitomos in 13".
 
i bought two sets of sumitomo' 13"'ers from tire rack using the bcf vendor's link.
 
A follow-up on my tire search saga; it's becoming quite an adventure.

From several reliable sources, I've learned that the original 6.70/13" bias ply tire would be equivalent to today's 185/80R13 radial.

I've contacted several online tire suppliers, as well as several tire shops here
in Connecticut.

The 185/80R13 size is "no longer available" or "discontinued" by Firestone,
Kumho, Hankook, and Sumitomo, and other companies on the suppliers' lists.
Altho' they may have some "older" tires still in stock, they may be six to ten
years old. Not good.

Jonas at TireRack suggests using 185/70R13. Those are still available from many
reliable companies.

Any thoughts on the difference between the 185/80 and 185/70? Problems in handling, appearance in the wheel well, etc?

Or am I just making a mountain out of a mole hill?

Thanks.
Tom
 
No tire expert by any means; as I understand it the first number is the tread width and the second number is a percentage of the tread width, the 185/80 will have a side wall height of 148 and the 185/70 will have a sidewall height of 129.5. It seems to me the 185/70 will have a slightly stiffer ride and will also impact the speedometer to some degree?

To find a similar tire to the 185/80, look for a tire size that comes closest to 148. To do this, take the first number times the second number in % - i.e 185 x 80% = 148. 175/85 = 148.75 195/75 = 146.25, 210/70 = 147.

Hope this helps.
 
Thanks for the insight, Peter. You're more of a tire expert than I am, believe me!

Now I understand that 148 vs 129.5 you mention. But I don't know how to figure out how the changes in size and aspect relate to actual use on the road.

I've done a couple searches here on "tire size", and find many posts on what people are using for specific cars. But I can't find any posts on exactly how to determine what can and can't be used, on a given wheel size (rim).

TireRack.com gives a good explanation of what the xxx/xxRxx numbers mean, but I can't find an explanation of how they relate to actual road use and "fit".

Makes sense that speedometer/odometer will be affected, as a different tire circumference will mean the tire goes around more ... or less ... on the same drivetrain rpm.

Tom
 
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