Ludwig Posted February 14, 2018 Share Posted February 14, 2018 Greetings,Long-time, no post etc. Have my Triumph mojo back.So, having coveted a set of slot mag wheels for many years, I've managed to get my hands on some - never fitted, still in the box!I've had a look around the site and can't find the definitive answer about which size tyres are recommended for these wheels on a Mk3 Spit. Assuming 175/70/13 are ok, any other sizes recommended for grip/handling etc, without putting the speedo out?Cheers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chunky63 Posted February 14, 2018 Share Posted February 14, 2018 Hi Ludwig,What is the rim size and offset? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludwig Posted February 14, 2018 Author Share Posted February 14, 2018 Quoted from chunky63 Hi Ludwig,What is the rim size and offset? 5.5J and offset looks like it says .31" (inch presumably?) Info is on photo.Cheers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chunky63 Posted February 14, 2018 Share Posted February 14, 2018 Thanks,Photo was a bit blurred when trying to read the size etc hence the question.In the old days of the early 1980's we would fit 165/70/13 tyres to that size of rim and have no problems at all with rubbing.Today though many favour the 175/70/13, but I've no experience of that size to comment on its suitability.I had Wolfrace 6J on the front and 7J on the rear of my GT6 Mk2. Steering was heavy, arches on the rear had to be flared but it stuck to the road very nicely indeed. However I have now gone back to the standard 4-1/2J steels and 155/80/13 tyres and I love the feel and handling.Anything over standard 155/80/13 on the front will give you heavy steering so in my opinion stick with 165. Others will be along soon to comment further Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevesspit16 Posted February 14, 2018 Share Posted February 14, 2018 Congrats on your purchase Ludwig.I've always loved 5-slots, had them on my 240Z, beautiful. However.....You may want to confirm that offset before you spend any money on tires. Generally every 5-slot I've seen on a Spit sticks out way too far up front. In fact most minilights/knockoffs do that also.If it is in fact .31" then you have only 8mm offset. Factory Spits (1500 anyway, but I think all) had 22mm. That will make your situation even worse. If it's 31mm, you could be laughing.I've done a tonne of testing on my 1500 to get a decent set of mags on it, (I dislike minilights; the suppliers can't make anything better because of the small market so we stick to the only shiny wheel available.... might as well be driving an MG for their lack of character). Anyway with that rant over, you may want to check out my log entry here....http://www.triumphexp.com/journal/Manana/12365There is a link to a calculator (you may have to download it to work properly) that will give you an idea of how the offset and tire size will affect your car relative to how it is now. There is also a link to another calculator in there that does a decent job of imaging.I haven't run the numbers, but if your offset is 31mm you should be okay with 175 70 13. I ran those on my stock Spit wheels for 18 years with much better handling and no rubbing.Good luck with whatever you choose, hopefully you'll report back.SteveEdit: Chunky63's comments are noted although wheel width in itself is not a significant number, tire width and profile is much more important. The Spit front is quite a bit lighter than the GT6.... I can't imagine anything making the steering heavy on a Spit. Just my opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevesspit16 Posted February 14, 2018 Share Posted February 14, 2018 Whoops, forgot to mention in my edit, Offset is almost always the biggest factor in wheel fitment on our cars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chunky63 Posted February 15, 2018 Share Posted February 15, 2018 Quoted from stevesspit16 Whoops, forgot to mention in my edit, Offset is almost always the biggest factor in wheel fitment on our cars. I agree wholeheartedly. I guess there's the option of the horrible wheel spacers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludwig Posted February 15, 2018 Author Share Posted February 15, 2018 Thanks for the replies, very useful.Having previously had issues with rubbing on bulkhead with 175/70’s on aftermarket minilites, I’m naturally a bit nervy about tyre sizes.Saving grace I suppose is these are marked as/manufactured specifically for Spitfire/GT6. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevesspit16 Posted February 15, 2018 Share Posted February 15, 2018 Hey Chunky, I think wheel spacers and adapters get a bad wrap; if you check out my Journal you can see I've been using them in the back for 2 or 3 years including AutoCrossing. Unfortunately most often that takes the wheel in the wrong direction. 🙁Unfortunately Ludwig wrt "Saving grace I suppose is these are marked as/manufactured specifically for Spitfire/GT6." I don't believe them for one second! Compare the way almost every Minilight/knockoff/whatever fits the front wheel wells compared to my set-up. These guys often sell wheels with the same offset as the factory steelies, but now wider, meaning wider tires, meaning they stick out!Guys buy these without thinking about it, and because it's the only "easy" game in town we see many very cool Spit/GT6s with all-too-many Minilights. I think that Minilights don't lend themselves that well to high offsets because of the style of the spokes, but even so, if I were to go that way, I'd use different offsets front and back to try to correct the silly Econoline Van look most get with them.Not trying to insult anyone here, sorry if it comes across that way, just my opinion.All the best,Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludwig Posted February 15, 2018 Author Share Posted February 15, 2018 Quoted from stevesspit16 Unfortunately Ludwig wrt "Saving grace I suppose is these are marked as/manufactured specifically for Spitfire/GT6." I don't believe them for one second! Compare the way almost every Minilight/knockoff/whatever fits the front wheel wells compared to my set-up. These guys often sell wheels with the same offset as the factory steelies, but now wider, meaning wider tires, meaning they stick out!Guys buy these without thinking about it, and because it's the only "easy" game in town we see many very cool Spit/GT6s with all-too-many Minilights. I think that Minilights don't lend themselves that well to high offsets because of the style of the spokes, but even so, if I were to go that way, I'd use different offsets front and back to try to correct the silly Econoline Van look most get with them.Steve I take your point, but in this case, my Cobras were manufactured over 30 years ago, when our cars were still quite plentiful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marktheherald Posted February 16, 2018 Share Posted February 16, 2018 Beware of porous alloy, one of my Cosmics suffers from it. Loses about 10 psi per month. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.thumb.jpeg.b15b81ef10abeea1c3039ae03c4a9f3a.jpeg)
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.