oldmetalhead82 Posted February 28, 2015 Share Posted February 28, 2015 Looking at the photos i would think flaring the arches is the only way to get clearance with that tyre/wheel combination. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oil_on_the_carpet Posted February 28, 2015 Share Posted February 28, 2015 What size tyres are you running? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu 1986 Posted February 28, 2015 Author Share Posted February 28, 2015 The tyres are brand new Firestone 175/70/R13 which are the same size as the old tyres that were on the rims previously. I bought these from a member who has a GT6 and had had them on that car for many years. I paid to have them restored last year, diamond cut to remove the corrosion and scuffs, then polished to a shine on the faces. I also had the insides of the wheels painted the same colour as the flash along the side of my car. They look the business on the car, and everyone says so. It is going to break my heart to not have these wheels on the car. If a different tyre combination mixed with arch rolling will solve my woes, then that would make my day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oil_on_the_carpet Posted February 28, 2015 Share Posted February 28, 2015 You may have to fit a narrower section tyre like the OEM 155/80x13's.It's snug in there, mine barely fit even with a bit of inset on the rims. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrSpeedy Posted February 28, 2015 Share Posted February 28, 2015 In a previous life I ran 185/70 13's on 5.5" Revolution 4 spokes from MWS on my MK2 Vitesse saloonOccassionally they would rub on the bump stop bracket and i definitely had to massage the wheel arch lip a bit, but it's not impossible.I don't know what the offset was though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Jones Posted February 28, 2015 Share Posted February 28, 2015 Offset is all. I have 175/70 tyres on 6" rims with ET13 offset and these are pretty much the limit for a roto Vitesse as regards untrimed arch lips. There's maybe 3 - 4mm clearance.They do catch slightly on the front but only when simultaneously compressed below normal ride height (slightly lower than standard) and with some lock on. GT6s have roomier arches, especially the square tails.Nick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogsbody47uk Posted March 1, 2015 Share Posted March 1, 2015 I run my 13/60 on 5 inch by 13 inch minilite replicas with 165/80 Uniroyals and have no clearance problems. Cheers, Dave. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oil_on_the_carpet Posted March 1, 2015 Share Posted March 1, 2015 I run ET.13 5.5 Wolfraces' on my Vitesse.IIRC, the offset of the Cobras I used to have was quite a bit more and they rubbed slightly at the back even on 165/70's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu 1986 Posted March 1, 2015 Author Share Posted March 1, 2015 Well as I've said earlier in this thread I've put a lot of money into these wheels and I want them on the car. I've got a guy coming in April who is going to roll all four arches. I'm also going to have the 175's taken off (and I will sell them) and do a trick the VW modifiers do called "stretched rubber". It's basically where a narrower and lower profile tyre is put on the rim. When they do it, it's pretty extreme but in my case it will be a marginal stretch. It's safe as I've known a "dubber" for a few years who has this on his Golf, very extreme stretch, and it's A ok. There are photos of the VW method on the guy's website. http://www.archwerx.co.uk/When I first got the car she had skinny wire wheels fitted on spline adaptors. Look pretty yes, but I really didn't like the spline adaptor method of attaching them, or the amount of flex in a wire wheel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
herald948 Posted March 1, 2015 Share Posted March 1, 2015 1953 wrote:I'm also going to have the 175's taken off (and I will sell them) and do a trick the VW modifiers do called "stretched rubber". It's basically where a narrower and lower profile tyre is put on the rim. When they do it, it's pretty extreme but in my case it will be a marginal stretch. It's safe... I would hope it IS safe, but if you don't mind my asking? WHY do this? I'm not 100% convinced that it IS safe; even if it is, you're changing the final drive ratio for the worse (unless you like slightly quicker acceleration at the expense of decent cruising speed).I'd have gotten different wheels and let it all go at that, but your mileage may vary, etc., etc. ;D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oil_on_the_carpet Posted March 1, 2015 Share Posted March 1, 2015 Be VERY careful about 'stretching' a too narrow tyre into a rim.Couple of points...In a hard corner, the tyre can peel off the bead causing a blow out.If you have an accident, your insurance company would be all over it like a rash to avoid paying out.They would cite the tyre manufacturers preferred tyre/Rim sizes and your non standard fit that you would have to declare under 'modifications'. MOT bods will and can now fail 'stretched' tyres as unsafe modifications. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Posted March 2, 2015 Share Posted March 2, 2015 herald948 wrote:I would hope it IS safe, but if you don't mind my asking? WHY do this? I'm not 100% convinced that it IS safe; even if it is, you're changing the final drive ratio for the worse (unless you like slightly quicker acceleration at the expense of decent cruising speed).I'd have gotten different wheels and let it all go at that, but your mileage may vary, etc., etc. ;DIt shouldn't effect the final drive or the steering providing the profile/ rolling circumference matches the original tyres. As for steering, if this car left the factory with 145, 155tyres then he can go down a couple of if this without going below this as he currently has 175s. Having said this my concern would be that after all this work and added expense they still touch when the car comes out of a dip and the wheel travels. If you've ever followed a small chassis car and seen the way the wheels move it's quite surprising. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willows40 Posted March 2, 2015 Share Posted March 2, 2015 I know the tyre fitter I use, refuses to have anything to do with stretched tyres, I just think they look stupid and dangerousCheers andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Jones Posted March 2, 2015 Share Posted March 2, 2015 What's all this "stretch"?? These are 5.5J wheels, so absolutely no problem going down to 165 section or even 155 section provided you don't go below 70 profile. I ran 165/70s on 6" rims (borderline stretch) for years with zero issues and I know the next owner went down to 155s to reduce clearance issues at the front when he lowered it - which probably did fall into the "stretch" category but still worked fine.This is useful/interesting. The NZ motoring authorities are not noted for their liberalism....http://www.lvvta.org.nz/documents/infosheets/LVVTA_Info_01-2009_V2_Tyre_Size_to_Wheel_Size_Compatibility_Guide.pdfCheersNick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Painterman Posted March 2, 2015 Share Posted March 2, 2015 Here's pic of my vitesse with 7" deep dish with 165/70/13 slightly stretched Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Posted March 2, 2015 Share Posted March 2, 2015 More pictures of that vitesse please :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oil_on_the_carpet Posted March 2, 2015 Share Posted March 2, 2015 Nick_Jones wrote:What's all this "stretch"?? These are 5.5J wheels, so absolutely no problem going down to 165 section or even 155 section provided you don't go below 70 profile. I ran 165/70s on 6" rims (borderline stretch) for years with zero issues and I know the next owner went down to 155s to reduce clearance issues at the front when he lowered it - which probably did fall into the "stretch" category but still worked fine.This is useful/interesting. The NZ motoring authorities are not noted for their liberalism....http://www.lvvta.org.nz/documents/infosheets/LVVTA_Info_01-2009_V2_Tyre_Size_to_Wheel_Size_Compatibility_Guide.pdfCheersNickThe minimum recommended section on a 5.5" rim is 165. My Vitesse had them on it when I got it and the handling was 'interesting'.155 is too narrow for a 5.5" rim. Tyres are designed to have some 'balloon' in the sidewalls when fitted. If the side walls are sloping in away from the bead the tyre will not perform properly and the grip and contact patch will be compromised.The only thing between you and a big off is the four contact patches of your tyres, each no bigger than the palm of your hand. Muck about with tyres at your peril.Tyre manufacturers don't just make up the size when they develop tyres to work correctly on properly sized rims. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oil_on_the_carpet Posted March 2, 2015 Share Posted March 2, 2015 9685 wrote:Here's pic of my vitesse with 7" deep dish with 165/70/13 slightly stretchedDangerous, no ifs or buts, the minimum recommend section is 195 on 7" rims. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ferny Posted March 2, 2015 Share Posted March 2, 2015 Yokahoma say 155 are fine on 5.5...www.yokohamatire.com/tires_101/customizing/rim_wheel_width/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oil_on_the_carpet Posted March 2, 2015 Share Posted March 2, 2015 ferny wrote:Yokahoma say 155 are fine on 5.5...www.yokohamatire.com/tires_101/customizing/rim_wheel_width/Yokohama say for 82 series 155's 5.5" is the maximum acceptable rim width. As the profile goes down, the rim sizing becomes more critical as there is less give in the tyre. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Painterman Posted March 2, 2015 Share Posted March 2, 2015 Couple of points regarding safety of tyres when i bought my vitesse it had standard wheels and 165 70 13 tyres on and had past mot. I decided i was going for 7inch so i took wheels off and on inspection all the tyres had tyrewall cracks which were not visible when car was on ground due to them compressing.these were good quality tyres . My car passed mot with 165 70 on 7inch no prob at all.you have to remember these are not every day drivers im luck if i do 200 miles year etc.but each to there own.more pics can be seen on ebay as its just gone on sale.regards Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
herald948 Posted March 2, 2015 Share Posted March 2, 2015 9685 wrote:you have to remember these are not every day drivers im luck if i do 200 miles year etc.but each to there own.Doesn't matter if you do 200 miles/year or 20,000 miles/year. Safe is safe, unsafe is...well, unsafe! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oil_on_the_carpet Posted March 2, 2015 Share Posted March 2, 2015 If the tyres are rubbing, the wheel offset is wrong.Richard Dredge has 195/60x14's on his Vitesse and they just kiss the front bulkhead on full lock.Get the offset right and a big rim and tyre fits. 5.5" Cobras have a bit too much offset for a Vitesse, been there, done that and ditched them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu 1986 Posted March 2, 2015 Author Share Posted March 2, 2015 Hello all:OK firstly when I refer to stretch, I don't mean like the VW cars where they have the tyre walls at a 45 degree angle, I had more in mind just dropping a tyre size to the 165/60 tyre. Also, I'm not going to be driving this car of mine fast, nor will I be going round bends like Ari Vatanen. My daily car is very powerful and goes round bends like it's on rails, the Herald will never be able to go like that does. My car is best described as a show off, and it will seldom go out on the roads anyway. I don't even think I'll do 200 miles a year if I'm honest, she'll spend most of the time tucked away in the garage under the cover. When she does go out it will be for a leisurely drive or a little cruise around on a dry sunny morning or evening.The offset is wrong, I accept that, but when I think about it I can't just ditch these wheels. I paid £150 for them, then sent them off for some bespoke refurbishing which cost me £326 then I had to buy new centres which were £25, then the tyres at £192 and a set of new wheel nuts which were £30. So the total is £723!! That is a lot of money, which I admit did kind of snowball :-/ However if I tried to sell them I won't see that figure returned, and I don't like any other wheels out there if I'm honest. I'm not being ignorant of anything in case anyone thinks that, please forgive me if I come across so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 I'm sure nobody finds you ignorant .... Stubborn perhaps for not just giving up and fitting different wheels ;)However that said, I'm sure most people on here have had their moments. Even people who like originality can be very stubborn when insisting parts are wrong. Have you posted a picture of your wheels .... I've not seen one ?I think my only concern is if you spend even more money having the arches done and new tyres and still they don't fit. It's your money,your choice and your vision that your trying to achieve.Good luck I really hope it works out ..... You stubborn bugger ;DAlex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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