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7j 13 inch Rims - What Size Tyres?


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I have aquired some 7J 13 inch alloys that have the right offset but project about 1.5 inches beyond the standard arches.

I want the extra width but did not want to have to cut the arches and was hoping to use some 1.5 inch metal fender flares to cover the tyre projection, similar to the ZTE look. The car is lowered 1.5 inches front and rear.

The question is can I use the wheels without cutting the arches and if so what width and profile tyres would work?

 

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You mean like this?

te27.thumb.jpg.19432082bfb0dcae7ce03dc1ebf861fb.jpg

There's bound to be people who have tried it, but it depends on how you load the car and what the roads you drive on are like. I find the 205/60x14 I'm using bang around a lot and pull on the steering all the time. They're just too heavy.  

On the rally car we've just cut 70mm height out of the rear arch and riveted a Corona front flare over it. It fitted fine, we just used it because the Corona was sitting out in the paddock as a wreck.

1327409314_Rcarflarefitted.thumb.jpg.1626e528b7382a671494b5b85412f9a7.jpg

Edited by altezzaclub
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I’m also of the view they are too big, and with modern tyres unnecessary.  Having said that, I ran 225’s on 7’s on a TA22 years back and had no end of grief with the rear guard lip fouling under load and the fronts on lock. Made the car not fun to drive. 

Fitting flares is a major exercise of fabrication on the rear, and a key difference between KE25 and a TE27 levin is the construction of the rear wheel tub and outer skin. 

I don’t see how you can do it otherwise, unless you shorten the diff housing or change to significantly different offset rims  

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Pete, by "too big" do you mean too wide, as the diameter is only 13"?

I am trying to achieve the appearance of the orange car in altezzaclub's reply above in my KE20.

Maybe I just need to stick with my current 5J wheels and try some spacers for a similar effect and see if the tyres rub, though I did not really want to use spacers.

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Hi Keith

Don't forget it is a small light car and just doesn't need a footprint that big.  All you are doing is adding unsprung weight.  225's are pretty wide.

You would also need to consider the load on the front stub axles and those little bearings with the offset load.  I certainly wouldn't advocate spacers either.  But if appearance is more important, well of course its up to you.

I've mentioned regarding the rear guards above, the front guards on a levin are also cut substantially higher.  Of course if you are prepared to rebuild your arches properly, then it's unlikely you will have rubbing issues, but its hellish driving around in something that continually catches on anything but a billiard table

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185 on a 7" would give you a bit of stretch like the orange car, nothing extreme. And is still a proper sized tyre. 

Each to their own of course, i cannot stand extremely skinny tyres on already skinny tyres. Looks ridiculous from the back. I can appreciate a bit of stretching on proper sized tyres/wheels...... but man when you see a 165 tyre "stretched" on a 6" wheel.......

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Thanks for the tips chaps.

I have 185 60 13's on my current 6j alloys and even with the car being lowered 1.5 inches they run fine with no scrubbing around the arches.

I can see that if i wenr to a 7j wheel i would probably get srubbing on the arches.

I may just stick to what I have, though I would really like to get some classic jap alloys but they all seem to start at 7J.

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Just remember to take into account offset when you are comparing wheels. Going from 6" to 7" with the same offset is only 1/2" (12.5mm) extra protrusion which isnt that much. generally wheels will go up in offset the wider they get so it might not be as bad as you think. 

eg: 6" +20 and 7" +32 will sit the same on the guards. but the 7" will be closer to your suspension by 1" (25mm)

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If you get adept at searching on Yahoo japan, you can find quite a lot of nice wheels in whatever size you want. Of course, in period everything was 13 inch. 

Man important consideration of course will be what PCD you currently have. I can’t recall but think you went to something different than 4 x 110 or 114.3?

often they are also narrow, as unless from a period racing car, anything much wider than 6 or 6 1/2 would be unusual at the time. 

If you have a bucket of money, You can always get some original or remanufactured Tosco style wheels. 

Ive picked up a set of period Enkei’s in 13 x6 for the te27 and some weds albinos in 14 x 6 for the AE86, the latter almost new and ridiculously cheap both from yahoo using an Aust broker who ship in containers. 

Of course everyone’s preference differs, but if you do go wide, the issue of flares will have to be faced. Rolling the guard lips may help if you need a little room

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