I just mounted a set of Toyo Proxes T1R's. the size is 195/55/14. Check them out, they look great and handle even better, especially in the rain.
ultimate tire recommendation - Please!!!
If you had tito's silver '73 spider and were about to mount up a set of Cromodora Daytona's all restored and pretty, what is the ultimate tire to mount up in your opinion? The wheels are 14" x 6", and I want the recommendation for fair weather (or better) handling, esthetics, and all around 'cool' factor. Thanks for your opinion's.....please include the exact size as well and why...
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I am also very happy with the Toyo T1-Rs, and Toyos in general.
Joe
Joe
The original tire size on my '86 Spider is 185/70R14 with a diameter of 24.2 inches. The Toyos have a diameter of 22.4 inches. I would think that 1.8 inches smaller would look worse (although the tires are lighter). It also lowers the gearing of the car.I just mounted a set of Toyo Proxes T1R's. the size is 195/55/14.
I have been looking at purchasing either Falken Ziex ZE-912 195/65R14 with a diameter of 24.1 inches or Yokohama AVS ES100 205/60R14 with a diameter of 23.7 so that my gearing and speedometer stay close to stock.
I'm very happy with the Yokohama AVS ES100 205/60R14 that I'm running on my GTV.
The original tire size on my '86 Spider is 185/70R14 with a diameter of 24.2 inches. The Toyos have a diameter of 22.4 inches. I would think that 1.8 inches smaller would look worse (although the tires are lighter). It also lowers the gearing of the car.
I have been looking at purchasing either Falken Ziex ZE-912 195/65R14 with a diameter of 24.1 inches or Yokohama AVS ES100 205/60R14 with a diameter of 23.7 so that my gearing and speedometer stay close to stock.
I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Personally, I like the look of a lower profile tire. Another benefit is that there is less tire roll as you speed through the corners with a lower profile tire. I understand about the speedometer though, mine is slightly fast by about 2 mph.The original tire size on my '86 Spider is 185/70R14 with a diameter of 24.2 inches. The Toyos have a diameter of 22.4 inches. I would think that 1.8 inches smaller would look worse (although the tires are lighter).
.
Very interesting. According to the tire size calculator, it should be off by almost 5 mph. You are travelling at 55.7 mph when the speedometer reads 60. This is probably a moot point since I've never owned an Alfa where the speedo wasn't out by over 10% anyway. My bigger concern is always that the engine is reving almost 8% faster at a given speed.
I was only recommending the Toyo T1-R, not the size used. I use them in the 205/55-15 size, which has a diameter of 23.8 inches - much closer to stock.The original tire size on my '86 Spider is 185/70R14 with a diameter of 24.2 inches. The Toyos have a diameter of 22.4 inches. I would think that 1.8 inches smaller would look worse (although the tires are lighter). It also lowers the gearing of the car.
In addition to the other negatives mentioned, tires that are that much undersized will put your sump perilously close to the ground.
Joe
I see your point but I guess it is no more perilous than the guys who put the sport springs on the front that lower the chassis an inch and a half to level the car out a bit. I haven't had and problems with the sump so far. I have though always had a problem with the catalytic converter scraping when I go over abnormally high speed bumps.I was only recommending the Toyo T1-R, not the size used. I use them in the 205/55-15 size, which has a diameter of 23.8 inches - much closer to stock.
In addition to the other negatives mentioned, tires that are that much undersized will put your sump perilously close to the ground.
Joe
Yes, it is VERY different than using sport springs. In addition to lowering the ride height, sport springs also increase the spring rate.I see your point but I guess it is no more perilous than the guys who put the sport springs on the front that lower the chassis an inch and a half to level the car out a bit.
Thus, while the sump starts out lower, the springs compress less than stock springs would. Most cars actually bottom out less often after adding sport springs.
Joe
There are a lot of good tires out there, but you still have to be realistic about the type of driving you will be doing... I always thought that an Italian car should have Pirellis, even though the U.S. Spiders typically came with Michellins. However, I won't buy Pirellis for any of the Spiders any more. None of the sets I have had held up under spirited and hard driving. (I'm talking tires that are made in the sizes that fit our Spiders of course, and not all Pirelli models.) I'll purposely take long trips on back roads, but hours of hard driving do stress the belts on the tires... Hence, I think that touring type tires just can't handle this type of driving. The Michellins do hold up ok, but they are a bit soft and prone to puncture. The Dunlops are a decent overall tire, but they are not great for handling. I've never had Toyos or Falkens, and I've heard good things about them all the time. After some focused research, I now use Yokohamas - specifically the AVID H4S model. (It was a big step for me to go with Japanese tires on the Spiders.) I'm very impressed with their performance, especially on wet roads, and they don't fail under hard use. I like them better than the BG Goodrich T/As.
About size - 185/70-14 is the OEM size for 14x6 inch rims. The problem is that in this size you don't get the better tires. Thus, applying the plus zero concept (keeping the same rim size), you can go up to a 195/65-14 or a 205/60-14. In these sizes, the selection is much, much better. I haven't used 185/70-14 tires in years for the reason mentioned above. I use 195/65-14, although I like the 205s better, because my wife will complain about parallel parking our Spiders, which do not have power steering. So for me, it's Yokohama AVID H4S in the 195/65-14 size.
Best regards,
About size - 185/70-14 is the OEM size for 14x6 inch rims. The problem is that in this size you don't get the better tires. Thus, applying the plus zero concept (keeping the same rim size), you can go up to a 195/65-14 or a 205/60-14. In these sizes, the selection is much, much better. I haven't used 185/70-14 tires in years for the reason mentioned above. I use 195/65-14, although I like the 205s better, because my wife will complain about parallel parking our Spiders, which do not have power steering. So for me, it's Yokohama AVID H4S in the 195/65-14 size.
Best regards,
My vote as well for Toyo's. I run them on my GTV as well as my big MB 560SEC. They perform well and are a great value. I run 205/55-15's on the GTV with no significant increase in turning force - fast or slow. I did rebuild my steering box and keep it well oiled so that might help...
Ciao EnriqueThere are a lot of good tires out there, but you still have to be realistic about the type of driving you will be doing... I always thought that an Italian car should have Pirellis, even though the U.S. Spiders typically came with Michellins. However, I won't buy Pirellis for any of the Spiders any more. None of the sets I have had held up under spirited and hard driving. (I'm talking tires that are made in the sizes that fit our Spiders of course, and not all Pirelli models.) I'll purposely take long trips on back roads, but hours of hard driving do stress the belts on the tires... Hence, I think that touring type tires just can't handle this type of driving. The Michellins do hold up ok, but they are a bit soft and prone to puncture. The Dunlops are a decent overall tire, but they are not great for handling. I've never had Toyos or Falkens, and I've heard good things about them all the time. After some focused research, I now use Yokohamas - specifically the AVID H4S model. (It was a big step for me to go with Japanese tires on the Spiders.) I'm very impressed with their performance, especially on wet roads, and they don't fail under hard use. I like them better than the BG Goodrich T/As.
About size - 185/70-14 is the OEM size for 14x6 inch rims. The problem is that in this size you don't get the better tires. Thus, applying the plus zero concept (keeping the same rim size), you can go up to a 195/65-14 or a 205/60-14. In these sizes, the selection is much, much better. I haven't used 185/70-14 tires in years for the reason mentioned above. I use 195/65-14, although I like the 205s better, because my wife will complain about parallel parking our Spiders, which do not have power steering. So for me, it's Yokohama AVID H4S in the 195/65-14 size.
Best regards,
I just put in 4,Uniroyal Tiger paw 195/65/14.
Have you any feed back on this tyre?
Thanks
Saracino
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