Larger Tyres...

[Spinal]

I'm looking for some forest stage tyres for the 13" steelies for my K11.

That said, I was wondering if I can fit 165 or even 175 tyres to the steelies (stocks ae 155/60/13 if memory serves.).

I was thinking of fitting 165/80/13 to give it a little more rubber to chew, lift the car a little when off-roading, and the ones I was looking at had some pretty aggressive tread patterns.

That said, I don't know what the limit on the stock steelies is without starting to cause issues... so two queries:

- has anyone successfully gotten 175 tyres on the 155 steelies/?
- has anyone gotten 175x80xR13 tyres to fit in the wheel arches? Was there any rubbing?

M.

 

[SuperUno]

You will be fine on these, I have run up to 195 wide on R13's on the Micra. Obviously this will affect you gearing, on WRGB last year we ran 185's on the front and 165 on the rear and was fine, but did blunt the gearing a bit....

 

[Spinal]

Splendid, thanks! Not too worried about the gearing, this ones not for a speed event but an endurance one (4 weeks of 12/14-hours a day driving - London to Mongolia). I'll have a set of 14" with stock tyres for Europe and Iran, but once we start offroading in the deserts we need to swap to something a little more aggressive (an a little more deflated!).

Kinda p*ssed off that colway went out of business really...

M.

 

[frank]

600mm is about your limit in terms of dia, and i rate kingpin retreads personally M

 

[Spinal]

Have you ever heard of malatesta? The treads look reasonably agressive:

 

[Spinal]

but I've never heard of them..

 

[Spinal]

Bringing up an old thread - that figure of 600mm being the limit, by how much can I push that?

My shortlist is:
165/80/13 (594mm diameter, 18mm height gain over the stock tyres)
185/80/14 (651mm diameter, 47mm height gain over the stock tyres)

Do you think I can get away with the 651mm diameter tyres? It would really help to have the extra ground clearance!

 

[SuperUno]

The 14's would kill your gearing! And rub as well i would suspect.

 

[Spinal]

It's the rubbing that worries me... think I may stick with some van tyres on the 14s at stock dimensions and then have the off road ones on the 13s.

Think. Does that sound reasonable?
M.