tyres

[iain fraser]

advice please on best tyres (aesthetically as well as practically) to put on my 'wrong' alloys - thats cromodoras from a 2000 on my s3 1300
thanks
iain

[Neil]

Iain, this is a difficult one, I too fitted a set of 2000HF cromodoras on my S2 coupe, I decided to go for a tyre which had a very similar circumference, to keep the gearing as near as possible to the 165x 14 tyres. I choose to use 185/70 x 16, which look OK, but the steering is a little heavier and seem to be less nimble than with the 165s, something in between would be better as not to compromise the handling and ride. Something like the 1600HF size 175 seems to be a sensible choice, but I am not sure what profile which would affect the gearing.

I am sure they will be several suggestions here on the best choice of tyre size and make.
Neil

[tim]

Try dunlop sp200 as they are in std 80 dia and are quite a good tyre for the money. I have them (175x14) I think (but cant check as on a car being renovated.

Tim

[Ed Levin]

The Cromodoras are 6J x 14s, which are a bit wide for a 165 tire width. Most tire manufacturers put 175 at the narrow end of tire widths for a 6" rim width, with 185 or 195 as the ideal tire width. It's possible to stretch 165s onto 6" rims, and it's probably safe enough, but it looks pretty silly.

Neil's right; to maintain the correct circumference the equivalent of 165/80-14 is 185/70-14 (actually the 185/70s are a little smaller), but that extra 20mm width will make the steering heavier and the turn-in less crisp. The extra width will also put more stress on the suspension, but Fulvia wheel bearings are pretty stout, so this shouldn't be a serious problem. No other sizes will maintain the same circumference (and therefore the same gearing). Theoretically, 175/75-14 are equivalent, buy these don't exist as far as I know..

As far as the choice of tires, several others on the list have recommended Bridgestone B381s, which are available in 185/70-14; Pirelli P3000 would be another choice. And it'll sound like a bit of a cheat (probably because it is), but you can increase the steering feel with 185/70s by increasing the tire pressure.

[Neil]

The 2000HF wheels are 5.5 x 14, so 165x14 would not really be suitable, a bit of stretch to fit, 175/70 x 14 might an alternate comprise, same width as the original Michelin XAS 175x 14 tyres, try this link to compare tyre sizes (page 2), a 175/70 x14 tyre is smaller than 165 x 14 tyre, so at an indicated 70mph true speed would be 67.85 mph, as the circumference would be 59.69 mm less.

http://www.carbibles.com/tyre_bible_pg2.html

Ed's suggestion of a 175/75 x 14 would be almost spot on to keep the gearing correct and the steering similar to the original, I have found two tyres of that size, one for a van (Michelin) so may not be suitable for Fulvia's precise handling!

[Ed Levin]

Neil, I amazed you can find 175/75-14s; no source I checked over here has such a thing. If they're Michelin, I wouldn't write them off just because they're intended for vans. They will have a higher load rating, which means they probably have a somewhat stiffer sidewall; if the sidewall stiffness isn't excessive, they might work fine (albeit with a somewhat harsher ride). 175/75 has almost exactly the same sidewall height as 165/80, so the gearing would be unchanged--theoretically.

Keep in mind in any of these discussions that the exact aspect ratio can vary from manufacturer to manufacturer and from tire line to tire line within the same manufacturer. It's entirely possible that a 165/80-14 Michelin 'tire X' is measurably different than a 165/80-14 Bridgestone 'tire Y'. Manufacturers usually publish the overall diameter in their spec sheets, and it's worth checking these to avoid surprises.

I must have misread the reference source that had the 2000 HF rims as 6"; if they're 5.5" it is actually possible to use 165s; it's at the high end of the recommended rim widths, but this would not present any problems.

[Neil]

The two tyres I found are Bridgestone R630 and Michelin Agilis, both 175/70 x 14, neither are as cheap as the alternate sizes, no idea if these are any good, but they are from reputable manufacturers so no reason to expect them to be bad.

[Ed Levin]

I have no knowledge of either of those tires, but I’d agree that both manufacturers make good tires. As I said earlier, tires designed for vans will have a higher load rating, which usually translates into a stiffer sidewall. The downside of a stiffer sidewall is a slightly harsher ride, but the upside will be somewhat sharper steering response. It may not be a bad trade-off at all.

[Florent]

Iain,

I use alloy Cromodoras from a 2000 on my S2 Fulvia 1300, they are 5,5 large and equipped with Firestone F560 165/80x14. The aesthetic of this tyre is quite good and the steering correct. The circumference is exactly the good one and even fitted on larger wheels than the original ones, distances values are correct.

Florent

[Chasm61]

This is an interesting discussion. I raised a similar one a while ago but decided to just put off a decision on replacing the 4.5" steelies for my '75 S3. It sounds though as if the 5.5x14 Cromodora works well on a standard S2 (and probably S3) coupe.

Florent...
Can you confirm no clearance problems, inside or out, using the 5.5x14s with a 165/80 series tire? I think the offset on that wheel is 40.5 (per the Vanzetti site), yieliding about a 4.6" backspace. That only puts about 1.4" outside... any wheel arch issues? Love that wheel style by the way, 5.5" or 6". Either way it's my favorite of all the OEM Fulvia alloys.

So do you think the 175/70, which has a segment width of about .4" wider, would also work? I ask because, like others on this thread, I've been able to find the 175/70 (Dunlop SP60 and others) to be fairly available here in the US, but a 175/75 has yet to rear it's head stateside.

Thanks! Chas