Flaminia tires
-
Jean de Barsy
Flaminia tires
A friendly man recently wrote me that CEAT can supply new 175x400 tires as mounted on the Flaminia Sedan. I'll check this out to have ref. nrs and prices if this info is accurate.
-
Randy Adams
Re: Flaminia tires
Hi Jean:
It would be very nice to have access to 175 x 400 tires (assuming we are talking about steel radial). The Pininfarina coupe also used them and my coupe is noticeably undergeared with the 165 x 400 tires available from Michelin.
Randy
It would be very nice to have access to 175 x 400 tires (assuming we are talking about steel radial). The Pininfarina coupe also used them and my coupe is noticeably undergeared with the 165 x 400 tires available from Michelin.
Randy
-
Jean de Barsy
Re: Flaminia tires
Hi Randy,
Hope you're doing fine. About your remark of "undergeared"... is the outside diameter of a 165 x 400 or 175 x 400 not exactly 400 in both dimensions? If so, it doesn't change a thing.
I made some research via Pirelli Belgium, but the man who's in charge for "oldtimer tyres" has never heard of it before. CEAT belongs to the Pirelli Group. Investigation is still running... The truth is out there...
Hope you're doing fine. About your remark of "undergeared"... is the outside diameter of a 165 x 400 or 175 x 400 not exactly 400 in both dimensions? If so, it doesn't change a thing.
I made some research via Pirelli Belgium, but the man who's in charge for "oldtimer tyres" has never heard of it before. CEAT belongs to the Pirelli Group. Investigation is still running... The truth is out there...
-
Huib Geurink
Re: Flaminia tires
400 is the inner diameter and should correspond to the outer diameter of the rim. It is usually in inches but for this tire it is in mm.
The height of the side wall of the tire is 80% (or sometimes 83%) of the width. If the width changes, the height of the wall changes.
The outside diameter of a tire is the inner diameter plus twice the height of the side wall. Thus for the old 80% tires the outside diameter is the inner diameter plus 160% of the width.
For the 165x400 the diameter is 664mm.
For the 175x400 the diameter is 680mm.
The difference is 2.4%
After about 1970 tires were introduced with a wall to width ratio of less than 80%. This is indicated in the code for the size. E.g. 175/70x14 means the inner diameter is 14 inch and the height of the wall is 70% of the width.
The height of the side wall of the tire is 80% (or sometimes 83%) of the width. If the width changes, the height of the wall changes.
The outside diameter of a tire is the inner diameter plus twice the height of the side wall. Thus for the old 80% tires the outside diameter is the inner diameter plus 160% of the width.
For the 165x400 the diameter is 664mm.
For the 175x400 the diameter is 680mm.
The difference is 2.4%
After about 1970 tires were introduced with a wall to width ratio of less than 80%. This is indicated in the code for the size. E.g. 175/70x14 means the inner diameter is 14 inch and the height of the wall is 70% of the width.
-
Randy Adams
Re: Flaminia tires
Thanks, Huib.
That was my understanding of tire sizes as well. In short, Jean, your car is also running with a shorter final drive ratio than it was intended to have if you are using the 165X400 tires. The correct tire size can shave a couple hundred RPM off the engine speed when you are on the motorway.
That was my understanding of tire sizes as well. In short, Jean, your car is also running with a shorter final drive ratio than it was intended to have if you are using the 165X400 tires. The correct tire size can shave a couple hundred RPM off the engine speed when you are on the motorway.
-
Jean de Barsy
Re: Flaminia tires
Thanks Huib, that tyre size information is very interesting. Question now is to know exactly which Flaminia's were delivered with 175 x 400 tyres. There is some contradictory information in the books.
-
Sebastien Simon
Re: Flaminia tires
From the Sergio Puttini book: Lancia Fulvia, Flavia, Flaminia, the information is as follows:
All Berlinas and Farina coupes: 175x400
All others, i.e. Touring coupes, GTL and convertibles, + all zagatos: 165x400
This is coherent with the 2nd edition La Lancia, by Wim Oude Weernink.
What books do give contradictory information?
All Berlinas and Farina coupes: 175x400
All others, i.e. Touring coupes, GTL and convertibles, + all zagatos: 165x400
This is coherent with the 2nd edition La Lancia, by Wim Oude Weernink.
What books do give contradictory information?
-
Huib Geurink
Re: Flaminia tires
I no longer have a Flaminia. I seem to remember though that the berlina had 185x400, the PF coupe 175x400 and the Tourings and Zagato's 165x400.
The load carrying capacity is proportional to the volume of air that is enclosed.
The load carrying capacity is proportional to the volume of air that is enclosed.
-
Hubert Enbergs
Re: Flaminia tires
What may confuse is the given wheel (rim) dimensions in Puttinis book. As Huib said the rim has the dimensons 185x400 mm. All the same for all Flaminias. The tyres equipped are 175X400 for Berlina and Pinfarina Coupé and 165X400 for all others.
Not much of help (as tyres are very difficult to find) but very nice looking are 185X400 which I use on my Pininfarina Coupé. Unfortunately their outer diameter is so big that you have to consider this during restauration and build a lttle bit of space for them, otherwise they will scrape at the front end of the wheel arch. They are even too big to fit them as a spare tyre in the trunk. In case you do, you are not able to shut the lid. When mounted on a Flaminia Convertibile it is even more impressing without being exaggerated.
Not much of help (as tyres are very difficult to find) but very nice looking are 185X400 which I use on my Pininfarina Coupé. Unfortunately their outer diameter is so big that you have to consider this during restauration and build a lttle bit of space for them, otherwise they will scrape at the front end of the wheel arch. They are even too big to fit them as a spare tyre in the trunk. In case you do, you are not able to shut the lid. When mounted on a Flaminia Convertibile it is even more impressing without being exaggerated.
-
Steve Katzman
Re: Flaminia tires
My PF came with 165s on the ground, and a 175 on the spare. The tread width on the 165s is 4 inches, on the 175 it is 4.5 inches.I wouldn't mind having an extra 1/2 inch of rubber on the road. One person I know put 185s on his PF, and thought they looked too big. Unfortunately I didn't get to see them on the car, so I can;t vouch for that myself. On the question of availability, the last time I looked, Coker tires stocked 165s and 185s.
Steve
Steve