Skinny, Sticky 13" tires?

I'm putting my 1962 A-H Sprite MK2 back together following fresh paint. I've decided to paint it every 9 or 10 years on general principle. Anyway, it has a pretty stong 1275 engine, and all the rest was comprehensively rebuilt during a down-to-the-last-fastener resto job 10 years and 8000 miles ago. The suspension is the ancient race springs that were on the car when I got it, a 1/2" front 'bar, rear panhard bar, and shortly, some eccentric front bushings to induce a little negative camber in.

Rims are 13 x 5" copies of copies of Minilites. Fender arches are stock front and rear, and ride height is pretty low, so the 165/70-13 Michelin Rainforce all-seasons on the car now don't have a ton of room to spare.

As a diversion from the merciless ass-kicking I receive attempting to "compete" in STU class in an e36 M3, I'd like to autocross the Sprite with the local "fun autocross series", and toward that end need some decent rubber.

Not a lot exists in sub 185 R comps. I can get formula 2000 slicks cheap, but the club doesn't allow non-DOT rubber.

Tar' 'Rack has THESE

In which case the 175 would be offset by the 50 aspect ratio.

Hoosier TDs and a gazillion arcane Avons are available, but for a 1350 pound relatively low HP car, there must be ~aomething~ that doesn't cost $800 a set.

What say y'all fans of cars with tiny wheels? any ideas I haven't seen while obsessively researching this?

Not much available other than those Sumitomos.

I ran the same Sumi 175s on ~My Spridget~ when it was a street/autocross car. They're OK. Not great but a good value pricewise.

I am running Toyo 888s (185/60-13) which are about $150 each at ~Frisby~, but I have "radiused rear fenders (like the '73 RWA cars). I'm running stock Rostyle wheels (I'm vintage racing).

I also use 3/16" spacers to keep the tires off the leaf springs. WIth the square rear fenders, things are really tight and the 185s just won't fit. A panhard rod will help keep the tires from rubbing...even with the 175s it will help.

The pictures below show the close proximity of the tires to the leaf springs on my car (the tires shown are Yoko 175/60-13 DOT race tires....no longer available)

Yeah, those Sumis are your best bet!

Your car is SECKS. Wish I had more constructive input.

This is why the GRM forum is so awesome. You ask a completely arcane question, and get actual information and entertainment in minutes.

The car has quarter-elliptic springs & trailing arms, so clearance is better than the semi-elliptic cars. Considering that I'm not likely to buy a Torsen diff the Sumis for $240 a set shipped will probably be fine. I did a tune n' test last summer and even with the sh1te tires and an open diff it was more fun than crack n' firehoses.

I do have an extra diff loaded with a Detroit Locker on a set of 5.10 gears, but then I couldn't drive it to events. At least not over about 45mph where it would redline.

And thanks, Mr. Poopshovel. Coming from a man who has a car with flame-spewing steerhorns on the hood, that's high praise.

motomoron wrote: ....The car has quarter-elliptic springs & trailing arms, so clearance is better than the semi-elliptic cars. ...

Oh yeah, forgot...it's an early box-Spridget (and great lloking car, by the way).

Things can still be tight with the tires vs. leaf springs, but in your car, it's only half the amount of places.

With the Sumis low profile, I think I was running about 62 true mph at 4000 rpm with a 3.9 diff.

A sponsor of mine said he'd handle the tire for this year well he did get me tires but there not the ones I can run. Hoosier will not take them back as they no longer make the spec tire for my class and that's why they sent one of the right ones and 4 of the closest replacements. So now I've got 4 new Hoosiers that I can't use. They are Hoosier TD part # 10055 HOTD 22.5/6-13 2 are marked in chalk 71 ¼ so they should have that roll out when hot the other 2 are not marked.

They cost him $90 each + shipping I'd like to get 60+ shipping

I'm in North central Ma. local pick up is fine or i can ship fed ex

44Dwarf

mini mania link

How about 175/50/13 YOKOHAMA A539? $160 per tire not Sumitomo cheap and don't look to be DOT rated, but your club may allow them as they are street tires.

I was allowed to run Yoko A008's that were not DOT approved in my size in a class that needed DOT tires since there are not a lot of choices for 10" wheels. Ran Hoosier slicks this past season and it was more fun.

Toyo Spectrum's comes in 175/70/13 which run small. Kumho Solus KR21 comes in 175/70 and 165/70 and are supposed to be decent.

If they'll fit the Proxes R888's come in 185/60. Should be short enough, but width could be an issue.

Edge has the Toyos and others, none of which would be my first choice for auto-xing, but the price is right:

http://www.edgeracing.com/tires/1757013/

Iv' run the 175 50 13 sumis on my turbo sprint and they were much better than expected. I was able to be a few cars wearing R's and I was not much of a driver at the time. (not that I'm much of one now)

That is one nice looking car. What kind of wax do you use to keep the drool spots off of it?

Actually, the key is a cheap point n' shoot. When that picture was taken the car had garage rash all over, and if you look closely you can detect that the cowl panel/door pillars are a different shade of blue than the rest of the car. That's cause a month after I finished the 3 year 2500 hour resto, the hood (bonnet) blew open and folded a 3" deep crease into the panel.

I guess it's merely coincidence and not actual irony, but that was the only straight panel when I started the project.

So, in the picture, shiny and attractive. Up close not so good.

I did however just paint it again after it got loose and tagged the wifes Audi. It's better now, but after you have a car from hammer blows to swirl remover, you know every flaw.

I guess the short answer to the question is "Zymol" though.

I'm gonna buy the Sumitomos.

I have 185/60 Sumis on my X1/9 on 13x5 wheels.

They work well enough for $202 shipped.

Sweet Sprite!

A few buds are running Sumis as well and have been pretty happy. One guy is running them on a 1st gen RX7 and he has taken the outside tread blocks completely off. He flipped them on the rims and is AXing another season on them.

motomoron wrote: and even with the sh1te tires and an open diff it was more fun than crack n' firehoses. <> And thanks, Mr. Poopshovel. Coming from a man who has a car with flame-spewing steerhorns on the hood, that's high praise.

that's two possible "from the message board" quotes for next mag right there.

In reply to AngryCorvair:

I made that first bit up as I wrote it and have no idea what I meant. I write like I use an angle grinder.

By the way. I have show and tell: Induction system larger than rest of engine!

Note throttle shaft actuation via toothed belts and pulleys. No bellcrank ratio monkey motion here.

Yoko makes the A048r in 175/50 13, the tire is DOT but I'm not sure if that size has the dot stamp on it...so inquire before you buy.

sachilles wrote: Yoko makes the A048r in 175/50 13....

Not any more. All Yoko A048s in the 13" sizes discontinued.