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Re: Tyres

To: spritenut@Exit109.com, spridgets@Autox.Team.Net
Subject: Re: Tyres
From: Bkitterer@aol.com
Date: Sat, 12 Sep 1998 22:00:23 EDT
Reply-to: Bkitterer@aol.com
Sender: owner-spridgets@Autox.Team.Net
<<Martyn Ridley wrote:
> 
> Summary: For those that skim read only!
> 1. What is rolling diameter for original Frog(BUG in US)eye Sprite?
> 2. Name a modern BRITISH radial that will fit
> 3. Reply please!!!!!!!

  I have
> no problem with 165/70s if they fit on the 4.0 rim.  Do they?, Safely?
> What if I only have the Frog's 3.5 disc wheels?  Is there a 155/75?, or
> will a 175/70 or 175/60 that will fit?  I know Dunlop does a 145/80, a
> 155/80 and a 165/70.  Are there any REAL British mfgers out there that make
> equivalent tyres? (Sorry, functionalist I may be, but putting yoko's or CDN
> tyre cheep o cheepos is beneath me)  Comments would be appreciated.
> 

Martyn

165/70s (Dunlop) fit fine on stock Bugeye rims. I have them on PIECES.
The closest (maybe dead on exact) size tyre for any Sprite/Midget is a
145/80. 155/80s are usually the sale priced tyre and the also fit fine
with no problems.
Original Bugeye tyres were 5.20 inches X 13 inches.
Being one that never "exhaled" I never learned the metric/english
conversions. I do know that 145s came on all later model Midgets from
the dealer. Most were Michelin X.
BTW new Dunlops are made in New Zealand. A few years ago they were made
in Japan, early 80s they were made in the UK.

-- 
Frank Clarici>>

Unless I am way off base the original 5.20 X 13 is larger than the 145/80 and
a little smaller than the 155/80.  We have run the 145 SR 13 Michelin XZX for
some years and been very pleased with it's street performance.  Wet limited
adhesion surfaces are a big criteria for us.   These tires may be out of
production now however. 

History and opinion:  We found the original Dunlop Gold Seal tires to be very
poor and could not wait to get rid of them, street use remember.  The
absolutely best street tires that we every ran were Pirelli 145 SR 13, CF67
Cinturato's also long out of production.  We felt that these tires were the
most predictable and provided the best feed back to the driver of any of the
tires we have ever run.

0.02 worth.

Bob and Annice
60 Sprite


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