On Wed, 13 Oct 1999, Andrew Mace wrote:
> Bob Lang:
Hello Mike.
> I read your article on tires for Triumphs. Any problems with the
> 215/70's rubbing on tie rod ends, fenders, frame members, etc.?
In all, there are no problems with rubbing. However, this is a
"can-o-worms" type question.
Considering the following:
Front:
Tire Ride Height Clearance
185/80-15 Stock No Prob
185/80-15 Lowered Possible problems on upper fender
lip at "full lock"
205/70-15 Stock No Prob
205/70-15 Lowered Same as stock
215/70-15 Stock No Prob
215/70-15 Lowered Def. rubbing on upper fender lip at
full lock when "transitioning" up
or down as in entering driveways,
esp. if the transition is steep.
225/55-15 Lowered some contact possible with front
sway bar, particularly if you
have a 7/8" Addco bar
Rear:
No interference problems with stock wheels and tires up to
215/70-15. With 225/55-15's and wheels with slightly too small
of a back space (less than 4 inches), there is a possibility of the
tire rubbing the "upper bump stop" on the inside of the fender
well. With wheels that have a backspace of around 4 inches (close to or
the same as stock), there should be no problems. This is with 225/55-15's
and 23 X 9 X 15 "cantilever" slick tires.
Exception: on very hard turns, it is possible to get extra
rubbing on the bump stop due to tire flex. If you are having
this problem, increase the tire air pressure a bit. Note: as
indicated earlier, you need to run pressures pretty high to
keep tire deflection at a min. If you are havng this rubbing problem, I
hope it is only when you are racing your car, otherwise you should never
see it or you are a very "bad" driver.
> Afterall,
> they are three sizes wider than the stock tires. I have the stock steel
> wheels and want to upgrade to more current tire technology.
You can't miss with the 205/70's. When I bought the 215/70's about 6
years ago, there were not a lot of good choices in a durable high-quality
tire in the 205/70 size, so I bought Michelin XGT4's. Those are hard to
come by in the 215/70-15 size now (although I have seen them listed in
British Wire Wheel flyers at $$$ a lot), so you'll have to look at other
sources. I think I've put 40k miles on the tires and they're looking a
little thin now, but I got my $360 worth in those 6 years, so I'm not
complaining.
Note: tire selection is like religious choice - what works for some don't
mean a hill-o-beans to others. And tire size, while supposedly "absolute"
is anything but. Measure before you buy!!! In other words, I've held
different manufacturers "same size" tires next to each other and seen
differences that are detectable without a ruler or anything. But don't
forget that the tire will deform to fit your rim, so the net result of
same size tires should be pretty close.
The Triumphs list goes over this issue about twice a year, so if you hang
around for a while, you'll get to see all the arguments... ad nauseum.
Good luck with whatever you chose.
> Thanks!
> Mike Wozniak WozHawk@aol.com
regards,
rml
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