So I just wanted to start a topic for people that are using 14" and 13" after market wheels, particularly wide wheels and the tires they use as well as size. Please post pictures of your setup, and how the setup performs as far as grip. Currently this is my setup.

Wheels: 14" x 6" Speedlite (plausible brand)
Offset: +10 (Not sure of this)
Tires: BF Goodrich Traction T/A (H-speed) 195/60-14




This is fairly standard fit, not stretched at all. For me it works, for now, but I'd like a more stretched fit, so I will be looking into widening my wheels to 8" front and back, unless someone has a recommendation for me.

So what are you guys running.

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2000 Mazda Miata
1987 Mazda RX7 (For Sale)

bro do you want to sell the wheels i need a set for a rolling chassis i have thanks

Not selling unless I have another set of wheels to work with, which I don't.

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2000 Mazda Miata
1987 Mazda RX7 (For Sale)

I hate to say it, but there are pretty much no good street tires out there in a 14 or 13 size. I'm pretty bummed out since I have a set of 14x5.5 American Racing Libres, 14x7 Panasports and my favorite 14x6.5 Hayashi Street IIs (Command 500s even though they say Street II on the back side). The Libres are somewhat uncommon in a 14, the Panasports have a pretty specific backspacing and the Hayashis are just cool wheels that seem to be very rare. The only tire I can find is a Yokahama AVS ES100 and those are going away. I have a friend who has 13 wheel on his Miata and can't find any good tires either. What are we supposed to do for tires. A treadwear of 400+ is useless, it doesn't stick to anything. Does anyone know if there are any new performance tires coming out in a 14 for next year? I know Hankook pulled the z212 RS2s (great tires) and replaced them with the RS3, but only in a 15 and larger. The Falkens are stupid expensive, and not very good, and the ES100s are being replaced by the S-drives, but starting in a 15 again. What else is there? I'm at the point of looking into R compound tires for street tires, and that is going to suck.

Will

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1969 Datsun 2000 (track car, driven daily)
1959 Alfa Romeo 101.02 Sprint (big project)
1969 Alfa Romeo 105.51 GTV (R.I.P)
'87 BMW M3

Why do you want to stretch tires across too large of a wheel? You want to match the tire size as closely to the wheel width to get the best sidewall support. By stretching tires, you end up with sloppy handling and dented wheels. I don't know why anyone would want either one of those. If you are looking for a specific look, go with a bigger wheel, and bigger brakes to stop it, and the suspension upgrades to handle the increase of inertia. My advice, go get some good tires (if you can find them) and run them the way they were designed to be run.

Will

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1969 Datsun 2000 (track car, driven daily)
1959 Alfa Romeo 101.02 Sprint (big project)
1969 Alfa Romeo 105.51 GTV (R.I.P)
'87 BMW M3

These are 165/55/14 Goodyear Revtec on 14x7 works equips 03.

Falken Azenis come in 195-60-14s and is a 200 treadwear tire.

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2000 Mazda Miata
1987 Mazda RX7 (For Sale)

Yeah, I have the remains of a set of those (totally bald now). I vowed to never buy another set. Now it seems that I have no choice. The sidewalls are way too soft. The original versions were good tires, the 615s are not worth the $. The Hankook RS-2s were far far better tires.

165 series tires stretched across a 7" wide wheel is asking for issues.
Its your car, do what you want, but those are nice wheels to be risking.
Will

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1969 Datsun 2000 (track car, driven daily)
1959 Alfa Romeo 101.02 Sprint (big project)
1969 Alfa Romeo 105.51 GTV (R.I.P)
'87 BMW M3

What's the problem with those, I've heard people like those tires.

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2000 Mazda Miata
1987 Mazda RX7 (For Sale)

Federal tire makes a 165-55-14 for less than $40 per tire @ onlinetires.com.

That site has some really good prices, thanks for the link, looks like I will get Federals as soon as my BF Goodrich Traction T/A H-speed run out.

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2000 Mazda Miata
1987 Mazda RX7 (For Sale)

And that's why I abandoned 14" wheels. Even good low-profile 15" rubber is getting thin.



I assume you are looking for a reason other than "it looks cool"?



I'd have to (partially) disagree. A mild stretch usually makes the car handle better, or at least more predictably. When the tire width matches the rim width (especially on 13" or 14" wheels), the tires have a tendency to squirm a bit too much. Having them somewhat "in tension" makes the breakaway much more predictable. Mind you, that's a mild stretch (say a 185/60-14 on a 14x7), not the wild stretch (165/55-14 on a 14x7).

Just my opinion, though. "Good handling" can be a little subjective.

The problem with them is the sidewall is way too soft. In order to keep from eating the outside edge when driven hard, you have to run 40+ psi in them, and thats on a sub 2000 car. They also get very very greasy when they get warm (note I didn't say hot, then you might as well be on a wet road.) The good news is that I can dump the clutch from 2K and roast them through 3 gears and not make a sound, just sounds like the clutch is slipping (and the car is going sideways ) The 98dB exhaust note is another story.

My street tires are the smallest ones I have, I run a set of 205s on one set of race wheels and 225s on the other (thats a lot of tire under a Datsun roadster, but it looks mean.)

The worst tire stretch I have ever seen was on a Miata.13x9" wheels with a set of 155s on them. Seriously, WTF? the wheels were all chewed up from ground strikes. I did not pass him for tech at an autoX.

Will

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1969 Datsun 2000 (track car, driven daily)
1959 Alfa Romeo 101.02 Sprint (big project)
1969 Alfa Romeo 105.51 GTV (R.I.P)
'87 BMW M3

Must be why the local drifters love them so much...



Truly their only redeeming quality. Whilst drifting they are silent.

So for a moderate stretch, I should be using 14 x 8 wheels with my 195-60-14s

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2000 Mazda Miata
1987 Mazda RX7 (For Sale)

That sounds about right.

I think I'd rather have traction. Leaving my driveway is often a sideways affair, as well as making a turn from a stop sign. I'm surprised I haven't been pulled over for a public display of speed, at a whopping 5 mph. There are better tires to drift on.

Will

_________________
1969 Datsun 2000 (track car, driven daily)
1959 Alfa Romeo 101.02 Sprint (big project)
1969 Alfa Romeo 105.51 GTV (R.I.P)
'87 BMW M3

That's funny, I had two sets of 195/60-14 RT-615s and really liked them. I raced on them at Targa Newfoundland, and they did really well even in the wet. I never had a problem with sidewall rigidity -- I always thought they felt really responsive. I have since gone to a set of (better sized IMO) 195/55-14 Toyo T1-Rs for the street, and if you don't like squishy sidewalls, stay the hell away from these. It feels like my car is riding on marshmallows. It's OK on the street, they are quiet and smooth the ride out a lot, and they have a really chill way of "letting go", which is fun to use when driving hard, but they would be worthless in any sort of competitive setting. That's what the V710s are for on my other set of 14x6.5 +14 Wats.