155/80-13 Tires

[Loren]

I recently bought a beater Tercel to have something for my son to learn driving in besides my (not paid for yet) Yaris. I had an old set of 14" wheels from a Miata that I put on the Tercel... but it came with a set of cute little 13" alloy wheels wrapped with some old tired 155/80-13's. Hmmmm...

Anybody done a test-fit of 13's on the Yaris? Do they clear the brakes?

I wouldn't want to drive on them every day, but I think I'd slap them on the car for a hypermiling experiment. A little less weight and 4cm less tread width would surely make a difference.

[eTiMaGo]

can't remember his username but there was a SoCal guy running on 13" Lenso VPD's, looked pretty badass and fit snugly, but fine...

[eTiMaGo]

here's your co-pilot's original thread on those :wink:

http://www.yarisworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8039&page=2

[thebarber]

depends on the offset of the wheel as to whether itll fit

i couldnt get those 14x5.5 miata rims to fit (from an early 90's miata) as they touched the caliper...

an oem 13 from a trecel is not likely to fit, but theres one sure-fire way to find out!

[Loren]

These are aftermarket, I'm not sure of the offset, I'd guess 42 or 45... maybe 38, but likely not less than that. Cute little things, they are.

I might get a wild hair and test fit them soon... or I might sell the car! Ran into someone who was looking to buy one the other day... would be nice to get out of the car payment. I really don't drive the car enough to justify the payment. Or maybe I'm just bored with it? :)

[SailDesign]

Loren,
They may fit, but from experience with a VW Fox on that size tire (same weight of car), the wind-sway was horrific as the sidewalls can flex a full inch before the tread starts to move.

[Loren]

Yeah, that was kinda what they felt like on the Tercel!

[SailDesign]

Yeah, that was kinda what they felt like on the Tercel!

THat's why they got swapped out quickly for some Audi 14" rims with 185-wide rubber. Just right for the Fox.

[Loren]

Way off topic, but the second new car I ever bought was a 1988 VW Fox. It was a 4-door and red. Only thing I remember about the tires on that car was that they were Pirelli P4's and when I raised the pressure on them up to 44 psi, suddenly the car was FUN to drive!

[SailDesign]

Way off topic, but the second new car I ever bought was a 1988 VW Fox. It was a 4-door and red. Only thing I remember about the tires on that car was that they were Pirelli P4's and when I raised the pressure on them up to 44 psi, suddenly the car was FUN to drive!

I had BFG Touring T/A's (for the stiff sidewalls) at 38psi. Great litle roller-skate, if you could stand the wait to get up to speed. The EuroSport exhaust probably got me to 95 hp from the stock 81....

[360cubes]

At least the tires for 13" rims are inexpensive! My uncle spent $230 for a set of high end tires for his Tercel before winter. Moving up to 185 tires would nearly double the cost for the same brand tires. Still, for around town commuting I'd be able to live with the tall sidewalls. If you want less weight, Enkei Racing RPF1 wheels (15x7 rim w/185/60R15 tires) check in at a low 9.9lbs, which is lighter than the stock steel wheels. Albeit, they're not the cheapest around. Find a low rolling resistance tire to match and you'll undoubtedly gain in the mpg department.

I looked into quite a few things when I had ordered my Yaris last fall. The dealer messed up the order so I've put it off a while longer for those that are wondering. As it would be replacing my current commuter car (aging '99 Ford Taurus) I was going to gut most of the interior as it's unnecessary and I'll gladly deal with the additional noise when the weather gets bad. I figure I'd be able to pull off a solid 140lbs of parts & accessories. Add in some light wheels and myself losing another 20lbs I'll be all set to get the best possible mileage...once I get the car.

[Loren]

If you can find a set of Falken Hanabi wheels, that's what I have now, 15x7 and 11 pounds... for $85 each. The RPF1's rock, but at twice the price for a mere 1 pound difference, I just couldn't do it.

Hey, you're '99 Taurus is a hypermiling experiment waiting to happen! It's probably not worth much, anyway... strip all the interior out of it, do all the hardcore lightening tricks (cut out the door, hood and trunk reinforcements, remove AC, power steering and anything else that doesn't HAVE to be there), crank up the tire pressure, give it a good tune-up, apply some good hypermiling techniques and see just how far it will go. EPA highway is as much as 26 on those cars... I bet you could do 50% better if you tried... 39 mpg from a Taurus... wouldn't that be cool?

[Black Yaris]

if you want to get rid of this 13's give me a shout..... they would be perfect winter wheels with my 1 inch wheel adapters...... and the horrid Ohio roads

[2006fronty]

If you can find a set of Falken Hanabi wheels, that's what I have now, 15x7 and 11 pounds... for $85 each. The RPF1's rock, but at twice the price for a mere 1 pound difference, I just couldn't do it.


Loren, where'd you get the Hanabi's for $85?

[Loren]

Lemme see if they fit the Yaris first. I'm sure after I experiment with them, I'll be ready to ditch them. I have 13's on my Spitfire, that's enough 13 for me!

[Loren]

Loren, where'd you get the Hanabi's for $85?
Edge Racing had them on special back about last May. Edge is no longer in business, unfortunately. Not sure who else carries them.

Edit: They might have been $89. I know they were under $90.

[2006fronty]

Edge Racing had them on special back about last May. Edge is no longer in business, unfortunately. Not sure who else carries them.

Edit: They might have been $89. I know they were under $90.

:frown:Aww man, thanks anyway

[360cubes]

If you can find a set of Falken Hanabi wheels, that's what I have now, 15x7 and 11 pounds... for $85 each. The RPF1's rock, but at twice the price for a mere 1 pound difference, I just couldn't do it.

Hey, you're '99 Taurus is a hypermiling experiment waiting to happen! It's probably not worth much, anyway... strip all the interior out of it, do all the hardcore lightening tricks (cut out the door, hood and trunk reinforcements, remove AC, power steering and anything else that doesn't HAVE to be there), crank up the tire pressure, give it a good tune-up, apply some good hypermiling techniques and see just how far it will go. EPA highway is as much as 26 on those cars... I bet you could do 50% better if you tried... 39 mpg from a Taurus... wouldn't that be cool?

I agree, the price is rather high for a wheel package on an economy vehicle. I forgot a few words in my previous post, as I was planning to gut the Yaris when I get it. The Taurus isn't worth my time. I was out this afternoon around town and it died - most likely the alternator, as the battery was replaced not too long ago. With nearly 300K on it, it's served me well. I bought it for just under $20K new as a demo model back in 1999.

On a good mild & dry day I have gotten as high as 32mpg (US) or roughly 7.2L/100km. That's only happened a few times. Generally I get around 8.0L/100km on the highway or around 28mpg. If I take it on a trip with my gear and the wife I get closer to 9L/100km. That's also not exceeding 65mph. I change plugs on all my vehicles every 25K or 40,000kms. I run standard Champion copper core plugs ($2/ea) and they never let me down yet.

I could still gut the Taurus and see what I'll gain from it. I'd easily tear off a good 300lbs including the spare tire and jack. Last two months the PS system has developed a slow leak. The problem is that I'd rather not remove it. I drove a K-car without power steering, and that thing was hard enough to turn around in tight parking lots! I've removed the front passenger seat before when I did a light moving job. It was a heavy piece, had to have been well over 50lbs and there are no power features on it.

The silly thing is that I'd hate to tear apart a perfectly good car. The problem is that all the ones for sale locally are ex-rental units or are overpriced for their condition, and I will not buy one of those. I'd rather get new with the warranty, change the oil after 1K with synthetic and run'r til she rattles apart - similar to my current Taurus. The suspension will need replacing on the Taurus in another 20K anyway. $400 for the front, and more than $1K for the rear as it's one piece (if you ever see a sagging Taurus, it's due to an owner not wanting to ante up the cash for the work). Anyway, 'nuff about my F-word car.

[cfiimei]

Smaller diameter wheels = lower gearing = lower mileage... right?

[Loren]

Smaller diameter wheels = lower gearing = lower mileage... right?

Not quite. In fact... no, not at all.

Smaller diameter wheels are generally lighter, that can help with economy, but otherwise, WHEEL diameter does not matter.

Smaller diameter TIRES will have the same effect as a shorter gear ratio, quicker acceleration, higher revs, lower economy. For better economy, you'd want TALLER tires to lower the engine RPM at highway speeds.