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MG Midget and Sprite General - 6.5*13 rims on Midget?

I have been offered a set of alloy wheels sized 6.5"13, offset 4 inches (though the seller is not sure about the offset). They currently have 165/80/13 tyres on them. The sellers claims that these were a straight fit to his Midget w/o any modifications. Reading through other posts, I noticed that 165/80 may be a problem because of rubbing in the front.
I wouldn't mind the tyre size as that can be changed but does anyone have any experience with the rim size? My car is a '73 RWA.

Alternatively, can anyone suggest alloy wheels other than Minilites that fit on a RWA Midget w/o mods?

Thanks,
Andi
A Damm

Do you mean 185/60/13?

It might fit depending on the offset of the wheel and the ride height of your car
Trevor Jessie

The tyres are 165/80/13.
A Damm

I would not run such a narrow tire on a 6.5" rim.

Trevor Jessie

That offset sounds a bit wrong. 100mm sounds way to big to be right.
Lawrence Slater

Thanks for your advice Trevor. I may just not buy the wheels then as I don't want to use wider tyres.

A Damm

Hi Andi
i have 6x13 compomotive they look like the old alleycat with 175/60/13 i think.
gary knowles

Hi Gary, would be interested - could you send a photo by email?

Re offset - 4 inches doesn't sound right to me either - he may have meant 40 mm???

Thanks,
Andi
A Damm

Kim from magic midget can get you some nice 5" revolutions which would look great on a RWA midget.
And fit without problems
Onno Könemann

You said the guy is a friend....

Do a trial fit and race around the block..its only lug nuts and wouldnt take but an hour to transfer and drive to decide

Prop

Prop

Andi, most likely the wheels are 5.5" wide not 6.5" It's a common mistake to measure wheels on the outside of the bead area which is about 1" wider than the bead width because of the thickness of the alloy wheel rim. 5.5" wheels are quite common and should fit fine with 165 series tyres, even 175s usually fit with a bit of lip work on the rear wings. Most manufactures of wheels cast the size into the rear inner face of the rim, so your friend can check there to see if there are any markings.
B Young

these links might help with info

http://www.kouki.co.uk/utilities/visual-tyre-size-calculator

http://www.carbibles.com/tyre_bible.html

http://www.carbibles.com/tyre_bible_pg4.html
N Atkins

Thanks for all the hints and tips so far! Andi
A Damm

61/2" wheels are far too wide for a Spridget...

(unless you change all your spring rates to suit...).

Mark.
M T Boldry

Read and you may understand why....

http://www.mb1suspension.com/id102.html

I know this link is mororcycle related, but the SAME applies to cars too...

Mark.
M T Boldry

Can anybody quote weights for 13" and 14" wheels with tyres attached?

I've got 13" wheels at present, but I'm considering going to 14" wheels so I can fit bigger brakes.
Hugh Alison

Andi

Here is a picture of my wheels. They are period Compomotive wheels (based on the wheel on a 'Hot Wheels' toy car) size 5.5 x 13 and fit without modification. The tyres are 165/70/13 which gives virtually the same rolling diametre as the originals (so no need to recalibrate the speedo). I did have to fit a panhard rod to stop them fouling the body at the rear when cornering (as without the rod the back axle moves and the tyres touch).

Chris

Chris H (1970 Midget 1275)

Thanks for all the comments.

It turned out the seller (not a friend) had taken a wild guess. The engraving on the rims is apparantly 5J13 ET+20. So they should indeed be a perfect fit for the Midget. They are black 4 spoke Revolutions with the polished rim. I bought them and they should arrive here soon. I suppose they'll look pretty good on my car (midnight blue). Though I do like Chris's Compomotive wheels!

Thanks,
Andi
A Damm

Mark,
Good article. Motorcycle shocks are mounted upside down so the heavy end is fixed to the chassis. Is this some thing I could do with my Frontline AVOs so the adjuster is at the top? Has any one done it?
Dave
Dave Brown

Andi

You are blessed! Those Revolution wheels are my favourite and even better than my Compomotives in my view.
Chris H (1970 Midget 1275)

I think if they are gas filled shocks, they should mount either way up.

Mark.
M T Boldry

Hi

Avos wont work upside down as they are twin tube dampers. The knob you talk about is an adjuster for what I understand to be a needle valve. If the dampers are upside down you will have air running through the valve. Inverted dampers are usually monotubes like bilsteins and do not have a base valve.

If you need to know more about dampers you can search on the net as there is a wealth of info.

Cheers

Mark
Mark Turner

This thread was discussed between 28/10/2011 and 05/11/2011

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