john donohoe wrote:
>
> In an effort to recapture the "original look" of my
> '62 Seven, I'm planning on obtaining a set of 3.5"
> Triumph Herald steel wheels. I've been told by many
> that I'm crazy for wanting "skinny" wheels & tires on
> it.
Be careful who you listen to. It's pretty obvious
when they tell you to dump the 4-banger for a small
block Chevy. But there are a lot of people who don't
own a Lotus who think they know to "improve" it. I
have had salesmen recommend a 13x8 wheel!
I'm using Avon TurboSpeed 155x13 on the Elan/Europa
wheels. I kept the skinny tires on the advice of
others that claim that wider tires are not as "tossable".
Whatever that means.
I was told to look for a tire that had a rounded shoulder.
Supposedly the handling is better with a tread that
can roll rather than laying flat like a more modern
design tire.
I seems that the narrower tires are a bit easier to
break loose a little bit without a quick transition
from sticking to sliding. And the narrower tire
makes it easier to steer with throttle. Yeah baby,
I like that part!
The Elan/Europa steel wheels are 5.5 inches wide. The
Triumph wheels are 4.5 inches wide. I don't think the
original wheels on my Seven were from a Herald.
When I was searching for Triumph wheels the 4.5 were
the slimest I could find.
There are subtle differences between Triumph wheels.
I found two variations of a plain steel wheel 4.5 x 13.
The difference was in the size of the vent between the
rim and the hub. The Herald wheel according the the
guy who was restoring one has a larger vent than the
plain steel wheel that came on my 65 Super7.
Steve Shipley
65 Super 7
68 Europa S1A
Does anyone have any experience with running the
> original spec wheels? Any suggestions for a "proper"
> skinny tire to go on them?
I'm using Avon TurboSpeed 155x13 on the Elan/Europa
wheels. I kept the skinny tires on the advice of
others that claim that wider tires are not as "tossable".
Whatever that means.
I was told to look for a tire that had a rounded shoulder.
Supposedly the handling is better with a tread that
can roll rather than laying flat like a more modern
design tire.
I seems that the narrower tires are a bit easier to
break loose a little bit without a quick transition
from sticking to sliding.
The Elan/Europa steel wheels are 5.5 inches wide. The
Triumph wheels are 4.5 inches wide. I don't think the
original wheels on my Seven were from a Herald.
When I was searching for Triumph wheels the 4.5 were
the slimest I could find.
There are subtle differences between Triumph wheels.
I found two variations of a plain steel wheel 4.5 x 13.
The difference was in the size of the vent between the
rim and the hub. The Herald wheel according the the
guy who was restoring one has a larger vent than the
plain steel wheel that came on my 65 Super7.
>
> BTW I expect to post another batch of photos of the
> car to my web site, including the number plates...
>
> Meanwhile, I'm trying to limit my driving (over 1,000
> mi so far!) to remain within the Classic Car insurance
> contract!
>
> Thanks,
> John Donohoe
> '62 Lotus Seven 1135
>
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