Plus Two wheels on an S3....

[gino1]

Hi All,
I know there are umpteen replies on this subject but can anyone tell me the size of tyre to fit on some Plus Two wheels 5.5J that will be fitting on my S3.
I have fitted adjustable perches and smaller springs already.
Gino
S3 Coup? Milano

[Old English White]

... Hi Gino ,
On my S3 , I only have 165/65 R13 from DUNLOP on 5' knock'on Minilite's .
What can I say, It's allready a (very)close shave at the rear... because of the standard round wheel arches.
As you , I have the small springs & adj. perches. So no problems from that side...
Should be (a lot)better with the Michelin 155R13 XAS ff but the price , even in France, stop me.
But, with 5.5' +2 steel wheel, you are going to have some troubles ... without body mods.
Tell us .
Best regards,
Christian.

[1964 S1]

As you said, there are umpteen replies, that's because there are umpteen answers.
If you accept the fact that the Elan is a race car with a fiberglass body added to adhere to "road laws" the tire clearence is minimal at best and speaking from long winded sentences and thirty years of Elan ownership I know that each car may be different. Try what you think will work on your car, if it doesn't, try the next size down. In the end, none of us know what will fit on your particular modified S3 because Colin designed it "stock perfect."

[mac5777]

Hi Gino,
When I restored my S3 coupe I changed to 5.5 Panasport wheels from the 4.5 stock steel wheels. Springs etc. are all still stock. I tryed 155x13 and they rubbed. As 1964 S1 said each car is a little different as others have been able to use 155x13 without any rubbing. So I went back to the stock size of 145x80x13.
Christian's suggestion for the Michelin 155R13 XAS ff may be the only tire that will fit my set up. I'm saving up for a set mostly because they are taller and will add to the rev reductiion on the highway. I don't race but only drive the coastal mountian roads near by for my thrills, at least for now. Competition can be an alluring drug and new tires would a minor cost to set up my coupe like yours and Christian's Elans.

Sarto

[msd1107]

Hi Gino,

I can't be of specific help, since I have an early S4, but I have gone through different permutations of wide wheels and over size tires.

First I went to 5 1/2" wheels, then 165-13 tires, then 185/70-13 tires, and finally 185/60-13 tires. Each one had its own issues.

Since you have the small springs, that problem is solved.

On the outside, the tire probably will rub on the inner wheel arch. Mark where the tire is interfering and remove material from the inner wheel arch. Do this incrementally until there is no more interference.

In my case, I eventually removed enough fiberglass to reach the paint layer in a small spot, but this worked, and held up for years. When I had the car repainted eventually, the fiberglass man built up a thin layer on the outside before painting so that it takes a super eagle eye to notice any difference.

As diferent posts have noted, every Lotus is different, and you may have an easy time of it, or it may be a bitch, or one side may be easy and the other side not.

Good luck. The benefits of the wide wheels are worth the effort. The tire charts indicate that the standard 4 1/2" wheels are at the narrow end of the acceptable range. 5 1/2" wheels allow you to use more normal tire pressures for a good tire profile. The 5 1/2" wheels stiffen the tire for better cornering, as does the higher tire pressures. You will notice more precise and responsive steering, and higher cornering limits. All of which improve that "Elan" experience.

David
1968 36/7988

[paros]

I have an S4 with 5.5 rims - Minilite with 109 mm back space and narrow springs rear and at the front.
No problem with 175/60 tyres but 185 section and 60 profile, I hit the inside of the arch - and at the front. I run the car low as I race it with these tyres.
Wish I had another 5 mm of clearance at the rear!
With 50 profile no proplem
Richard