Hi everybody. Because of some health issues I have been forced to take an extended break from my car project, but now I am moving on it again. I have been a member of the forum for a little while but this is definitely a "newbie" type of question. My car hasn't been driven for a while and the tires are very old and so dry rotted that I am surprised that they still hold air. Getting a decent set of tires on my car is a high priority. I don't think it is even safe to drive in my neighborhood. Now that I have gotten the engine running well I want to try it out on the road.

Now to my actual question. My 1982 RX7 has the original 13 inch factory alloy wheels, which I want to keep. The recommended size tire for my car is 185/70-13. After a little calculating I determined that 205/60-13's are within 2% of the same height and are a little more than 3/4" wider. The wider tires are a bit harder to find, but they are out there and the price is only slightly higher than standard size. So if these tires are 3/8" wider on each side of the wheel, will I run in to any interference problems? Is it worth the extra trouble to get another 3/4" of tread on the pavement? I have only found these wider tires from online retailers, so if they don't fit properly, I really wouldn't have any recourse. I would be on my own with my tire budget blown on a set of tires that don't fit properly. I would like the wider tires but I need to know if they would work. I am really at a loss for how to proceed and any input from people who know RX7's better than me would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

 

The problem is solved. I searched the forums before I posted but I guess I didn't use the right words in my search. There is a wealth of information about low-profile 13" tires in the forums, and yes 205/60-13 tires will fit, but just barely.

 

quite a few r running that size on the stock wheels with no problems. i'm also running that size but not on the stock wheels, and just bought a set for mine. the last set i got from tirerack.com but they don't have them in that size now. i started a thread in the SE section on my purchase and posted pix once they arrived. https://www.rx7club.com/se-rx-7-forum-35/soon-time-new-tires-945137/

 

You can even get away with 215/50/13s on the stock rims, although they are much happier on a 8" wide rim.



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