I'm looking for some input. I have an '82 and need new tires. I currently have 15" enkei's w/ 50 series Yoko's. Tires are worn, and the rims are really beat up - from curb rash at speed and california potholes, and would like to take this opportunity to replace both, of course, I'm also on a budget....

I like the size of the 15's and the greater availability of performance tires, but am tempted to go 13" to reduce rotating weight and squeeze a little more pep from my car. In the future, I may want to participate in autocross events or some track events, so that is something to consider.

Either way, I am leaning toward Diamond Racing since they are reasonable:

15x7 SCL - http://www.diamondracingwheels.com/StockCarSeries.htm (45.00)

Considering - 225/50VR15 Yokohama AVS ES100 (87.00)

13x7 Spun - http://www.diamondracingwheels.com/MiniStockSeries.htm (59.00)

Considering - w/ 215/50HR13 Sumitomo HTR 200 (49.00)

I welcome any feedback, suggestions, etc. - JW

 

Got a set of powder coat black stock"+" wheels with low mileage Yoko AV1-60 in a 205/60R13 that I would sell the wheel and tire combo for $45.00 each plus shipping from Kansas.

 

Hey man I also have 82 rx7 of course and am having problem finding the wrigh rim for my mazda been having it for bout almost 2 years and never done nothing to it except for an idler arm and now oh by the way very low miles 80201 so i bearly use this car only in the summer now I have tire problem and was thinking about polishing my rims any suggestion?

 

Any body know where to find rims for an 82 rx-7?

 

^^pics of your old enke rims that you have on your car please! When youget your news rims i will buy your old ones off of you.

 

Just looking for feedback on the 13" vs 15" question.....

 

if 13", go with the stock 185/70r13 for ease of steering and economy. Otherwise, if you want performance you can't beat a good 15". go with 205/50r15

 

15" rims will give you a wider tire choice and look better on the car. I have a set of 13X8 Revolution rims and with lowering springs, the wheels look tiny. The only tires I have found to fit that wide of rim are autocross tires, at 187 bucks a piece and they are not a street legal.

Make sure you get the right backspace, the front fender lips may need to be rolled and the speedometer will probably read low, (depending on tire size and profile), watch those speeding tickets. My speedometer reads 10% low with the 15X9 Epsilons, with 245/50/R15 TAs. I was pulled over for doing 87 in a 75 mph zone, had the speedo set at 78/9, and recieved a 'Holiday' warning ticket last Chritmas eve.

9" wide rims will not fit in the rear without cutting out the wheel well arches with lowering springs. The 7" wide front rims hooked the fender lips. Thus the widebody.

 

trochoid, do you notice any performance difference with reduced rotating weight on 13's vs 15's?

 

The upsizing of the wheels and tires made major differences in the car's handling. I still haven't pushed it to find the limits yet. My suspension has gone through an entire upgrade. The only part that has not been replaced is the idler arm. I also installed a power steering rack to turn the 225/5015's and eliminate the little bit of steering slop the old steering sector had. All this was done before the body kit install, stiffening due to the roll bar and the Epsilons. Prior to that with stock tire and wheel size, the body had no roll/lean before I exceeded the slip angles and it was very predictable. With the change to the 15" tires, I now get some lean and have not pushed it to exceed the slip angles. Need to work up to that as I am not willing to risk the rare Epsilons and body kit yet. I do need to upgrade the front brake pads from the stock ones. With the larger tires, it brakes very quick now with no lockup and has some untapped potential left.

As far as unsprung rotating weight, the Epsilions are about the same weight as the stock plus wheels, tire carcasses are a bit heavier, perhaps 30% more. I still do not fully fathom the whole unsprung weight issue, other than there is more mass to rotate, requireing more hp/torque.

Funny thing is, last summer before the kit, roll bar and 15's went on, I went to the 1/8th mile drag strip. I ran both the stockers and the 13X8 Revolutions wheels, shod with 225/45/13 Hoosiers autocross tires. Stockers have a 6-1/2" tread width, Hoosiers an 8-1/2" and a slightly smaller diameter. I had better times with the stock tires. Tire spin was similiar but I couldn't chirp 3rd gear with the wider tires

With your wheel choice, the biggest part of the weight gain will probably be in the tire carcass's themselves. That may cost some acceleration, but cornering and braking will show a good deal of improvement. For me, the 15's that are on the website would be a good choice for dedicated slicks.

Hope this wordy reply answered your question.

 

^ For the unsprung weight issue, its more than just the weight of the rims and tires it is also the size and distribution of the weight. Its something like for every inch larger the wheel is, it is equal to the wheel tire combo weighing 1.4 lbs. when it is stopped. Thats why anything above a 19 inch rim starts to get impracticle for sports purpose.

Yeah, I'm bad with details, let me dig up the article.