wheels/tires

Chris F

Daily Driver
Hello all. I'm new to this forum as of today, just bought my '82 X1/9 last week, and have the first of what will probably be many questions. I had a '79 X1/9 about 25 years ago, and am excited to have one again! I knew when I bought this car that the tires were old (and that was the first thing on my to do list), but I had a blow out on the 10 mile drive home after picking up the car on Saturday. Unfortunately, the wheel was damaged as well; the section around the center cap broke off (and the wheel was extremely hot). I like the look of the Momo wheels on this car and had not planned on replacing them. So, my questions are:

1. Where might I look for a matching replacement wheel, and how much should I expect it to cost?

2. If finding a replacement wheel is difficult or cost-prohibitive, where should I look for a complete set of new (or used) wheels? Although it does appear that tire choices in 13" are rather limited, I do not want to make any body modifications to accommodate larger wheels.

3. Where is a good source for tires? My usual local tire supplier, Discount Tire, does not stock any 13s at all.

Thanks for any assistance.



 
Hey there....

Welcome to the forum, I've only been a member for about 4 - 5 months as I just got a X as well. The guys on here are great and the help/info is amazing. Sorry to hear about your blowout. I don't know about where to get a replacement wheel or about getting this one repaired, but someone will chime in. Good luck and don't be a stranger.
 
Welcome...

To the insanity we like to call X-Web :excited:.

Wheels and tires are often the first thing a new owner addresses. They are also the area that has the most options. Let me give you my thoughts.

When I bought my car, it had American Racing wheels, similar to the ones in your photos. I had trouble keeping them balanced and I always had some steering wheel shake.

I bought a set of CD-91's (original Fiat equipment wheels made by Chromadora). Look in the For Sale or Wanted (FSW) section and you may get lucky. The fit is perfect and no issues with balancing.

13" tires are becoming a real issue and some owners have moved on to larger wheels to find a better tire selection. Do a search on "wheels and/or "tires" and you will find lots of info.

Again good luck and we always need photos of your new ride!
 
Thanks, Joe. Is the pic below the CD-91 wheel? This is what was in the car as a spare, and I'm guessing it is original. I wouldn't mind a set of these, if I can find them......if anyone on here has a set for sale, please let me know.

Here's a pic of the car.....not the best pic, but with the rest of the tires at least as old as the one that had the blowout on Sat, not planning to move the car until I have new tires for it.


 
recent tire purchase

Might want to wait on tires until you've settled on wheels, if you end up with something non stock, could change your tire needs
http://xwebforums.com/forum/index.php?threads/25296/

CD -91s are very common, thus pretty cheap, I run them and like 'em, having said that, your current wheels are cooler, IMHO.

we need a lot more pictures and details, looks like a tasty exhaust on there?
 
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That is a CD-91

A common option on a '82 X-1/9.

Very nice looking X!

If you are not concerned about a budget, check these out:

http://www.vickauto.com/newstore/in...5_7_73&zenid=2d6d12a7b4a401c0864c35db71eb3d23

http://www.allisonsautomotive.com/products.html

If you do a search, you will find info from members concerning the various issues with these wheels, but mostly good reviews.

If you find a set of CD-91's they will most likely need some sort of restoration.

And I would also like some info on your exhaust system.
 
I have a growing list of minor items to address on this car, as it had been in storage for the past 10+ years, so I definitely need to stay on budget with wheels/tires at this point. I'm thinking a decent set of CD-91's and new tires is the way for me to go for now. The exhaust on the X is Ansa, looks super cool, sounds good but not as good as my daily driver '13 500 Abarth.




 
13" Wheels and Tires

Chris,

Welcome to the insane train we all ride keeping these wonderful cars on the road.

I have NOT had a problem getting 13" tires. Getting ones that are perfectly round is a bit more challenging but given how CHEAP they sell them for, I can't complain. The last set I bought (Achilles 185/60R13s) from tires-easy.com are great. You should be able to get a set of 4 including shipping costs for around $175 total!!! I paid more than that for ONE TIRE on my NSX.

http://www.tires-easy.com/cgi-bin/r...yre_for=&rsmFahrzeugart=ALL&suchen=View+Tires

Good luck!

Ed
 
I've got two sets of cd91's for sale. Send me a personal message or check out my post on FSW for one set
 
Ansa exhaust

I had one of those on my '79 for many years but it eventually rusted out. I had gotten it originally from Art Bayless back in 1981. To my knowledge, it has been unavailable for many years. I had planned to see if my local custom shop could make one as I always loved the way it looked on the car. If you ever take it off the car, take lots of pictures of it to share so someone could copy it.
 
Welcome Chris

In your tire search, you might find this calculator handy:

http://www.miata.net/cgi-bin/tirescgi

You can compare available tire sizes with the factory sizes and see how they will affect your speedometer and odometer.

For tires, be sure to check out a European brand, Vredestein, that's widely available here in the US. Their 3-season tire, Quatrac3, is a great street tire. I run them on my X as well as my '63 Alfa Spider.

Glad you have joined the X1/9 crowd.
 
Yes, but... you don't want them!

Welcome, BTW...

The 175/70s tend to rub a bit at full lock and when backing... for some reason... plus the tire's profile is not in your best interest performance-wise.

A 185/60 is what you want (minimum) all around for all around performance and wear, especially if daily driven. I like a "rubber rake" and the look of larger tires in the rear, and about a 300 rpm savings when cruising. 205/60s are what I run... all 13 inchers.

BUT... these are all hard to find less the "Achilles" recently mentioned.

If you want to replace your broken wheel... FIRST find out WHY it broke. You said it was hot... I would suspect a bearing issue.

Secondly... if you want to replace that wheel or want any others... list your WANTS in the FS&W forum. Do measure your current wheels to INSURE you get the ones you need. That Tire Calculator mentioned earlier is a good guide. Also look for stampings as well... like 5.5Jx13 and brand name. EBAY is also a good source when you know EXACTLY what you need.

Thirdly and maybe lastly, look at what Vick's Auto Sports and Allison's Automotive have to offer in 15's. Shouldn't cost ya more than a grand to do the "upgrade" but maybe you oughtta start slow and less expensive with the Achilles.

Again, Welcome to the Dark Side...

OH... almost forgot. That CD91 with the original P3 from 1982 oughtta be shined up and hung in your shop or offered to a Museum.

HA!
 
Congrats and welcome back :italia:
Do you know if your X got any actual TV air time during Mecum Auction?
I tried to tune in but missed it :(
 
That's an interesting question, Greg. I think the TV coverage was supposed to start at 1:30pm on Thursday, which would have been just about the time my X went through, so maybe it did get some air time. If you happen to find a re-broadcast of the Thursday sale, the car was lot T127, would be interesting to see if it did make the cut. It would be cool if the car made it on TV, but I hope they didn't get me in the picture, as I was also trying to eat lunch while bidding.....
 
Nice!

looks like you got a great deal on a pretty clean looking one! when you find some more cd91s, "wheel by Adam" in Dallas did a fine job on
my Daytonas for a reasonable price. welcome back to the board!
 
More great info, thanks all!

Mid79 - I like the Vredesteins, looks like a good potential option.

Tony - You're probably right about the wheel bearing, will check that out, thank you. That wheel was way too hot to touch right after the blowout.....I guess it was a good thing after all that there was no lug wrench in the car and I had to walk a ways to borrow one, as that gave the wheel a chance to cool down a bit. I also appreciate your candid feedback about the 175/70s, they sounded too good to be true! I need to restrain myself on wheel/tires until I get some hopefully minor storage-related mechanical issues sorted out and the car road ready.

Jim C - thanks for the info on "wheel by Adam"....I saw their listing on the web and wondered if they might be a possibility to either repair my damaged Momo wheel or refinish a tired set of CD91s at some point. Also, since you're local, any recommendations on where to go for X service?
 
No Air Time

Stephen Cox and I were hoping it would make air but it just missed being on TV by about 10 minutes.

Mike
 
nice color

That's a great color on your X, Mike, don't think I've seen that combo before. Like the wheels too.....what are they? Good to see an X in Indiana.....wonder if my old green '79 that I had when I lived there in the late 80's/early 90's is still around somewhere.

 
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