13" Wheels Look Too Small!
Discussion
I know they are better for doughnuts etc but I will be using my future Cat for predominantly road use and they look so small in the rear wheel arch of a Supersport. The Caterham salesman suggested putting on 15" rims like the one in this picture but can you have the same effect by putting on a larger tyre to give better ride comfort - what size/make would you recommend for road use. A wider tyre would look great also but not sure you can do that with a standard Supersport axle!
Hmm nice, my favourite wheels below and I think the back has a bigger tyre than the front. Does changing the tyre size mess up your milometer/speedo?
Hmm nice, my favourite wheels below and I think the back has a bigger tyre than the front. Does changing the tyre size mess up your milometer/speedo?
Edited by Zagster on Monday 6th May 08:42
Edited by Zagster on Monday 6th May 08:43
What tyres are you running? Avon CR500S?? If so then these are the lowest profile for a Seven - 55 I think. You could change the tyres to a 60 profile tyre which would fill the wheel arch a little, if you really want to, but the CR500 are very good tyres so a shame to replace just for aesthetics.
If you do wish to change then something like an Yoko 021R is a great all round tyre, pretty cheap too.
I'm guessing you have 6" all round? There should be no problem fitting wider 8" rear tyres and these would also sit a little further out to help fill out the wheel arch.
I would stick with the 13"s, general consensus is that Sevens are much better on them that bigger wheels.
Cheers
SS
If you do wish to change then something like an Yoko 021R is a great all round tyre, pretty cheap too.
I'm guessing you have 6" all round? There should be no problem fitting wider 8" rear tyres and these would also sit a little further out to help fill out the wheel arch.
I would stick with the 13"s, general consensus is that Sevens are much better on them that bigger wheels.
Cheers
SS
SnapperSeven, I havn't got a Seven at the moment, just trying to spec the wheels for the kit order when my boat sells... er unless I go for a 2001 Beaulieu model I have fallen in love with, just need to squeeze in and take my shoes off each time 
I like the super comfy ride style of those tyres Tim, hopefully some of the guys at a local branch meet will have a good selection to look at. 15" wheels and the tallest CR500's maybe the way to go as everyone says what a good tyre they are.
I like the super comfy ride style of those tyres Tim, hopefully some of the guys at a local branch meet will have a good selection to look at. 15" wheels and the tallest CR500's maybe the way to go as everyone says what a good tyre they are.
Zagster, apologies for the assumption and not properly reading your first post!
I do see what you mean now, I saw that white Supersport http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/c... that is currently for sale on the PH classified and the rear wheels do look a little bit lost. I think going for 8 inch wide rears would help as it would bring the outer edge closer to the rear wheel arch.
You say you like the look of those wheels on the yellow Seven in the picture...of course that is one of the joys of Seven ownership in that you can freely chop and change and get the Seven to look as you want. They are Revolution wheels but one word of caution, they are quite heavy. If you like the look then you could look at Mike Barnby alloys (see my profile pic) or Rial wheels which are significantly lighter, though at a premium.
Are you looking to buy an SV then? I ask as you say you need to take your shoes off to drive a Beaulieu - the pedal boxes won't be any different for any standard S3 chassis. If you are going for an SV then yes 15 inch wheels would probably be the better choice.
Cheers
SS
I do see what you mean now, I saw that white Supersport http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/c... that is currently for sale on the PH classified and the rear wheels do look a little bit lost. I think going for 8 inch wide rears would help as it would bring the outer edge closer to the rear wheel arch.
You say you like the look of those wheels on the yellow Seven in the picture...of course that is one of the joys of Seven ownership in that you can freely chop and change and get the Seven to look as you want. They are Revolution wheels but one word of caution, they are quite heavy. If you like the look then you could look at Mike Barnby alloys (see my profile pic) or Rial wheels which are significantly lighter, though at a premium.
Are you looking to buy an SV then? I ask as you say you need to take your shoes off to drive a Beaulieu - the pedal boxes won't be any different for any standard S3 chassis. If you are going for an SV then yes 15 inch wheels would probably be the better choice.
Cheers
SS
Edited by snapper seven on Tuesday 7th May 13:15
GJT the 13" just look ridiculously small IMHO. Having searched the forums I'm not alone in this opinion and some suggest they look worse on a Supersport for some reason, even more gap under the wheel arch on this model for some reason they think. When it comes to perfamance what the hell does looks count for of course, it's all about handling, it's not designed to be a looker in the first place, it's not an impressive classic it's a race car...
Snapper, there is an SV with 15" wheels on at Caterham South which look much better (salesman also suggested doing this) but putting a higher profile tyre on a 13" wheel maybe the better option as I will be touring much of the time and the Surrey roads are like farm tracks half the time The wider tyre you suggest would improve looks considerably.
The picture of the supersport on the Caterham website CA07 RAM shows how small the wheel looks. I know they are better for handing but I'm more Sunday drives than Brands Hatch laps!
The SV model does seem to be popular, very surprised at how long some of these S3 Caterhams are on the market for but I guess they are low spec, low power examples. I love the Beaulieu model and it would save me 16K which should be spent on the house etc which is falling down! I'm into classic cars so quite like the carbs, not so bothered about power etc. If I threw a crazy 28K at a new Supersport I would want it to have oomph, be worried about it getting scratched/bent etc. It would be the right SV spec for me though, great once in a lifetime opportunity to build one, I could paint the chassis in POR-15, Dinitrol it and build it to a high standard... my car/toy for life. On the other hand a 4800 mile mint Beaulieu for 13K would be just as much fun, less to worry about and I could always upgrade and not lose much in the future. OH and did I say it saves 16K you can buy a lot more toys for that!! I flick from one decision to the other but have time to decide as the boat hasn't sold yet.
Snapper, there is an SV with 15" wheels on at Caterham South which look much better (salesman also suggested doing this) but putting a higher profile tyre on a 13" wheel maybe the better option as I will be touring much of the time and the Surrey roads are like farm tracks half the time
The wider tyre you suggest would improve looks considerably. The picture of the supersport on the Caterham website CA07 RAM shows how small the wheel looks. I know they are better for handing but I'm more Sunday drives than Brands Hatch laps!
The SV model does seem to be popular, very surprised at how long some of these S3 Caterhams are on the market for but I guess they are low spec, low power examples. I love the Beaulieu model and it would save me 16K which should be spent on the house etc which is falling down! I'm into classic cars so quite like the carbs, not so bothered about power etc. If I threw a crazy 28K at a new Supersport I would want it to have oomph, be worried about it getting scratched/bent etc. It would be the right SV spec for me though, great once in a lifetime opportunity to build one, I could paint the chassis in POR-15, Dinitrol it and build it to a high standard... my car/toy for life. On the other hand a 4800 mile mint Beaulieu for 13K would be just as much fun, less to worry about and I could always upgrade and not lose much in the future. OH and did I say it saves 16K you can buy a lot more toys for that!! I flick from one decision to the other but have time to decide as the boat hasn't sold yet.
Edited by Zagster on Tuesday 7th May 14:51
Zagster said:
Only just realised they put 15" on the Superlight & CSR models from new! Keeps the power down better I suppose on the big BHP models...
Not exactly correct!The R500 comes as standard with 13 inch rims, as supplied on both of my R500 models.
The R300 and R400 models come standard with 15 inch rims, but most people go with the option of 13 inch rims in those models.
I think,you are correct that the CSR comes as standard with 15 inch rims too!
We have two sets of wheels/tyres for our SV-VHPD and that has served us well over the last 12 years of owning since new.
14" A021r's are for road/touring use - absorb a bit more of the bumps, very progressive and great in the rain/snow
13" A048r's (medium) are for track/sprint use - best we can afford to have some distance in them for more than 1 outing
Both work out well -- we have a friend with another SV who has 15" for road and 13" for track -- the 15's just look gignormous!
14" A021r's are for road/touring use - absorb a bit more of the bumps, very progressive and great in the rain/snow
13" A048r's (medium) are for track/sprint use - best we can afford to have some distance in them for more than 1 outing
Both work out well -- we have a friend with another SV who has 15" for road and 13" for track -- the 15's just look gignormous!
Morning Zagster,
All the points made by the guys above are all spot on. They are very experienced Seven chaps and know their stuff. I've been listening to all of them over the last 18 months of my Seven ownership and the 6 months before researching my purchase. I have superlight 13" wheels and CR500s.
13" do look a little puny next to hot hatches with 17", but Sevens aren't about how they look, but about how they handle. 13" wheels are very light(so are CR500 tyres, as they are designed for Caterhams) and hence give a low unsprung mass to the suspension. This helps the handling and the ride enormously as the inertia is lower, which helps the suspension react to the surface better; essential for UK's country roads where you need to keep the tyre on the surface as long as possible. I don't think you will find anyone that will agree that a move to larger wheels is a good idea.
Bradders.
All the points made by the guys above are all spot on. They are very experienced Seven chaps and know their stuff. I've been listening to all of them over the last 18 months of my Seven ownership and the 6 months before researching my purchase. I have superlight 13" wheels and CR500s.
13" do look a little puny next to hot hatches with 17", but Sevens aren't about how they look, but about how they handle. 13" wheels are very light(so are CR500 tyres, as they are designed for Caterhams) and hence give a low unsprung mass to the suspension. This helps the handling and the ride enormously as the inertia is lower, which helps the suspension react to the surface better; essential for UK's country roads where you need to keep the tyre on the surface as long as possible. I don't think you will find anyone that will agree that a move to larger wheels is a good idea.
Bradders.
BraddersCat7 said:
Morning Zagster,
All the points made by the guys above are all spot on. They are very experienced Seven chaps and know their stuff. I've been listening to all of them over the last 18 months of my Seven ownership and the 6 months before researching my purchase. I have superlight 13" wheels and CR500s.
13" do look a little puny next to hot hatches with 17", but Sevens aren't about how they look, but about how they handle. 13" wheels are very light(so are CR500 tyres, as they are designed for Caterhams) and hence give a low unsprung mass to the suspension. This helps the handling and the ride enormously as the inertia is lower, which helps the suspension react to the surface better; essential for UK's country roads where you need to keep the tyre on the surface as long as possible. I don't think you will find anyone that will agree that a move to larger wheels is a good idea.
Bradders.
Excellent post. All the points made by the guys above are all spot on. They are very experienced Seven chaps and know their stuff. I've been listening to all of them over the last 18 months of my Seven ownership and the 6 months before researching my purchase. I have superlight 13" wheels and CR500s.
13" do look a little puny next to hot hatches with 17", but Sevens aren't about how they look, but about how they handle. 13" wheels are very light(so are CR500 tyres, as they are designed for Caterhams) and hence give a low unsprung mass to the suspension. This helps the handling and the ride enormously as the inertia is lower, which helps the suspension react to the surface better; essential for UK's country roads where you need to keep the tyre on the surface as long as possible. I don't think you will find anyone that will agree that a move to larger wheels is a good idea.
Bradders.
I too did lots of research before buying and 13" wheels seem to be the way forward, both in terms of handling and giving you the widest tyre choice. In the looks department it's certainly worth considering the staggered set-up (we have 6" front, 8" rear - wheels are 13" Caterham anthracite 10-spoke alloys) - they seem to fill the rear arches better than 6" rears. But bear in mind there may be times when you want less rear grip than the 8" wheels provide
Well spent a couple of hours in the showroom this morning and came to the conclusion once again I need an SV, S3 was just too cramped for me especially in the pedal box area. Jumping back into an SV was so much more comfortable for me, especially with a lowered floor. So many people have said to me they would love a Caterham but can't fit in one BUT don't know of the SV model which anyone can fit into comfortably. Caterham ought to market them more maybe! This then cuts out all those lovely second hand S3's for me BUT I am now more determined to get a kit SV - sod the money, back to long hours and beans on toast for a while but it's a once in a lifetime opportunity to build your own car to your own spec.
Back on topic with wheels, the SuperSport does indeed have a larger gap between tyre and wheel arch because the suspension is set higher... err or lower apparently. The technician also mentioned about something in the front suspension being upside down or backwards from the norm also! He said one option would be to put 255's on a 13" wheel which would give you the same overhaul diameter as the 15" on standard CR500's but would give a slightly better ride over all the bleeding pot holes we have down here. Ho hum do like the look of the 15" wheels though, all the SV's had them on and a CRS apart from one. Wonder if you can put a thicker tyre on a 15" GRIN!
They really do shift some stock down there, a light green one came in and was sold the next day (ex 05 hire car that has almost been rebuilt) it's all down to spec and colour, people like the classic green/yellow stripe and the striking bright light greens, oranges, white etc to be seen in them. He said if you have a dark colour you are advised to drive with headlamps on. Have to say I prefer the bigger lights on both S3 & SV...
Back on topic with wheels, the SuperSport does indeed have a larger gap between tyre and wheel arch because the suspension is set higher... err or lower apparently. The technician also mentioned about something in the front suspension being upside down or backwards from the norm also! He said one option would be to put 255's on a 13" wheel which would give you the same overhaul diameter as the 15" on standard CR500's but would give a slightly better ride over all the bleeding pot holes we have down here. Ho hum do like the look of the 15" wheels though, all the SV's had them on and a CRS apart from one. Wonder if you can put a thicker tyre on a 15" GRIN!
They really do shift some stock down there, a light green one came in and was sold the next day (ex 05 hire car that has almost been rebuilt) it's all down to spec and colour, people like the classic green/yellow stripe and the striking bright light greens, oranges, white etc to be seen in them. He said if you have a dark colour you are advised to drive with headlamps on. Have to say I prefer the bigger lights on both S3 & SV...
Edited by Zagster on Thursday 9th May 13:43
It doesn´t matter if it´s an S3 SV or CSR, the gap in the arch will be the same. In fact the rear arches are the same part across the range.
Go for the 8 x 13" rears with 205 CR500´s. They will fill the arch better. 13" wheels will give a better ride and a more progressive feel. You don´t need low profile tyres on a 500kg car. Look at the size of the sidewalls on a F1 car!
Go for the 8 x 13" rears with 205 CR500´s. They will fill the arch better. 13" wheels will give a better ride and a more progressive feel. You don´t need low profile tyres on a 500kg car. Look at the size of the sidewalls on a F1 car!
_Neal_ said:
Excellent post.
I too did lots of research before buying and 13" wheels seem to be the way forward, both in terms of handling and giving you the widest tyre choice. In the looks department it's certainly worth considering the staggered set-up (we have 6" front, 8" rear - wheels are 13" Caterham anthracite 10-spoke alloys) - they seem to fill the rear arches better than 6" rears. But bear in mind there may be times when you want less rear grip than the 8" wheels provide
Thanks Neal.I too did lots of research before buying and 13" wheels seem to be the way forward, both in terms of handling and giving you the widest tyre choice. In the looks department it's certainly worth considering the staggered set-up (we have 6" front, 8" rear - wheels are 13" Caterham anthracite 10-spoke alloys) - they seem to fill the rear arches better than 6" rears. But bear in mind there may be times when you want less rear grip than the 8" wheels provide
Zagster - Definately go for an SV if it is so much more comfortable for you. It's not as if you can upgrade from an S3 to an SV later.
255's on the Rear? Really? Seems bit of overkill to me. What Neal says about the 6" front 8" rear is popular though and is a nice look, but from a performance point of view you need R300 levels on power to make it worthwhile. Not sure you'd have as much fun with 140bhp. The Supersport R is a different matter. As Neal says sliding is part of the fun and is a good way of finding the limits of the car.
mickrick said:
It doesn´t matter if it´s an S3 SV or CSR, the gap in the arch will be the same. In fact the rear arches are the same part across the range.
Go for the 8 x 13" rears with 205 CR500´s. They will fill the arch better. 13" wheels will give a better ride and a more progressive feel. You don´t need low profile tyres on a 500kg car. Look at the size of the sidewalls on a F1 car!
The gap is bigger on the Supersport because of the different rear suspension setting. I read this on another forum and Caterham confirmed this today (gap from top of tyre to arch top not side!). I agree with not needing low profile tyres, never had a car with them, the ride is so hard that's why 255's will give a more comfortable ride which is more important to me for touring as well as filling the wheel arch for aesthetic reasons. I actually prefer the minlites, more in keeping of the period look as I will probably be going for the vintage green and yellow stripe look, big chrome headlights etc. I looked at an orange one today but it looked a mess with every stone chip showing but a 61 plate green SV was also on display waiting to be picked up by it's new owner after he asked for the classic yellow Lotus colour stripe to be fitted, you can get away with stone chips better on this colour. It looks like this now, NICE and wheels look more in keeping I think.Go for the 8 x 13" rears with 205 CR500´s. They will fill the arch better. 13" wheels will give a better ride and a more progressive feel. You don´t need low profile tyres on a 500kg car. Look at the size of the sidewalls on a F1 car!
Thanks for all your replies Bladders
Found some nice wheels 
http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C387042
Edited by Zagster on Thursday 9th May 18:21
Edited by Zagster on Thursday 9th May 18:22
The suspension should be set with the rear 15mm above the front. Measured at the bottom chassis rail below the rear front wishbone mount, and below the front of the rear wheel arch. Or thereabouts.
So if you opt for adjustable dampers, you can dial the gap out by lowering the whole car.
There´s no difference between a superlight chassis and a roadsport chassis, just bolt on bits.
Anyway, once you´re hooning about in it, you won´t care what it looks like.
So if you opt for adjustable dampers, you can dial the gap out by lowering the whole car.
There´s no difference between a superlight chassis and a roadsport chassis, just bolt on bits.
Anyway, once you´re hooning about in it, you won´t care what it looks like.
Zagster said:
I agree with not needing low profile tyres, never had a car with them, the ride is so hard that's why 255's will give a more comfortable ride which is more important to me for touring as well as filling the wheel arch for aesthetic reasons.
Not sure whether I've misunderstood, but 255 is the width of the tyre, not the profile. It's the profile that affects the ride the most. As said above, any wider than 205 (8") is likely to be overkill in terms of rear grip (and limits your tyre choices) - 205s fill the arches well. What Mickrick said re: set-up. I've got adjustable bilsteins on mine, and when I bought it it was (for some unknown reason) fully lowered at the rear, with very little gap. It's not now, as I've had it corner weighted at standard ride height, and the rake (rear height above front ride height) is 15mm.
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