I'm wanting to purchase a good set of tires for my 82 brat. I just had some rims sandblasted and powdercoated...they look awesome. As everyone already knows (i was surprised to find out), the choices out there for a 13" rim are very limited. I've narrowed the tires down to two choices: Hankook W401 winter tires size 185/70/13 or Michelin X Radial all season tires size 175/70/13. The Michelin's are currently on sale at Costco (l love Costco) and the total price for a set of four mounted is $272.32 which is a great price for Michelins. My only concern is that they will look goofy being smaller than stock size. Does anyone have any pictures of the 175/70/13 tires mounted on a subaru so I can see what it looks like?

 

On my five prior EA81 vehicles, I have always run winter tires year round because I like the more aggressive tread. I've either had the 185/70/13 size or the 185/80/13 size.

NOOOOO!!!!!

 

even if you dont want the lifted, mudder/crawler look, dont go SMALLER than stock!!

 

80s soobs already have such small tires.

 

i personally would have liked a 195-75-13 on my stock 83 brat.

 

not huge, but a nice meaty and subtle increase.

You wont notice that much of a difference....

 

Heres 185/70/13:

 

Heres 175/70/13s:

and yes, thats an AWESOME price for michelins!!

x radials are what i have on my brat 14s, they are 185-75-14s.

QMAN sold em to me. they have been nothing but great. i was always pretty happy with the increase, and the pug 14s are very handsome, without being too "pretty". i just recently got 15s. i wont say the pug 15 alloys are UGLY per se, but in my personal taste, the 14s have a nicer look.

Ive got a pic of 195/60/15s (pugs) that look pretty spiffy lol

Does anyone have any pictures of the 175/70/13 tires mounted on a subaru so I can see what it looks like?

 

 

175s all around

 

This one has a 185 in front and a 175 in back. The camera kind of distorts the sizes making the 185 look a little bigger in relation to the 175 than it looks like in real life (notice the wheel looks bigger too), but you get the idea.

Perfect!! Exactly the pictures I wanted to see. Thanks very much for the replies. I'm still undecided...

Here are a few standard size options. This might turn out a tad more money with shipping/handling and installation, but worth it. Discount does include shipping.

 

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/TireSearchResults.jsp?skipOver=true&width=185%2F&ratio=70&diameter=13&x=14&y=14

 

http://www.discounttiredirect.com/direct/searchTiresBySize.do?sw=false&cs=185&ar=70&rd=13

Edited October 29, 201114 yr by aba4430
spelling error.

Have looked into Discount Tires or Les Schawb??? 185 size is the way to go with your brat unless you want the skinny looking tires as the Gen 1 Subies. Here in Utah the 185/70/R13 go for $45-$65 per tire, higher end are $75 for Goodyear or Michellen.

I run Hankooks on everything. Studded and non studded Winter 401's, Suubs and non Suubs at home, but it's gotten to where I'm putting them on the work trucks for the winter too. They just seem to hold up really really well and I like their traction.

 

after two seasons one set (studded HanKook 235/75 - 15 Winter 401) is still going very strong, in that same time a set of a Firestone (that I did not buy) have become unusable - pin loss, abnormal wear, and 'chipping' from gravel

 

I do keep a pretty close eye on pressure and rotatation, as well as reduce speed on dry pavement

 

 

$.02

 

oh yeah, at WCSS13 a couple people ribbed me for my 100 degree desert rated winter hankooks, lol, it was either that or the studded ones. :-p

When I lived in Portland/Vancouver/Spokane, Les Schwab was the only place I would go. The closest Les Schwab to Billings is the one in Helena which is about 175 miles away. I looked at the Falken Sincera 185/70/13, but the reviews are not that good. I stopped by the local Tire Factory and the guy quoted me a price of $90/tire for the Hankook W401 185/70/13. That includes mount, balance, stem, and free rotations for the life of the tire. He says they last a long time and people buy them without the studs and run them year round in this part of the country. I think I'm leaning towards those if I'm not able to buy the Nokian Hakkapellitta's currently in the marketplace.

 

Great feedback and info guys...