Amazon: Spare wheel max tyre size

[Gary Byrne]

Hi guys. I'm about to change my 131's spare wheel to a 4.5" estate version and as I run 6" front and 7" rear wheels I naturally want to fit the widest tyre possible but that will still fit in the standard Amazon saloon wheel well. I really want something wider than the current 165 x 15. Any suggestions.

[Faust]

Thought about this myself (I run 195/65/15 tyres on 5.5j steels).

I'd leave the standard 165 in there if I were you - consider it a classic version of the space saver wheel found on modern cars!

Spare wheels are only there to get you out of trouble... having a much smaller width tyre just means that you take it easy until you get a new full sized replacement sorted.

Besides, with modern tyres, when was the last time you had a puncture or a blow out? Not had one myself in 15 years or so...

[Gary Byrne]

Good point. The last time I had a puncture was 1985 whilst driving in the outer
lane of a German autobahn. I leaned across to take a new cassette out of the glove box of my Mk2 1600 Sport Escort when I drifted into the central reservation and blew my left front tyre!

[Derek UK]

You know that the 165 on a 4" is pretty tight now. The 165 on 4.5" will go but maybe a smidgin tighter. If you were rebuilding the body and replacing the spare wheel well I have wondered if the well could be widened an inch or so to make it more accommodating. Not much room between the well and tank cut out though. I'd guess the tank cut out is central and maybe that could be moved across too. Not something you want to tackle unless you were having to repair the whole boot floor. I'd think that if it were possible a Swede would have done it!

[Gary Byrne]

Thanks Derek. Maybe I'll stick with what I've got because I certainly don't want, or need to, chop up my boot floor!

[swedishandgerman]

I think I'm right in saying 123GT has 4.5 wheels which fits in there. Same lightweight version as P1800S. I think the Estate had thicker gauge wheels or something, but definitely a different part number to the other 4.5's

[Alf ista]

My wheel well was replaced by the last owner. It looks like the proper item, but I was unable to fit a 165 tyre in there. I had to put on a 155 on for the spare. My driving wheels are 165's on 4.5 inch wheels.

[Derek UK]

123GT only had 4" wheels as standard. The 4.5" wheels from either estate or 1800 with the same 165 tyre will fit the standard wheel well.
The vented 1800 4.5" wheel #668280
The vented Amazon inc. GT 4" wheel #670429
The vented Estate wheel 4.5" #670451
Solid 1800 4.5" #657838
Solid Amazon 4" #89911
Solid Estate 4.5" #662842
Vented Estate wheels can be found without the safety bead on early cars but are uncommon. 1800 wheels are purported to be lighter in the 4.5" size.
Early non vented wheels for the Estate and 1800 also have different part nos, so the 1800 ones may also be lighter in this type. Would be interesting to know by how much. I've tried now and then to get a set but with no luck. Can anyone offer me a set of 4/5 , non vented 1800?