Tom,
There are, of course, 13" tires of good quality available. What is hard
to find are good Sports-Racing grade tires for competitive events or
continuos high speed street use, or drag race traction.
I am running Michelin X series steel belted 185x70R13 tires that are
Treadwear 400, Traction A and made in Canada. These are also available
in 175x70R13. They are of first rate quality and all-season rated.
Are they the best performance tire? No, not any longer. Much better
versions are being made by Michelin, and others, but not in 13 inch sizes.
Are they good, safe, have reasonable speed capability, price, and
availability - YES.
I bought mine, in stock, at COSTCO for a reasonable price, which
installs and balances them on very nice electronic equipment, as well as
rotates them (not cross rotate) free.
Even in 14 inch sizes, the variety of performance tires in each major
manufacturer's line are getting scarcer. Which is why I had recommended
the 15 inch size, as Larry Paulick has used, and can be seen on his
Panasport wheels in his Performance article on
http://www.TigersUnited.com, as well as the 16 inch set run by Jerry
VanderPool, which can be seen in our Online Car Show, as well as the
Wheel section of our Tech Tips chapter. H rated and higher tires ARE available.
I would stay away from the tires made for the cheap economy cars from
off-brand manufacturers.
My $.02 for 13 inch wheels for street use, and reasonable wheel
alternatives for more stressful users.
Steve
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Steve Laifman
Editor
<http://www.TigersUnited.com>
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