Replacement wheels

What are some good sources for rims?

Depends on what you want, but basically you will find yourself shopping Ebay or MWB for vintage 13" wheels. If you want 15" wheels, then Ebay, MWB(only one choice), Vicks or Allisons. Be sure to read all the descriptions for fitment recomendations.

I just put a set of 15x6.5 wheels from Allison on my 85 with Federal 595 194/45/15 tires at all corners. None of the stock 5mm spacers were used on any corners. The only issue I had was that the right front tire rubbed the front lower edge of the fender liner and fender lip.
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The reviews were mixed at best, but I like the look and its my car. :)
 
Hello

What are the largest size wheels that can go on a 1978 X1/9 without having to modify the wheel wells?

Thank you for your help.
Stephen:
To answer your question directly, the largest size wheels that came original equipment on an X 1/9 are:
- in the 1980's on Bertones a 5 1/2" x 13 (like the Speedline "Iron Cross". The OE tire for that fitment was 185/60R13. tire OD is 21.37"
- starting in 1979 Fiat fitted the cars with 5 x 13 steel wheels with a 145SR13 with tubeless wheels for the first time. tire OD is 22.29".
- from 74 to 78 Fiat fitted the cars with 4 1/5" x 13 steel tube type wheels with 145R13 tires.
I worked for a major Italian tire manufacturer as an applications specialist for 13 years. Also, I have owned and driven five X 1/9s since 1981.
And raced one and won the NorPac Division SCCA National championship in 2005 and 2009.
So far, no one on this post has asked you what are your goals? Like, do you want a car that looks fine or one that drives good?
Since no one else has pointed this out, it is time to point out the obvious:
-What is your level of driving skill? Have you mastered controlling the car on a snowy, wet, or flooded road with the OE wheels and tires?
-If not, you should stay with OE. Here is why. If you cannot control the car with narrow, 45 year old technology tires, here is what will happen when you put modern tires and wheel with more grip: When you lose control, whatever you hit, you will hit it a lot faster and the impact will be a lot harder.

Some people who have 300 horsepower need to have more grip. You can tell if you need more grip if you upshift into second and you have to let off the gas so you do not smoke your tires. About the best way to slow down a stock X 1/9 is to put wider tires on it. Why? Low profile tires have higher rolling resistance. That means it takes more power to make them roll.
Another thing that our friends have not mentioned is "what is the effect of putting a low profile, wider tire on my X?"
It is important to consider the overall diameter (OD) of the tire you choose. If you select a tire that has a different OD, your speedometer readings will no longer be "accurate" and more importantly, at a given road speed, the amount of revs the engine is turning is changed from standard. A smaller diameter tire causes higher revs and a larger than stock tire gives less revs. If you drive your X on the highway, you may have noticed that the revs are high at highway speed compared to your modern car. That makes the car noisy and uncomfortable on highway trips. If you do not care about noise and prefer rapid acceleration, a smaller OD tire may suit you. With a stock or street modified 1300 or 1500 X, here are what I have found suits me:

Cheap choice: find a set of 79-on 5 x 13 X 1/9 wheels or the OE 5 1/2 x 13 alloy wheels. Get a set of new 175/70R13 tires. I am using Michelin Defender.
Lets say you are really cheap and never drive in the rain and want maximum grip for track days. With the 5 1/2" rims, get a set of used 185/60r13 tires from a spec racer Ford racer at your local SCCA Regional or National road race event. The fastest guys who want to win, buy new tires every weekend. After each heat cycle, they get a percent or 2 slower. Since they want to win, they get rid of the tires after 5 or so heat cycles. You can get these used for free or $20 each if you know how to shop. They are useless in the rain... This size is the spec front tire for this class of car.
The 205/60R13 are too wide for 5 1/2" wheels and will rub on the fender.
Note: These "race" tires have no grip until they have heat in them, so if you are not a track day junkie, stay away.
Some more tire ODs:
195/45R13 19.9"
195/50R13 20.7
195/50R15 22.9
185/60R13 21.37
To summarize: Wider is not always better. Some modifications will make your X more unpleasant to drive. Some aftermarket wheels because of wrong offset will cause fender rubbing even with stock OD tires. You do not have to spend $1200 to get a great wheel tire combo for your X.
 
I think there were 165/70-13 tires from the factory after the 145-13s and before the 185/60-13s. I seem to recall them being very non grippy Pirellis that had a long tread life.
 
I run 15x7 et 20 with no spacer on the back and the 5mm spacer on the front. I have dunlop direzza dz102 195/15 50s on the front and 205/15 55s on the back. I have no rubbing anywhere but like Dr.Jeff said all other alignments have to be set. I did roll the front fenders just in case I wanted to go lower but at this height it was not needed. I love the extra size on the back as it makes highway cruising tolerable. It will be a perfect size for the motor and trans swap but for now I love the extra legs. As for the speedo I have tested head unit and external performance GPS and the speedo is just 1 kph off the dash speedo even with the tall tire. So in effect it has corrected the OEM reading fast. Now the look I am going for is for a stratos and may not be the look for everybody but I have had no issues running the big setup with out flairs or fender work.

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View attachment 34202
I have 15x7 195/50 et13 without spacer in the front - tire rubs on front part of the fender, no rubbing with 195/45
 
Johnnp,

Thank you for your response. You mentioned a lot of good points in your post that should be defined in order to help me pick the right wheels. Here is what I am planning. I purchased the car in 1985 and has been in storage since 1992. Why you wonder in storage for so long? Well, life happened, wife, kids, job, etc and now that I have more time, I plan on pulling the car out and get it running. As I start working on it, I know that somethings I will need to replace right away and others as I come to it. My current wheels are steel with plastic hub caps and tires that are 30+ years old with lots of dry rot. I know the tires will need to be replaced. So for me the question is what to replace them with? Do I put tires on these rims only to get replacement wheels later on or just bite the bullet and get new rims and tires from the start. This is how I am planning to use the car.
  • Living in Minnesota I am used to driving in snow, but I don't plan using this car for winter driving.
  • The car mostly would be a hobby to be driven in spring, summer and fall which in Minnesota is about 3 weeks long.
  • With regards to driving in weather, it would be mostly dry conditions but I could see the occasional rain.
  • I don't plan on racing the car.
  • I would pick driving performance over style.
  • Cost is also a major factor. I have a limited budget so nothing to expensive.
  • Also accessibility is a must, in that I am rural USA and not close to any large metro area.
  • Lastly, my automotive ability is low and don't want anything that requires extensive modifications to the car.
I hope that makes sense.
 
Johnnp,

Thank you for your response. You mentioned a lot of good points in your post that should be defined in order to help me pick the right wheels. Here is what I am planning. I purchased the car in 1985 and has been in storage since 1992. Why you wonder in storage for so long? Well, life happened, wife, kids, job, etc and now that I have more time, I plan on pulling the car out and get it running. As I start working on it, I know that somethings I will need to replace right away and others as I come to it. My current wheels are steel with plastic hub caps and tires that are 30+ years old with lots of dry rot. I know the tires will need to be replaced. So for me the question is what to replace them with? Do I put tires on these rims only to get replacement wheels later on or just bite the bullet and get new rims and tires from the start. This is how I am planning to use the car.
  • Living in Minnesota I am used to driving in snow, but I don't plan using this car for winter driving.
  • The car mostly would be a hobby to be driven in spring, summer and fall which in Minnesota is about 3 weeks long.
  • With regards to driving in weather, it would be mostly dry conditions but I could see the occasional rain.
  • I don't plan on racing the car.
  • I would pick driving performance over style.
  • Cost is also a major factor. I have a limited budget so nothing to expensive.
  • Also accessibility is a must, in that I am rural USA and not close to any large metro area.
  • Lastly, my automotive ability is low and don't want anything that requires extensive modifications to the car.
I hope that makes sense.
Stephen:
When Fiat went to 5" wide wheels, the size tire was 165/70SR13. That was from 1979 - 1983. At some time later, Fiat or Bertone had 5 1/2" alloy wheels. A basic rule of thumb is that you do not want to put wider tires on narrow wheels as it deadens steering response and handling.
For any X, I recommend against the standard 4 1/2" wheels (not because they are narrow, but because they are TUBE TYPE).
So for your use, I suggest:
- obtain a set of 5" steel X 1/9 wheels from a 79-83 X or a set of 5 1/2 alloy wheels. Midwest Bayless has a set of Iron Cross alloys for under $500.
and for your driving, a set of Michelin Defender 175/70R13 which are available at WalMart and Discount Tire.
 
There are also some choices in 13" at MWB, in new or refurbished. Tire choice is limited in 13".

I concur with @johnph for the wheel choice, but if you want something just a litlle more spirited to drive, I would search for 185/60-13 tires.
 
I have 15x7 195/50 et13 without spacer in the front - tire rubs on front part of the fender, no rubbing with 195/45


Like I said I have absolutely no rubbing anywhere with my 195/15 50s on the front and 205/15 55s on the back. With the staggered sizing I have a lot more options in performance tires. As 15" inch tires start to go the way of the 13" tire in limited options it will be an issue in the future. But then there is a widebody and whatever you want but I like the stock fender look.
 
Read the sidewalls and check the tires you currently have to see if they have tubes. If the tires are tubeless you maybe be ok with continuing to use tubeless tires, check with the shop that does your tires. Check your wheels and see if you can determine the size of the wheels it maybe stamped on the rim. As others have said, if you have stock 1978 wheels they should be 4 1/2" wide. If you stay with 4 1/2" wheels I would not go bigger than 165/70/13. Craigslist and auto recycling centers, junk yards, are useful places to check for rims. Other Fiat wheels should work if it is a rear wheel drive car. Occasionally a Fiat will show up on Craigslist not to far from you. I have seen X1/9's listed on Craigslist in Alexandria and Long Prairie in the past few years.

I have actually been in Dent, but it was a long time ago.
 
Wish you were closer as I have the wheels and tires that came on my car. Toyo RA1 185/60 13 front and 205/60 13 back. Great tires but a bit to wide for 5.5” rims but looked great.

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Running 15 x 8.5 with 185/45s all round, on my '79
Rolled front fenders.
10mm spacing front
20mm spacing rear
No rubbing.
Car drives, steers, handles excellently.
Maintains standard revs at hwy speeds (75-77mph 3200ish rpm)
The wheels and tires are much lighter then the 13s I had on there.
Acceleration is greatly improved.

Just be sure to use low/med yield loctite on the adapter bolts (if using spacer/adapters 🙄)
 
15 x 8.5 with 185/45s
Regarding your tire size and rim width. I'm curious how the actual tire width (widest point at the sidewall) compares to the actual rim width (at the widest point of the wheel)? Does the tire sidewall extend past the rim (i.e. is the tire wider than the rim)? Or is there some tire "stretch" when mounted?
 
Regarding your tire size and rim width. I'm curious how the actual tire width (widest point at the sidewall) compares to the actual rim width (at the widest point of the wheel)? Does the tire sidewall extend past the rim (i.e. is the tire wider than the rim)? Or is there some tire "stretch" when mounted?
Overall width of the rim, edge to edge is 8.5
Seat to seat its roughly 8.25 (which is what the manufacturer uses as width)
The tires are stretched. If I were 1.5-2 inches lower, the fender lip would sit just behind the wheel lip, for a perfect fitment.
As is, it looks a little "pokey". Maybe it is a touch? 🤷‍♂️
 
Stephen:
When Fiat went to 5" wide wheels, the size tire was 165/70SR13. That was from 1979 - 1983. At some time later, Fiat or Bertone had 5 1/2" alloy wheels. A basic rule of thumb is that you do not want to put wider tires on narrow wheels as it deadens steering response and handling.
For any X, I recommend against the standard 4 1/2" wheels (not because they are narrow, but because they are TUBE TYPE).
So for your use, I suggest:
- obtain a set of 5" steel X 1/9 wheels from a 79-83 X or a set of 5 1/2 alloy wheels. Midwest Bayless has a set of Iron Cross alloys for under $500.
and for your driving, a set of Michelin Defender 175/70R13 which are available at WalMart and Discount Tire.
While the early cars were shipped with tube type Michelin XAS tube type tires, the 4.5 inch rims they came on were compatible with tubeless tires. A friend bought an X about a month after me and it came with tubeless Pirellis on the same rims. I also put some tubeless tires on mine after the XAS set was worn out.
 
If you inspect the rims with the tires off, on a tubeless wheel you will see a safety hump on either side of the drop center. On the wheel designed for tube type tires, there are no humps. The OE wheels on my 1976 X 1/9 had no humps. Although it is true that Fiat sometimes fitted tubeless tires on these wheels, by accepted industry safety standards, IT IS NOT A SAFE FITMENT. By 1979, Fiat figured this out and fitted North American market cars with TUBELESS WHEELS. By the way, the USA auto industry switched over to tubeless rims and tires by the early 1960s.
Why is it not a good idea to fit tubeless tires on a tube type rim? (With the proper valve stem, it will hold air). In a low pressure situation (puncture or underinflation) and with cornering side force, the bead can walk toward the drop center and drop in which results in an EXPLOSIVE DECOMPRESSION (also known as an "air out"). This sudden loss of all the air pressure can cause the driver to lose control.
 
Overall width of the rim, edge to edge is 8.5
Seat to seat its roughly 8.25 (which is what the manufacturer uses as width)
The tires are stretched. If I were 1.5-2 inches lower, the fender lip would sit just behind the wheel lip, for a perfect fitment.
As is, it looks a little "pokey". Maybe it is a touch? 🤷‍♂️

That is a lot of stretch! 255 would be a good fit for a 8.5. I have 225s and 235s on some 8.5s and they are a bit stretched.
 
Overall width of the rim, edge to edge is 8.5
Seat to seat its roughly 8.25 (which is what the manufacturer uses as width)
The tires are stretched. If I were 1.5-2 inches lower, the fender lip would sit just behind the wheel lip, for a perfect fitment.
As is, it looks a little "pokey". Maybe it is a touch? 🤷‍♂️
Thanks, that's what I figured given the rim width and tire size.
 
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