[T3] Tired Searching for Tires

[crash 69]

165 80 R15 is the correct size.  My local supplier has them, or can get
them fairly quickly, so I know they are available and shouldn't be too hard
to locate if you check around.  I'm talking about radial, not bias ply.
 Those are a little trickier to locate.

Good luck,
Dan



On Sat, Feb 4, 2012 at 4:42 PM, J. Jonik <j_jonik at yahoo.com> wrote:

> Has this topic been addressed here before?  Can that be re-posted if
> possible?
>
> I haven't tried to buy tires for my T III for ages.    They are all 165 R
> 15.  When I found one bad tire, and having used up the good ones from parts
> cars,  I went to local used tire shops for a replacement or two.    The
> guys there didn't even recognize my measurement numbers.   They all said
> there MUST be a middle number...something about sidewalls.
>
> Long story short...even the VW dealer couldn't help.  They couldn't even
> advise another size tire that would work...i.e. Narrow enough to not rip
> itself up on front wheel well when turning.   (VW dealers can't do older VW
> keys either.)
>
> So, finally, a Firestone dealer (two of my tires were Firestone) said he
> could order tires with numbers  165 80 R - 15.     $68 plus $18 balancing
> and mounting.   Almost $90 for ONE TIRE !  Quite a leap from my usual $20
> or so for good used ones, for decades.   Don't know what the "80" is
> about.   And, I think these tires are Chinese.
>
> One person told me that the only other car that used that size was
> Triumph...but don't know what years.
>
> What's to know about this?    What range of sizes are compatible with a
> T-3 ?   How wide is the limit?
>  Are such tires now turning into some "specialty" item that needs to be
> mail-ordered?  Are there any known "hoarders" of 165R 15 tires who ship
> them?
>
> This can be a real problem if traveling and getting flats...only to find
> no tires are available nearby.    A question then is...what to do in a
> pinch as temporary tires?
>
> Salvage yards?   No luck.  Most old VWs have been long trashed for
> metal...and any tires ON the car would be rotted into the ground.   Gotta
> get lucky finding one in the trunk.
>
> To those with parts cars out on the lawn...get them off the ground if the
> tires are still usable.
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