[T3] Tired Searching for Tires

[Max Welton]

195x65x15 are working well for me.

Max Welton
http://www.maxwelton2k.net/


--- On Sat, 2/4/12, J. Jonik <j_jonik at yahoo.com> wrote:

> From: J. Jonik <j_jonik at yahoo.com>
> Subject: [T3] Tired Searching for Tires
> To: type3 at vwtype3.org
> Date: Saturday, February 4, 2012, 3:42 PM
> 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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