[T3] Tired Searching for Tires

[Jim Adney]

On 4 Feb 2012 at 14:42, J. Jonik wrote:

> 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. 

Back in the days before "low profile" tires, the default profile was 
80 (or sometimes 78) meaning the mounted height of the sidewall was 
80% of the tread width. At some earlier point, a speed rating letter 
was also added, which for good standard radial tires was an S. So our 
default tires became 165SR15. The lack of a profile number meant that 
the default 80% profile applied, otherwise it could be written 
165/80SR15. That's a designation those young fellows at the tire 
store should recognize.

> 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.) 

There are also good internet accessible places to get good vintage VW 
keys made.

> 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.  

That's not an unusual price for a tire these days. I agree that it 
can lead to sticker shock, but prices have changed a lot since I 
could buy new Michelin ZXs for $55 installed.

> 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?   

You can go to wider tires, but they should be mounted on wider rims 
if you expect them to perform up to snuff. The stock 4.5" wide rims 
may also reduce their life expectancy, but I'm not sure about that, 
and it would also depend on your driving habits. Also, going to wider 
tires will mean that your spare will be a different size, because 
wider tires won't fit in the spare tire well.

As for "hoarders" I don't think you'll find anything there. If you 
really want OE style, then you'll have to go to Coker and buy repro 
Michelins for $208! (They will look exactly right, but there's no 
telling what the internal quality will be.)  

>From what I've heard lately, the Kumho tires are your best bet, and 
you'll expect to pay modern prices for them. As a check, I just did a 
bit of an Internet search for Kumho tires, and even went to the Kumho 
site, and I CAME UP EMPTY!!! So if you find some of those still in 
stock somewhere, you should probably buy them.

The only 165-15 I found in current regularo production was a Nankang 
tire, probably Chinese, as you suggested.  

-- 
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Jim Adney, jadney at vwtype3.org
Madison, Wisconsin, USA
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