TR6 How about a suggestion for TR6 tires.....

[bricktop]

Just had my first flat with the Michelin redlines and got a crash course on how much of a pain it is to get them fixed. I am already considering new shoes for the TR. Any suggestions for a modern upgrade that performs well and is meaty enough to fill the wheel wells for aesthetics?? THX

 

[Paul Johnson]

BFG Touring TA 205 70R 15

 

[Brosky]

I have stock wheels and just replaced my Redlines with Goodyear Assurance 205/70/R15 tires. The ride and handling are great, in fact so much better than with the redlines that it was like driving a new car.

Speedometer is off 1 mph (fast) at 60mph and the car is so much smoother on the highway.

I don't have a better pic of tires than this, but you get the idea.

 

[LastDeadLast]

I've got a set of Yoki avids, 205/70R15. No rubbing, and look and perform well..especially compared to those suicide redlines that came with the car when I bought it.

 

[RobT]

Sorry to change the topic - but when you say "suicide redlines" - are you referring to the Michelin 185R15's?

What are the concerns with these tires?

I have a set of Michelin 205/70R15 Redlines on my TR250. These were on the car when I bought it and I have had no problems with these but since they are the only tires I've run on the car, I don't have any basis of comparison. Anyone else seen these somewhere?

Rob.

 

[ScottTR6]

I've had the Michelin 185 15's for the last 10 years, always thought the were great. What am I missing? Andrew

 

[Brosky]

Well, let's say what you won't be missing. Constant tire squeal, poor handling in rain, less than stellar handling in hard cornering, rough ride in any circumstances and technology that's twenty to thirty years old.

Rob has a later set of tires, so he is not affected as much as the original 185/15 owners. My Goodyears may not have the nice look of the redlines, but I'll never go back. Rob, on the other hand, may have the best of both worlds.

 

[vettedog72]

There is nothing wrong with the redlines except that they are pricy, require pricy tubes, require special handling (because many places don't know tube installation )usually not avaiable except by order. The newer tech tires handle better (just an advantage of the shorter wall much less composition) and cost less but are avaiable with out much stress, but they do give a false spedo reading and they DON"T have RED LINES. Red line michelins don't look as good as the redline Goodyears that also came as OE on TR6's. The Goodyear tread design just looks like a sports car, agressive design where the Mich Redlines look like a passinger car tire with a red line on the side wall. Just opinion mixed with fact. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Brosky]

I think that my original tires may have been Dunlops? They did have a much nicer tread pattern than the Michelin's. When I replaced the original tires in 1988, the Michelin's were the primo tire being used on the TR's, at least in my area, so that's what I went with.

I actually have 4 brand new tubes (Sears screwed up and cut the valve stems off the original tubes so they gave me new replacements) and the 4 redline tires that were taken off at home. The tires all have about 8/32's of tread remaining and are in excellent shape. I never drive the car in bad weather and it sits in a dark garage all of the time, so there is no UV damage to the tires.

I know that there are purists who still want these and they're not cheap. Anyone know if there may be a person interested in these take off's?

First two pics on this page are of the original tires on car : https://www.74tr6.com/currentstatus.htm

 

[vettedog72]

Well I learn something every day, I did not know Dunlops were ever OE on TR6's. Is there any standard for "shelf life" on tires?

 

[Brosky]

According to what I've read, Ford, GM and other vehicle manufacturers recommend that tires be replaced after six to eight years max, regardless of wear. Most tire manufacturers recommend a lesser time frame, but they have a vested interest in seeing that done. All seem to agree that the most damage comes from the sun. Evidence supporting this comes from trailers and vehicles that sit outside year round, exposed to the UV rays. These are most likely to suffer damage from that exposure.

 

[tomshobby]

[ QUOTE ]
Sorry to change the topic - but when you say "suicide redlines" - are you referring to the Michelin 185R15's?

[/ QUOTE ]

I had a set of Redlines on my 45K miles TR6. I have since found they were the second set of tires for the car.

The car developed a nasty vibration and I finally just got a new set of 205-70 tires. No more bouncing down the road. Like everyone has said, immense improvement!

I checked the old tires and had tire shops check them and there was no visable problem in any of the five, even had them reballanced and the weights were in the same places and the original size. I did keep one old redline for a spare. Figured it could get me a few miles to get a tire repared or replaced. I was working on my car and wanted to take the spare out and had a very difficult time doing it. While in the tire well it had actually expanded so much that it was stuck in there. I had to let the air out to remove it. Luckily I had placed it in there with the valve stem up and got it out before it exploded.

The problem was mine had nearly full tread left and looked much newer than they were. Suicide tires, you betcha!

 

[LastDeadLast]

I refered to the redlines as "suicide redlines" because of the handling and wet driving characteristics. My car had the redline Michellin's on it when I purchased it... they were at least 15 years old and scary to drive on.

They might be ok for a car that isn't driven aggressively, but with my TR (a modded car with quite a few suspension upgrades), I can do without that bit of extra "pucker factor"

The "new" redlines with modern rubber is a completely different story though, but very expensive when you consider that all your getting for that $50/extra a tire is a red stripe. I still think that 205/70R15 looks the best.

 

[richards]

On my 1974 TR6, I have Pirelli P4000
215/70R/15
mounted on Superlite 15x6 wheels.
My car is about one inch lower due to GoodPart springs.
No rubbing ever.
I like the way they fill out the wheel well, they handle fine in the dry, slippery in the wet. Still trying different tires pressures. Currently at 26 pounds all the way around. If you want to see a picture, send me a
e-mail to
richards@hollywoodcenter.com

 

[Brosky]

When I removed my spare (which was one of the original, not replacement tires installed in 1988), it was flat. The tire completely broke apart at the bead area on both sides when broken on the tire machine. Several of the techs working had never seen a dry rotted tire and were amazed at what they saw. Then I started to think about what could happen if this would have been put on the car and driven at any speed. Not pleasant, for sure.

The more I think about it, I think the originals were Michelin, but had that nice aggressive block tread developed by Dunlop in the early 70's. I should have paid attention to the spare that crumbled apart.

 

[wingsandwheels]

I installed a set of Vredestein Sprint Classics a few years ago and am very happy. They are a modern tire available in 185/HR 15 and have a very period look. They've proven decent in the few rains they've seen, ride and handle well. I replaced the fossilized Michelin redlines that were about 15 years old. Universal Vintage Tire and Coker carry them.

I believe some TR6's came with Goodyear G800's as standard.

 

[Andrew Mace]

[ QUOTE ]
Well I learn something every day, I did not know Dunlops were ever OE on TR6's.

[/ QUOTE ]They were in some markets, but not in the US, where the "normal" equipment tire was actually the Goodyear G800 and the OPTIONAL tire was the Michelin. [ QUOTE ]
Is there any standard for "shelf life" on tires?

[/ QUOTE ] Nowadays, the industry seems to be touting 5-6 years maximum.

 

[Guest]

[ QUOTE ]
On my 1974 TR6, I have Pirelli P4000
215/70R/15
mounted on Superlite 15x6 wheels.
My car is about one inch lower due to GoodPart springs.
No rubbing ever.
I like the way they fill out the wheel well, they handle fine in the dry, slippery in the wet. Still trying different tires pressures. Currently at 26 pounds all the way around. If you want to see a picture, send me a
e-mail to
richards@hollywoodcenter.com

[/ QUOTE ]


Richard, I once had the same tire on my TR6. Correct you are on the handling. Really scary on wet, which we get a lot of down here. Gorgeous tire for filling the wheel well. The biggest downfall is they don't last. I got about 7000 miles out of mine. I don't drive like an old lady.

My current tires are Michelin Hydroedge 205/70R15. Unidirectional. Pricey but do everything right. Fill the well nicely with their square shoulders, ride good, great dry traction, superior wet traction. I autocrossed in them recently and was quite impressed with their stick. Oh, I came out 6th out of 9 in Dallas in my class, modified TR6. I had the coolest looking helmet there. Those gardeners are still talking about it to this day.


Bill

 

[richards]

Good advise on my next set of tires. Just how bad was that
helmet?

 

[bricktop]

Excellent. THX for including the pics.

Carter