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Shopping for tires

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drambuie

drambuie

Jedi Warrior
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Hello Everyone! I am in need of a new set of tires for my BJ8. I just want to replace the old Cooper 165R15 that are on the car now. I will be taking some long hauls next spring and summer and want a tire that is well suited for everyday driving condtions. Anyone on the forum want to chime in? As to brand, source and price. I have been to NTB.. they are pushing cokers for $85 plus shipping, about $20 per tire!
 
Getting harder to find in that size looks like Walmart has a Nexen SB802 for 52 bucks. Haven't had any personal experience with them.
 
I just bought four Nankang 165 80R15 tires for my Healey.

I am not too happy with them. They are much more sensitive to pavement grooves and longitudinal breaks on the road than the tires I replaced. I didn't expect a radial tire to act that way. These behave a bit like a bias ply tire. Otherwise, they are OK, but I won't buy them again.

You are right about this size tire getting hard to find. There used to be many vendors for this size, but not today.
 
Thanks, I will run over to walmart and have a look today! I am surfing online as well. Also i am going back to see the manager at NTB seems he had some other options, Some where 4 for the price of one as long as they did the front end alignment. Which is fine with me! I was very surprised NTB was willing to even take the wheels off and put them back on the car. But i would be standing right next to the person that is touching my Healey. As no one has EVER worked on my British cars except for me! I just dont trust anyone to touch my cars! But when it comes to tires i will let them mount them on the rims. I will stand there when the Alignment is done and make sure each wire wheel is balanced right and installed back on the same spline they took it off of with the same knock off as well.... They have no problem letting me over see there tech. If fact the Manager and young guys working there where really looking forward for me to bring my Healey Back to them! When i first pulled up, They all came out in the parking lot to check the Healey out before i got a chance to step into there Showroom! LOL... They just left all the cars they where working on at the time and surrounded My Healey with big smiles on there faces....I really Thank God i am blessed to own such a great piece of automotove history and let the young guys get introduced to the hobby.
 
Michael. I drove on a set of Nexens from North Carolina to Colorado Springs Conclave and back in a BJ-8 last year. I liked them enough after a 3,000 mile trip to carry them in my shop. The two best 165/15s out there are the Nexen and the Vredestein. The Vredestein is a better tire, but does cost more. You will not be unhappy with the Nexens for the price. The Nankangs...I will not sell them or recommend them.
Wheelguy
R.Allen Hendrix
 
Thank you Allen,

I really appreciate your response to my question, In fact im driving my 67 BJ8 to Colorado next summer. I will take a look at the Nexen tires this week and decide from there. What other sizes are practical for the Big Healeys? I prefer to keep things in scale. Not too tall or wide. Thanks Again Allen, Michael.
 
I'm glad to hear the Nexens are still available. A couple years ago I bought a set of 165 x 15 Nexens for our 1962 Karmann Ghia convertible. They look right (not too modern and the logos aren't big and goofy like on some tires) and I can't fault them for driveability. The price is fantastic- I'm getting to ready to pay more for a MKII emblem than a whole set of Nexens mounted and balanced.

Jeff
 
Hey Allen,
Glad to hear you recommend the Nexens. Had read about them on a couple of websites but did not know anyone who had actually used them. I'll be giving you a call on Monday to discuss.
Regards,
Mike
 
Allan, being the tire guy, do you know what brand tires Tom's Import Toy Sales is selling? https://tomsimport.com/new/index.asp He doesn't mention nor list that he sells tires on his web site, but ask him and he tells you he does.

A friend of mine told me Tom supposedly knows a lot of tires for the British cars. When I called Tom to ask what the tire was, he said it was a Classic. He told me that was the name of the tire, but would not tell me the brand. Vredestein I asked, no he said. He went into I sell a lot of these tires and they're great, but would not tell me who makes them. When I pressed him for more information, he preplied, I'll have to get a hold of my distributor and he's busy and I'm busy and I'll look into it and blah blah blah. Why would I buy tires from someone who keeps information close to his chest. Allan, being both of you sell tires, ever heard of him or know what he is selling? Now it's just curiosity, what tire are you selling Tom?
 
Michael. For your Healey there is a 165/80/15 size and then If you go with the wider 5 inch rim there is 185/70/15 size.(which is a tiny bit shorter than a 165/80/15.) And then on a BJ-8 with good rear springs you can put the oversize 185/80/15 size.. There is a 180/80/15 not carried in the USA available... But everyone I know that bought them did not like the way they felt on the road.. And that is ALL there is for your cars tire size...worldwide. I think the Vredestein sprint classic is the best handling tire. And I like the Nexens 2nd.

Cooper use to make a Cooper Classic 165/80/15 tire. I do not have them around here. , but it was a good tire and that might be what Toms got.

Wheelguy
 
Thank you for your reply wheelguy. I'm looking to replace my tires and appreciate you're chimming in here, helping us.
Cheers,
Roger
 
Allen (Hendrix) sold me my tires last year. They are the 165 Vredestein classics. I compared the to the Michelins I previously had and at first I didn't like them as much. After 200 miles I love them more that the Michelins. They look right and drive wonderfully. ( Of course Allen trued the wheels as well.) Only thing I dislike about them is pronouncing the name. I sent the wheels to Hendrix with inflated inner tubes mounted to protect the rims.
 
Find a locally owned tire shop..they do exist and usually are very competitive. In Columbus we use E.T. Paul. Been in business for 50 years......cheeper than the CHAINS which I dislike and they know how to work on wire wheels.

Pete
 
tahoe healey said:
Allen (Hendrix) sold me my tires last year. They are the 165 Vredestein classics. I compared the to the Michelins I previously had and at first I didn't like them as much. After 200 miles I love them more that the Michelins. They look right and drive wonderfully. ( Of course Allen trued the wheels as well.) Only thing I dislike about them is pronouncing the name. I sent the wheels to Hendrix with inflated inner tubes mounted to protect the rims.
Click to expand...
:iagree:

Alan will be getting Agatha's wheels probably in December. The Vredesteins are sitting in his shop waiting to wed the wheels.

Probably should say that he is balancing the drums. Sorry.
 
Just one more question.... Will most tire shops be able to put our Big Healeys on there lifts? I know the exhaust will pose a problem on the left side not to mention the already low ground clearance. I wanted them to align the front end as well.
 
I've got Vredesteins on my BJ7 and am deligted with them, but didn't post because I'm in the UK and wasn't sure they were available in the States.

Another good tyre (I have them on my TR3A) is Toyo. They were better than the Firestones I had previously.
 
Side note: Was told by the Vredestein distributor I bought my last set from that the managing director (owner?) of Vredestein is a "Healey guy." May be why all the brochures I've seen have a red BJ8 on the cover.
 
I recently fitted a set of limbo tyres on my BJ8.
They were very good value and I am pleased with the performance.
 
drambuie said:
Just one more question.... Will most tire shops be able to put our Big Healeys on there lifts? I know the exhaust will pose a problem on the left side not to mention the already low ground clearance. I wanted them to align the front end as well.
Click to expand...

Check with your local Healey or British car club and I'll bet they will recommend a local tire shop. As to the lift, it shouldn't be a problem as long as they know what they are doing. We have a 4 post lift in the garagemajal and I have no problem driving Agatha onto it. I do need someone's guidance to be sure the wheels are properly aligned but I think that holds true for any vehicle. No problem with the exhaust and the clearance on my Healey is I think the lowest of all the Healey's.
 
Hello Alan, Again thank you for all the great information pertaining to picking out the right tires for my BJ8. Just one more question if you don't mind..... What are the proper size inner tubes for the Nexen 165/80R/15 Tire? I was looking at Carlisle and Martin inner tube brands with a Tr13 valve stem, Centered (straight valve stem) Should the stem be steel or rubber? Exactly what inner tube size should i be looking for??? I searched all over the net but could not really find a proper fitting chart. Thanks for any help you may offer. Michael.
 
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