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TR2/3/3A Time for tires

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Your tire test works :-D

I'll be interested in this thread because I'm replacing my tires this week as well. One of my wifes favorite things on the 3A is the globe hubcaps and so she really wants me to stick with the original steel wheels. I'm looking at something in the 165/80R15 variety.
 
FWIW, I have run 185/65 tires mounted on stock TR3 rims. The quoted minimum rim width is 5.0", but my shop had no problem mounting them on the stock 4.5" rims. I felt the handling was considerably improved, and the look was not bad (although they don't look "skinny" any more). The 185/65 are just slightly smaller in diameter than the stock tires, but only about 5% which I feel is acceptable. That means that, assuming your speedometer was accurate before, it will now read 60 mph when you are only doing 57 mph.
 
When I replaced the tires on my first TR3 (now 13 years ago), I found 165R15s at Pep Boys for $32 per tire. They were spec-ed for VWs, so they had a bunch in stock. Just about any tire will be better (grip, ride quality, noise, tread life) than OE and given the quality of OE steel wheels, it's not worth going for anything than the cheapest tires. You don't want nice grippy tires for wheels that will break around the lugs when you utilize the capabilities. Furthermore, in the world of tires, price doesn't translate to quality in more instances than other industries.
 
sammyb said:
...(now 13 years ago), I found 165R15s at Pep Boys for $32 per tire...
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13 years ago we had a lot of choices. The VW Bug may have been the 'Car of the Century' but brands of tires in that size have dwindled in recent years. Every time I get a set it is a different brand (Michelin, Dunlop, Cooper, Kuhmo, Nexen) because what I got the last time is NLA.

As for rims breaking between the lug holes -- I have heard that too but never experienced it nor seen one that it happened on.
 
Kuhmo has been the tire of choice for me the last three sets I've bought. I like the other brands but for the price you can't beat them.

Marv
 
Although I wasn't searching for bargain tires, the local tire shop recommended Nankang tires over Vredesteins. He said he has been selling them for many years without a single problem. Since tires are his core business, I chose to trust him. I'll run them for the rest of the driving season and try to remember to post again this winter.
 
Nankangs are cheap import tires, which are fine for our TRs. (They don't happen to be the best of the cheap tire market, but they are still decent.) Since modern import tires are at least designed to compete with other modern tires, they usually knock the socks of "vintage tires", or those made in molds to by companies to the specs of brand name tires designed way back in the day.

Geo -- I have actually seen a few TR steel wheels that have failed and have talked to a number of TR racers who had them fail -- either back when the cars were relatively new or in the case of one guy racing his TR4 in TX, as a vintage racer.
 
Howdy Folks,

When I had my `57TR3 (3yrs ago); I bought a set of "165R15" from a local Dealer but don`t recall the Tire Mfg. name. They were very inexpensive ($40.00ea). I`m going to check them out in the near future again for a set for my `61TR3a.

Coker shows a "Firestone" 165R15, Blackwall on their site for $80.00ea + shipping. I just looked it up & they would have to be "Back Ordered". The shipping cost for "4" of them to SC was $62.00.

The "Firestone" tires are rated for up to 95mph; If that is a factor for yourself. I don`t believe I`ll be driving my TR that fast!!!

There is also "Universal Tire" located in Hershey, PA that makes them available for approx. $90.00ea. (Firestone BSW) + shipping to SC for approx. $60.00+. I have to believe they all come from "Coker" but ???

Happy Motoring,

Russ
 
Marvin Gruber said:
Kuhmo has been the tire of choice for me the last three sets I've bought. I like the other brands but for the price you can't beat them.

Marv
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Hi Marv,

What size were the "Kuhmo`s" and cost? Were they "Tubeless" or did you add "Tubes" to the rims? On my `57TR3; I put tubes on the rims even if they did`nt need them ($15.00ea).

Thanx, Russ
 
This is an interesting discussion, I will be buying tires soon, the white walls are classic I didn't think they were available, tubes seem to be the way to go I guess makes this a pricey investment. :>)

Any thoughts and recommendations on rim restoration? My rims are in good shape but there are a few curb dings that are probably just cosmetic, I think there are some paint choices specifically for rims are these the same for both American and British classic cars? It would be "nice" to clean the rims up a bit. Ideas!
 
I run Nexen XB802, 165 80 R15 on my TR4. They have the right look to them, and were reasonably priced. I run them tubeless, both on my steel wheels, and the new wire wheels I purchased from Moss. (they are pictured on the car in my signature.)
 
DornTRoriginal said:
...tubes seem to be the way to go...
Click to expand...

I see no advantage to mounting tubes in a steel rim and do see a couple of disadvantages.

As for color - I've painted my rims more times than I can count... sometimes silver w/ clear and sometimes body color (what they are now). If the dings are cosmetic I suppose they only matter if it bothers you.

If you are sure what color you want then having them powder coated might make a lot of sense.
 
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