TR2/3/3A TR3 Spare

[mgedit]

Any one tried one of these as a spare for a 56 TR3?

https://ssl.delti.com/cgi-bin/rshop.pl?ds...p;nichtweiter=1

At 155/80 15 I'm assuming it should fit in the spare compartment, but I'd be interested to hear if anyone has actually fitted one.

Cheers, Mike

 

[DNK]

Gotta be the skinniest TA I've ever heard of.

 

[HerronScott]

I think the raised white letters might keep it from sliding in. :wink:

Scott

 

[mgedit]

I really dislike the look with the raised letters, but the price is attractive ... not many options I that I've been able to find in that size. Cheers, Mike

 

[TR3driver]

I really dislike the look with the raised letters,

The RWL are only on one side, so you can have them mounted with the letters on the inside for the blackwall effect.

And if you want, I believe there are shops that can add stripes to the black side. You could have "redlines", or skinny whitewalls, or even wide whites; all for a price of course.

 

[DNK]

Who is that Randall?

 

[TR3driver]

That is Fred Thomas, who passed away recently. But I posted the photo just because it shows off his "wide whites". I always thought they looked kind of stupid, until I saw them on Fred's car.

A beautifully restored car, and Fred drove it, too. That photo was taken near the 2001 VTR convention in Breckenridge, CO. Fred drove there, almost 2000 miles from his home in VA. I don't know if he won any awards (I skipped the awards banquet), but he should have.

 

[Geo Hahn]

He's grinning like he just won the best award there is -- the joy of driving a TR.

 

[Geo Hahn]

Now a response on-topic -- I can get a 165/15 tire (steel wheel) in my pre-60000 spare compartment if it is deflated. Not ideal but convenient to be able to use the best of the most recent set of road tires as a spare and if I do use it the 4 corners all match (well, 3 wires & a disc -- but close).

 

[TR3driver]

I think Mike has the right idea, asking about the BFG tires in particular. There is little or no specification for accuracy of tire sizes, so there can be significant variation between brands.

Some years ago I drove a car that took 205/70-13 (an uncommon size). Pirelli sold a tire marked with that size, but oddly enough they were absolutely identical to their 195/70-13 in both width and height.

Also, I use BFG tires on my LBC support vehicle, and they make the speedo read several percent low. They do handle well though, and last well (both considering the lumber wagon they are on), so I keep using them.

My TR3 is wearing 205/55 tires, so no way will they fit in the spare tire well. Instead I use a "compact" spare, mounted on a stock TR3 rim. Leaves lots of room for other things, like an emergency blanket and some on-board spares. And if I do have a flat, the wide tire can ride to the tire shop behind the seats.

 

[mgedit]

Randal. I thought about a compact spare as well. Hard to find out much about them and places like tirerack don't seem to list. In the meantime, I found this tire as well. It should fit for sure.

https://ssl.delti.com/cgi-bin/rshop.pl?ds...chen=View+tires

That seems to be close to the temp tire size of T145 80R15 that I saw posted somewhere. What size is your temp and did you buy it new or get at a wrecker/junk yard?

Cheers, Mike

 

[Don Elliott]

Randall - I remember that day we all drove up to Hoosier Pass in 2001. It was mid-August, early in the day, and when we got up there - there was snow on the roadsides from the snowfall the night before. I drove 2534 miles there and a lady from NJ drove her's 2535 miles there. Talk about close, till a guy from Tennesee arrived in his TR8 having driven to see friends in San Francisco and San Diego before arriving at VTR in Colorado. He did something like 4300 miles to get there.

My total trip was 5225 miles return with no convoy, no cell phone and no CB.

These cars are made to be driven. That's the year I was awarded the Ken Richardson Cup.

 

[TR3driver]

I have heard that TireRack does carry at least some compact temporary spare tires, they just don't list them on the web site. You have to call and speak to a salesman. Apparently they also don't like selling them for cars that didn't originally come with them; but I doubt it would be an issue for a TR3.

T145/80D15 sounds right, but I don't remember for sure offhand. Note that "R15" would be wrong, as they are not radial tires.

I got mine at a junkyard. Was laying on the ground, so I'm not even sure what car it was from, but there was a Nissan Maxima nearby.

 

[karls59tr]

Older Volvo compact spares will work on a Tr3 rim. I will be able to check the size next week and I'll post the size.