Tires on a 16" TR Rim....very little choice

You should also consider Kumho tires....they are actually quite good and reasonably priced. Do a search...this has been discussed recently.....

 

I like the BF Goodrich Sport on my TR. Good balance between wear and traction. I haven't tested much in the rain, but heard they are good in the rain. I looked into the Yokohama but they would wear down too quickly, but the traction is better.

 

I hear good things about Kumho tires as well. I would probably go with the Yokohama. How many miles can you get on the Yoko's?

R

 

i have michelin sport tires. i was told those tires are going out of production in the factory sizes, so they may no longer be available. they were about $100-ish per tire and i bought them about 7 months ago.

 

I have Kuhmo's on my 87 TR, putting around 20K miles and still has good thread on it. Use it in the rain and extreme heat of summer days.

 

Did you look at summer/performance tires? I have 16" Goodyear Eagles on my 328, bought from Tire Rack. The TR wheels can't be any narrower than those (205 and 225).

Great tires unless you drive in the cold.

 

I am not a big fan of Goodyear Eagles. I am currently running Goodyear (previous owner put them on). I am curious how she will handle in the winter.

R

 

Dear Ferraristi,

...it's because of the odd tire size in the rear. 255/50ZR16 on a 10" wide rim.

I currently have sumitomos on my TR......recommended over Kumhos by Tire Rack ( they were selling both at the time )

They're good in the dry and good in heavy standing water ( Florida rains )...but nothing like the PZeros on my Lambo.....like glue !

The availability of this size is getting scarce. Once this set wears down, I'm going to switch to 512TR rims.


Shamile

Freeze...Miami Vice !

 

I put a set of the Avid V4S on my daily driver sized 235/45/17 back in Dec and have nothing but positive to say about them. It's great tire that's not too pricey. IIRC it has a treadwear rating 400 so they should last some serious miles. I would have no qualms about putting the V4S on my Tr....cept it has TRX wheels which is no biggie cause I drive like an old lady anyways

 

Welcome to the metric-tire archeological world of the single mirror cars.

 

They were impossible to get in the UK until recently, i even got mine shipped over from Tirerack. They are now remaking Michelin Pilot Sports but they're well expensive, http://www.longstonetyres.co.uk/search.php?searchMethod=term&searchTerm=255%2F50+X+16 Think i'll be going for Khumos when next i need them

 

FYI: Sumimoto is the only tire that I know of now that is spec. for 10" wide rims, as in the OEM rears (16x10). However, when I bought my Michellin PilotSports back in 2000, Michellin was contacted and they said that they are fine for 10" wide rims. At this time, Michellin still makes hard to find tires for vantage or classic cars, just in a very small amount. Their distributor here in the States is Coker Tires ( http://www.cokertire.com/ ). They are not cheap but they are available.

 

My car still has the original tires on it(8,800 mile car)and they show no wear so I will keep them on.If Goodyear made this replacement tire I would buy them tomorrow.I came very close to buying the Michellin but I had heard that they "look too narrow" when fitted on the car and if you look at its' spec's you'll see that it is not rated for a 10" wide rim.That's a curious situation so I contacted a friend of mine that is in the tire industry about the dilema.He looked at my car and noted that the Goodyear,while being identified as a 255 appears to actually be wider than a 255.I did not measure the tire but this might explain the difference between the Michellin 255 and the Goodyear 255.If it's true then the next question is why the descrepency......are the Americans honset about thier size...or the French...

raptr

 

Dude! What year is your car? Better yet what are the date codes on your tires? Sure hope you're not running around with tires made in the 80's or 90's!

 

Tires are made for rims within a certain range of width, and by mounting the same tire on rims of different width, this will cause them to be wider or narrower. For example: Let's say we have a 225/45/17 tire, but two different rim sizes, one is 17 x 7.0 and the other is 17 x 8.0. the contact area will be narrower if it is on the 17 x 7 rim as oppose to being wider when it is mounted on the 17 x 8 rim. Now as indicated earlier, the Michellin's spec. only goes up to 9.5" so when mounted on a 10" rim, it will probably be a little stretched. I don't have any data on the OEM Gatorbacks since they are D/C, but I strongly suspect that their maxium range is wider than 9.5".

FYI: Tires will degrade not only due to wear but also time. The rubber will dry out and lose its elastic property, if your car is indeed on its OEM Gatorbacks, they are at least 17 y/o which IMO, is way over their life expectancy, even know you only 8,800 miles on them. You will be okay if you are only trucking the car from show to show for display purposes, but if you plan on driving the car, I would strongly urge you to buy a new set of tires.

 

Yo,my car is a 1989.I would say that the tires are for sure the original tires from new and that they have never been replaced.They fell great.They are Goodyears but pre date Goodyear GSC's so they are probably 1989 vintage.C'mon,don't live in fear...they are fine.It's not like I'm racing this car or cruising at sustained 130+ mph.I drive the car respectfully and occassionally hit 150.Besides,I'd rather take a chance on an old tire rather than risk a tire that is not designed for a 10" rim.Have you ever considered what would happen if you were in the middle of a corner and the (not rated for 10" rim) rear tire popped the bead?YOU'RE DONE!! The "old" tire will at least give you consistant feedback(perhaps at a lower speed--which is OK with me) rather than the "new" tire that will surprise you when you don't expect it.

-raptr

 

Perhaps we can engage some experts from the tire industry,but from what I know the two things that "kill" the rubber compounds used in tire construction are ultra-violet light and heat cycles.My car has seen limited UV,heat cycles are minimal and probably way under undustry projected liability.Having said this,let it be known that I am not a thrill seeker or a death wish moron,but 1) I have high regard for a car that is original,2)I won't fit a tire that the manufacturer is TELLING ME ISN'T GOING TO WORK,and 3)I can't bring myself to fit a Japanese tire on a Ferrari.Call me old-fashioned.I guess I'm guilty.
-raptr

 

Stop and re-think your philosophy. There are tires that fit perfectly. Kumho, BF's, Sumitomo, Yokohama. GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER!!!!! Your tires must be replaced if they are the originals. NO IF, ANDS, OR BUTS ABOUT IT. Sorry for the shouting. Just trying to get my point accross.

R

 

R,
No need to shout,we're all adults here-no need to appologize.I'm afraid I can't participate in the unholy union of a Ferrari with a Jap tire.Also,I'm afraid I'll have to avoid the tire that the manufacturer(Michellin) very clearly states will not fit the rim width and I guess that leaves us with BFG.1)aren't they actually Asian owned?PLEASE correct me if I'm wrong.2)in a past life I ran a 1992 Ford Mustang GT as a daily driver(c'mon guys,give me a break).I put over 130,000 miles on the car.The car came new with Gatorbacks.All the aftermarket tires offered for the car had a- roughly- 20,000 mile wear life expectancy.Do the math,I ran through alot of tires.I tried them all including BFG.The best thing that can be said of BFG is that they are CHEAP-sorry,inexpensive.Let me correct myself,they WERE good in the snow.On dry they were at best average,for sure not as good as Goodyear,and also they were VERY noisy and "rumbly" on dry compared to Goodyear.The Goodyear was significantly better in the wet and certainly better in the dry.

When you put 130,000 or more miles on a single car you really learn,and notice very clearly,what works and what doesn't.Since Goodyear refuses to sell thier molds(to Coker or anyone else)we may never see a good tire again for the TR. Please Goodyear,remanufacture this tire.Approx. 7,000 cars out there need them.

raptr

 

Dear Ferraristi,

raptr,

YOU'RE IN FOR TROUBLE WITH THOSE TIRES !!!! YOU NEED TO CHANGE THEM NOW.

Tires have a working life of about 5 years. You could get a serious blow-out at 45mph, let alone 130mph. My rubber coolant sleeve split after 7 years.....how old are those tires?

No one is saying to put an incorrect tire on your rim. The sumitomos are correctly sized and are pretty OK given the lack of choice out there. I wouldn't worry about a Japanese tire on your TR....goodyears were the OEM tire back in the day....they were still "foreign" to the car's origin.

However, it's your car....to crash


Shamile

Freeze...Miami Vice !

 

Asians have always been involved with the design of tires. They probably designed and manufactured the Goodyears. Bridgestone and all the top brands utilize asian technology to design and build tires. Get over your "Jap" issue. That is a retarded statement. Do what you want with your tires. IS your TV in your house American manufactured? How about the radio in you TR? Your cell phone? etc...

Robbie

I have never seen 130,000 miles on a Gatorback.. You were probably running on bald tires at 50,000 miles. The only tire you could get 100,000 miles on safely in a reasonable period of time was a Vogue tire sold for Cadillace etc or Michelin (non high performance). They were a very hard compound and handled like crap. You just like to run on unsafe tires. Its a recipe for disaster for you and other parties that may be involved (knock on wood). Seriously.

 

Driving a Tr with those tires and those speeds is INSANITY any way you slice it. I suggest you contact your friend in the tire industry(frankly I'm surprised he didn't ream you a new one when he looked at your car), Tire Rack or any local garage you want and you'll hear the same things you're reading here.

As Shamile aptly put it...it's your car to crash

 

Tires: Aging Dangerously

Copyright Ó Safety Research & Strategies, 2006


Tires, like any other rubber product, have a limited service life regardless of tread depth and use. The dangers of "aged" tires is a little known problem outside of the industry and one that is likely the cause of a significant number of tread separation problems. "Aged" tires are often unsuspectingly put into service after having served as a spare, stored in garages or warehouses, or simply used on a vehicle that is infrequently driven. In many instances these tires show no visible sign of deterioration, and absent any visible indicators, tires with adequate tread depth are likely to be put into service regardless of age.

Tire age can be determined through decoding of the required DOT number molded into the side of a tire; however, the DOT date coding is consumer unfriendly and confusing. [Decoding the DOT Number]

Following the Ford/Firestone tire investigations in 2000 the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) began examining tire aging as a factor in tread belt separations and proposed a tire aging test in 2002 [Docket 2000-8011-19]. However, overwhelming industry opposition and the lack of an agreed upon aging standard led NHTSA hold further rulemaking and to begin additional research [June 26, 2003 Final Rule, Docket 03-15400-1]. As a result the agency is currently testing tires to discern possible test protocols that would ensure tires do not fail catastrophically before they wear out. This process is still several years from fruition. Following NHTSA's decision to commence additional research in 2003, SRS president Sean Kane, (formerly with Strategic Safety, LLC) began documenting a trend of catastrophic tire failures in the U.S. in which the tires were six years old or older. Kane also found important evidence that tire manufacturers have internal recommendations related to tire aging that were either never disclosed publicly. A summary of these findings along with a recommendation that NHTSA consider a tire expiration date requirement was submitted to the agency on September 17, 2003 [Docket 15400-12].

One of the most important documents disclosed to NHTSA regarding the industry knowledge of tire aging is the British Rubber Manufacturers Association (BRMA), which consists of the same tire manufacturers who are present in the U.S. market, recommended practice dated June 5, 2001. The BRMA's recommended practice on tire aging states

"BRMA members strongly recommend that unused tyres should not be put into service if they are over 6 years old and that all tyres should be replaced 10 years from the date of their manufacture."

It also notes that environmental conditions like exposure to sunlight and coastal climates, as well as poor storage and infrequent use accelerate the aging process.

"In ideal conditions, a tyre may have a life expectancy that exceeds 10 years from its date of manufacture. However such conditions are rare."

The BRMA document goes on to say that aging may be identified by small cracks in the tire sidewall, however,

"'[a]geing' may not exhibit any external indications and, since there is no non destructive test to assess the serviceability of a tyre, even an inspection carried out by a tyre expert may not reveal the extent of any deterioration."

Further, Kane's comments to NHTSA disclosed little-known warnings in the owner's manuals of German vehicles (i.e., Mercedes, BMW, Audi, VW) and Toyota that tires older than six years posed dangers. This information, combined with a number of other technical documents provide clear evidence that the tire and vehicle manufacturers are aware of, and likely in the possession of important data and testing upon which these obscure findings were based. However, none of this information was disclosed to NHTSA in response to its request for comments about tire aging.

As a result of our continued research into tire aging, SRS petitioned NHTSA on November 5, 2004 requesting the agency take three important interim steps to address the tire age problem. We requested (1) a Consumer Advisory alerting the public to the hazards, (2) NHTSA request specific information from the tire and vehicle manufacturers that will help with further evaluation of the problem, and (3) petitioned to require a date of manufacture molded in both sides of the tire in a non-coded fashion.

SRS is continuing to document the scope and magnitude of the tire aging problem as well as its investigation into what is known and when it was known about this danger.

Other Tire Aging Developments:

Ford Motor Company added a 6-year tire replacement recommendation, regardless of tread wear, to its website and all 2006 owner’s manuals. DaimlerChrysler acknowledged it too will add a 6-year replacement recommendation.

In response SRS has requested Ford, DaimlerChrysler, and the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers support a NHTSA-issued Consumer Advisory in order to reach a wider audience.