Tires

[David T]

There are less and less tire manufacturers who make the different tire sizes in the same series that will fit our Deloreans. I am having trouble finding ANY. Can anyone tell me what the current choices are, if any? Can we modify the sizes slightly and if so what are the consequences and how much experience do we have? Last post I was told to try:
Cooper
Firestone
Fuzion
Mastercraft
I can't find anyone who can supply tires in the original sizes even from these companies.
David Teitelbaum

[DMCMW Dave]

We are typically fitting 225-60-15 in the rear and 195-60-14 in the front. This broadens your choices a bit.

Falken Ziex512
Michelin Pilot Exalto (currently out of production bty **may** be back)

[David T]

Thanks, Dave. I just found a set of Firestone Primewell in the "correct" sizes. Does anyone have any experience with these?
David Teitelbaum

[Jacko]

David, if all else fails ...

I talked to my local tire shop and there are matching sets of Mastercraft Avenger tires in the correct sizes (195 60 14 & 235 60 15) available. These tires are at their warehouse in Louisiana but they don't sell to individuals. If you are interested you can call Creech Tire in Camden, Arkansas 870-836-5057, talk to Pat. They can be shipped directly to you. The fronts are black wall and the rears are RWL ( I turned my rears in). These are 'T' rated (119 mph I believe).

Price: $122.95 ea. front, $142.95 ea. rear

[thegovernor9912]

Dave,

Steve and I both purchased matching sets of Mastercraft Avenger GTs online last year. I believe the site was tire-easy.com or discount tires 2go.com. When purchased they had 15+ remaining sets.

That being said I don't like the Mastercrafts. I think they are noisy and don't offer optimal wet and dry grip. I also find myself driving the car aggressively, especially when behind Mr. Levy.

Next time I need tires I will be moving to a more aggressive summer tire, even if they aren't matching treads.

[Morpheus]

Thanks, Dave. I just found a set of Firestone Primewell in the "correct" sizes. Does anyone have any experience with these?
David Teitelbaum


I have these on my car and they look pretty good. The tread is different front to back, but that's really the only drawback to having correctly sized, matching tires for not a lot of $$.

[stevedmc]

I have these on my car and they look pretty good. The tread is different front to back, but that's really the only drawback to having correctly sized, matching tires for not a lot of $$.

Me too. I got my set for about $370 installed with all the taxes and nickel/diming they could sneak in.

[jawn101]

I bought exactly the Falken ZE512s that Dave recommended above and am very happy with them. They were noticeably narrower (225 vs 235) in the back on the day I had them installed, but the next morning the difference was forgotten. They are quiet and ride smoothly, look good and will have decent wet traction. I would love a set of solid blackwalls with white lettering but I know that's a pipe dream :)

[David T]

I found the Firestones locally. $80 ea for the front and $100 ea for the rears. I did not have them mounted and balanced, the rims are out for refurbing. The owner I am helping prefers to stay with the original tire sizes. I personally do not like Firestone, I consider it an inferior tire but there are not a lot of choices left!
David Teitelbaum

[Rich]

I just found a set of Firestone Primewell in the "correct" sizes. Does anyone have any experience with these?
David Teitelbaum

No, no experience with the Primewells on a D. Only to say that the rear OEM size shows availability in a Primewell PS860 "performance" tire and the front size is only made in the PS830 or PS850 style, which is called an "economy" tire. One could guess that these two styles do not have matching tread patterns or carcasses but at least carry the same brand name on their sidewalls.

If you have possession of these OEM-size tire pairs could you comment on the accuracy of this prediction? The Firestone website carries no images of them.

[David T]

I didn't pick up the tires yet, no rush, I don't have the rims yet. The guy in the tire shop said the tread pattern is almost the same, just wider (of course) with an additional rib. Not much choice anyway. It looks like these will also be discontinued soon too.
David Teitelbaum

[congerz83]

There are less and less tire manufacturers who make the different tire sizes in the same series that will fit our Deloreans. I am having trouble finding ANY. Can anyone tell me what the current choices are, if any? Can we modify the sizes slightly and if so what are the consequences and how much experience do we have? Last post I was told to try:
Cooper
Firestone
Fuzion
Mastercraft
I can't find anyone who can supply tires in the original sizes even from these companies.
David Teitelbaum

I think this is the first time I've ever know David to ASK a question, instead of answer. This is truly amazing. :histerical1: What's wrong with your wheels? If I remember correctly they were immaculate. Then again every part of your car look immaculate when 6996 is next to it.

[David T]

These tires are for another owner I am helping. I haven't bought tires for a while and since the situation changes I wanted to get the latest info on what is available. This list is a resource for everyone.
David Teitelbaum

[congerz83]

Who's refinishing the wheels David?

[David T]

The owner took the rims to the nearby shop he deals with, Anita Tire in River Vale. I doubt they are doing them, they probably sent them out to someone like Wheels USA for R & R ing. He is getting hosed at $200 ea. When he told me that, I told him he should have taken then to a place in Fairfield, they charge $100 ea. We will see how they turn out. We were hoping we could get the car running for Gary's parade in 2 weeks but I don't think that is going to happen now. We still have to do the clutch hydraulics, rebuild the brake system, reinstall the interior, replace the alternator, tune up the motor, and then all of the cosmetic stuff on the exterior. This is another car that need EVERYTHING. The only really good news is the frame is almost perfect except for some minor surface rust. It must have been pampered most of it's life.
David Teitelbaum

[sdg3205]

Just FYI, there are 3 Cooper Cobra 195/60/R14's on ebay right now.

Still lots of Cooper Cobra 235's available there too.

I work for a tire recycler when the music biz gets quiet. I came across a front cooper last week with lots of tread left. It's nice knowing I have a back-up. I'll keep my eyes peeled for others and collect as many as I can.

[David T]

Stockpiling tires is a bad idea. They are date-coded to the date of manufacture and you don't want to drive on tires that are old no matter how much tread they have or how good they look. If you do inventory tires you MUST rotate your stock FIFO so you do not get stuck with something too old to use. Eventually you HAVE to go with what is currently available. Imagine having a set of Michlens and you damage a tire. Unless you can still find a replacement you could be forced to replace the whole set just to have a full matched set of tires!
David Teitelbaum

[pezzonovante88]

I've been Google searching for Cooper Cobra Radial GTs in 235 60 R15 and 195 60 R14 and there are tons of websites that have them readily available for about $100 each + shipping. They seem to be white letter on one side and black letter on the other, to give the choice. Its nice to know that there is a readily available tire from a well known brand with a decent OEM-look tread. I'm ahead of myself because I don't even have a D yet, but I know it will be one less thing I have to worry about when the I find my car. Although, I can't decide if the white letters or black letters look better....

[jawn101]

Are you sure they aren't old stock? I'd be curious as I love the look of the Cooper cobras, but was under the impression they were unavailable as new items.

[pezzonovante88]

Are you sure they aren't old stock? I'd be curious as I love the look of the Cooper cobras, but was under the impression they were unavailable as new items.

After checking the Cooper US website, it would appear that the GT Radials are still in production for the rears, but no longer for the fronts. They do have Cooper CS4 Tourings in the correct 195 60 R14, but no GT Radials. So I guess one could mix-match the two tire models OR could buy brand new rears and then get some old stock fronts, provided they aren't TOO old and have been properly stored.

[jawn101]

Oh, I gotcha. Cool!

[SoCalDMC12]

Stockpiling tires is a bad idea. They are date-coded to the date of manufacture and you don't want to drive on tires that are old no matter how much tread they have or how good they look.

How old is "too old"? (I've heard varying answers to this question.) I'm not stockpiling, but I have tires on one of my cars that (I'm guessing) are more than 5 years old but have plenty of tread.

[Rich]

How old is "too old"? (I've heard varying answers to this question.) I'm not stockpiling, but I have tires on one of my cars that (I'm guessing) are more than 5 years old but have plenty of tread.
Check it out. 6-10 years according to some car mfgrs and Consumer Reports:

Link: Consumer Reports Tire Age Recomm. (http://news.consumerreports.org/cars/2009/05/tire-aging-when-to-buying-new-car-tires-based-on-age.html)


"Our advice: Replace the tires by the automobile and tire manufacturer recommendations. (Chrysler, Ford, and Volkswagen are just a few of the companies that recommend removing tires older than six years.)"

[David T]

Most places will tell you 7 years. You can stretch it if the tires look really good, not dry-rotted or low tread. If you have a 3 digit date code they should be replaced immediately if you intend to drive on them. Go to the manufacturer's website for directions on how to read the date code.
David Teitelbaum

[DMCMW Dave]

Most places will tell you 7 years.David Teitelbaum

I had a care in here that sat on a set of new, zero mile Michelins for 5 years without moving. I put them on my car and after 200 miles they still never got round again. So - that's a factor too.

[outatym2001]

How old is "too old"? (I've heard varying answers to this question.) I'm not stockpiling, but I have tires on one of my cars that (I'm guessing) are more than 5 years old but have plenty of tread.

This stuff has been posted before on the old dmctalk.com web site.

Lots of information on the Tirerack.com site.
Tire Aging – Part #1
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=138&

Determining the Age of a Tire
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=11