Speedster tires

Does anybody, and I am sure there is, know where to purchase the little tires for the speedster 165R15 at a reasonable price, just one arm and I will save the leg for later purchases.
See, I told you I was just starting on my list of "wants" I ought to just list what I don't need and work back from there.

Thanks.

Jerry

Jerry, everybody's got their favorite tire brands -- but if they make one that'll fit a Bug, you could be out the door for less than $100 with a set of Kumhos from Pep Boys or AutoZone.
I bought mine a couple years ago just to have something to roll the chassis around on, and it wasn't $100 for my six-inch fronts and seven-inch rears. I'll buy Kumhos to replace these with, 'cuz they're GREAT for street use.
Pizza-cutters shouldn't be much over $20/ea., I'd imagine. Might well be the least expensive part of your car.

Tirerack has 167/80x15 Kumho's listed for $40 each --- but on backorder. Coker tire will take all 4 appendages and send you 8 year old stock. Why not look for 195/60x15? - a popular Honda size.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=294720

Paul, Wolfgang and Corey,

Thanks guys, now you have me so screwed up I don't know what to do.:0) I didn't know that there were so many folks that mfg the little "kiddie Kar tires"

Thanks again for all of the help.

Jerry

I'm running 185/65-15 Goodyear RS-As, and are very happy with them. They're not expensive, and they stick better than the 165s.

Same here. I am running BFG Traction 185 60R15. I like the look and the performance, but they ain't cheap. Sorry, no pictures yet. Not done with it.

running 185/65/15 potenzas, nice tire so far.

Been running on Kuhmo's 165R15's no complains so far! They look half way decent too...

Jerry:

A whole lot of info here, but it all boils down to this: Underneath that sharp-looking Speedster body is just a regular, old, mid/late 60's Volkswagen Beetle. Everybody used to sell tires for them, and they were everywhere.

The 165R15 or 165R16 was about the most popular tire ever made and should be available pretty much anywhere.

Goodyear, Michelin, Dunlop, Kumho - pretty much any manufacturer will provide a good tire that'll do the job.

Can you go to a larger tire without problems? Yes....however! The upper size limit for you is probably R185 if you do NOT have wider, flared fenders (in other words, you have a Speedster with "normal" tires underneath). Some cars will fit them, others might not. To be safe, stay with the 165's to be sure they'll fit, but you can get them from anyone.

Gordon,
I have been meaning to ask you - since you have a widebody CMC - what are the tallest tire you can fit under your car on a 15" x 7 or 8" rim? 205's? I also am thinking of leaving the 4 lug drum rear an use a 4 lug disc front - is this what you stayed with? Any info would be great - thanks. I may go w/ a 5 lug chevy wheel and that would require a 4 to 5 adapter and mess things up even more.
Sorry for the change in thread guys
Dale

I've run Vredestein 165-15 on my speedster and I am very happy with them. The last set of tires I bought from Coker, were less than 4 months from date of mfg according to the numbers on the tire.

In a previous life I ran Vredestein 185-15s on multiple cars, Jaguars, Alvis, TR-4s, over 30 years I've used the brand with no complaints at all.

Dale: I'll try to keep this hijack short, but it's a complex answer:

- what are the tallest tire you can fit under your car on a 15" x 7 or 8" rim? 205's?

I'm running 205R50-16's (16" rim) on the front (7" wide rims) with plenty of room to spare.

225R50-16's on the rear with 7" wide rims give about 1-1/2" clearance between the top of the tire and the underside of the quarter-panel with no-one in the car.
A 225/R50-16 tire is about 25" in diameter, so that diameter (i.e., height) is about as large as you can go. You could run something larger only if the rear height was raised a bit.

- I also am thinking of leaving the 4 lug drum rear an use a 4 lug disc front - is this what you stayed with?

Sort-of....I have 4-lug drum-rear-disk-front, but then I run 4-lug hub to 5-lug (Porsche) wheel adapters, about 1-1/8" thick with 911 7" wide Fuchs wheels and everything seems to fit and look right.

- I may go w/ a 5 lug chevy wheel and that would require a 4 to 5 adapter and mess things up even more.

Only by way of offset (dish) and thickness of adapter needed to center the wheel in the wheel well space. Somewhere on here I posted the dimensions of my wheels for someone else, so search a little and see if you can find it. Otherwise I'll have to pull them and re-measure for you.

- Sorry for the change in thread guys

Yeah, me too.....now back to our regularly scheduled thread....

gn

What is the main cause of front tire inner edge wear? I did not expect that when I took off the wheels to refurb them that the inner edges of BOTH front tires are worn down much more than the outer edges. A common cause?

Fred Adler
San Diego

Too much toe-out, and/or too much camber. I can't remember which way is which, but if the wheels lean in toward the body at the top, if follows that the inside edge of the tire would wear. Either way, a good 4-wheel alignment is in order.

Thanks Gordon
I will look some more and see if I can find your back spacing.
It is all a big game ain't it?
Dale