tires....

ToyTrainGuy

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As long as I can remember, I have had a "chimmey" in the front end at speed above 60mph. The steering wheel would rock back & forth pretty good. It was like a shopping cart where the wheels start rocking & you can't stop it until you slow down. Tom Hall did a beautiful job rebuilding my steering rack, as I thought there might be some slop there, but no difference. I had my local shop re-align the front end & rebalance my 5-year old, but low mileage Sumitomo 205/60 tires on original LAT wheels, still no difference. The front end is tight, wheel-bearings freshly repacked, the run-out on the rotors checked out fine.

It's always the dumb stuff, isn't it? My neighbor who drag races started asking questions. What rim with? A 205/60 tire on a 5.5 " LAT wheel may be borderline. Then he asked "what tire pressure are you running". I replied that I had just that day noticed in the Tiger specs that the tire pressure on stock cars was 26 lbs. but I always ran the "standard" 30 lbs, like most people. My neighbor said, drop the pressure down to 22 lbs, try it on the highway & if the problem goes away, add air until the problem comes back. So I did. Over the weekend, I put 312 miles on the car & it was smooth as can be. Dumb guy, dumb guy, dumb guy....

Since the tires are 5 years old, & Sumitomo isn't making any fresh ones in our 13" sizes anymore, I am looking for a new set of tires again. I'd like to go to a slightly narrower size that's section-width is more closely matched to the 5.5 " LAT wheel than the 8.1" of the 205/60. I don't race or autocross, it is a street car. I am an old hold-out wanting to keep my obsolete 13" wheels, so I don't want to go with bigger diameter rims either. Suggestions for decent street tires in what 13" sizes anyone? Price is not a concern. Thanks....
 

0neoffive

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Ditto

Ran into the same problem a couple of times over the years. Latest was the old Mustang fastback with period correct wheels that I put nice fat radials on. It looked really sweet! Memories fade, but it all came back when the little horse wandered around on it's own . . . . .:eek:
 

Warren

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Speed wobbles

I like the shopping cart analogy . My car had 20 yr old radials on it had balance checked rims were new 13" Pannasports and my was more like the old speed wobble on a skate board:) I did not think radials would flat spot like the old bias belt tires but that proved wrong.

I have scored a set of Cosmic wheels and will soon need a 13" set maybe a good excuse to get some auto X tires for the 14"s I currently have or the new yet old Cosmics.

Ditto your request on current availability on 13"s

Maybe if everyone called Coker Tire asking for a redline or Tiger Paw replica they would be made X fingers....
 

HolyCat

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I'd like to go to a slightly narrower size that's section-width is more closely matched to the 5.5 " LAT wheel than the 8.1" of the 205/60. I don't race or autocross, it is a street car. I am an old hold-out wanting to keep my obsolete 13" wheels, so I don't want to go with bigger diameter rims either. Suggestions for decent street tires in what 13" sizes anyone? Price is not a concern. Thanks....

I am running Kumho SOLUS KR21 P185/70R13 on my original LAT wheels. Also, you can check on Tirerack to see what other tires they offer for 13" rims. I ran a check based only on wheel size, and it showed:

P155/80R13
P175/70R13
P175/80R13
P185/60R13
P185/60ZR13
P185/70R13
P205/60R13
P205/60ZR13
215/50R13
225/45R13
225/45ZR13
225/50ZR13
P255/40ZR13

Note that many of the ones listed near the bottom are not street tires.

Good luck!
David
 

Warren

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I still have some 8 tracks

and if we call Memorex maybe they will bring the 8 tracks back too......:)


And Casette tapes too, and I just got a 40,000 mile one owner pick up with a casette player, so :p and no I won't sell it to you.

As soon as demand goes up or a car hits the market with 13" wheels hopefully we won't have to have off brand imports.

Thanks Dave. Something with less lettering and a plain low embossed sidewall letters would be nice too. The Kuhmo's are kind busy but if that's all that's out there...
 

HolyCat

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OK, How About Some Michelins?

Tire Rack lists the Kumho P185/70R13 specs as 7.4" section width and 23.2" overall diameter. Coker Tires offers Michelin XAS 165HR13 tires as having 6.27" section width and the same 23.2" overall diameter. The recommended rim width is 4.5" to 6". However, the Michelins are four times as expensive as the Kumhos and that is not counting the required inner tube. You might find other tires at Coker with a similar overall diameter, such as the B.F. Goodrich redlines in the 185/70R13 size at a more reasonable price. So 13" tires are available - just need to look a bit. However, the selection is a whole lot less than 15" or 16" tires.
 

Seabrook

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100
Somehow I figure that none of the choices are going to match the performance of the Yokohama AVS Intermediates in 205/60-13.

Gonna miss those tires. :(
 

chirodoc

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Messages
281
13 INCH TIRES

There are still 13 in 60 series tires out there. A regional chain here in the upper midwest lists 185-60-13 or 205-60-13 tires made by Falken, Hercules, Maxxis, Mastercraft, and Nexen. Federal tires are available on the Left coast. Most are made in Asia, but Faken and Maxxis do made race tires. Toyo makes tires this size, 888, which is a sticky street tire for $150 each. TOYO also makes a reasonablly priced high performance street tire not imported into the country.
Good hunting and shopping.
ROGER.
 

XTIGERX

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501
As long as I can remember, I have had a "chimmey" in the front end at speed above 60mph. The steering wheel would rock back & forth pretty good.

After taking my car out of 12-15 year storage, I had parked it figuring only a few months at most so didn't block it up. I took it to a friends wheel alignment shop to get a similar shimmy out. He couldn't do because of it being a Tiger and my type of rims. I took a block down the street to a wheel shop and the guy there worked on it a bit and was better but still didn't feel great.

So I went back to where I bought tires. I told them about the wheel shop not being able to quite get it fixed and the guy came unglued and started ranting and raving about the guy at wheel shop trying to fix the shimmy in the first place. The radials had developed a flat spot and the tires were shot and dangerous to use.

I wasn't thinking but could remember by old man having Nylon tires on one of his cars and they always had a shimmy or maybe better described as a thump from a flat spot every time he parked it until the tires warmed up.

Just another experience and Tiger tale.

I've never had any problems finding B.F. Goodrich TA Radials.
 

ToyTrainGuy

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What is the general consensus on using "race only" tires like Toyo & Hoosier offer on the street? Beyond the shallow tread depth, short mileage life, & high cost, are they really dangerous for a street Tiger in the rain? I've heard mixed reviews. thanks....
 

ToyTrainGuy

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At this point, I'd really like to put on the Toyo Proxes R888, 205/60 on the rear with the 185/60 on the front. Anyone other make this front rear combo? Again, this is not a car that gets raced very often, & I do want to spend more time on the highways.

I have heard many things about the R888. Noise, like a swamp truck on the highway? Poor wet traction, but are they really dangerous on the street in the wet? Really poor mileage, what under 5000 miles? Heat cycles, what is that about? Is this a bad choice for the street?

If not, I guess the other option is 'minivan" 185/70, which is about all I can find.

comments, please...
 

hottigr

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I am running 205/60-13 rears and 185/60-13 fronts, but they are Toyo Proxes RA-1's. I love this combo. Really grippy on the street, and not noisy at all. Wear is not really a problem for me- I probably only put about 1500 miles a year on my Tiger- all street miles. The tire states 'recommended for competition only', but they are not that aggressive. The R888's look a lot more aggressive.
 

ToyTrainGuy

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I am running 205/60-13 rears and 185/60-13 fronts, but they are Toyo Proxes RA-1's. I love this combo. Really grippy on the street, and not noisy at all. Wear is not really a problem for me- I probably only put about 1500 miles a year on my Tiger- all street miles. The tire states 'recommended for competition only', but they are not that aggressive. The R888's look a lot more aggressive.

That's positive input. The R888 is supposed to be a newer improved tire, I think. I could not find any current listings for the RA-1 in 185/60, I wonder if they still make them. Are you running 5.5" wheels? I wondered how noisy the tires could be over the Tiger's engine sounds & wind noise. thanks...
 

hottigr

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They might not offer the 185/60-13's any more...I would run 205/60-13's all the way around if I had to, I was just trying to compensate a little bit for the track difference and also lower the front end a smidge. I have 5.5" rims, and 205's are not a problem. I don't think the tires are loud, but, as you said, with the roar of my 302 and the wind noise, who really notices?
 

ToyTrainGuy

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While I am pretty much sold on the Toy 888s, does anyone have any experience with Federal tires? This month's Hot Rod magazine had a blurb about 5/8 sized glass-bodied hot rods called the Legend Series. In the specs for the cars, they had showed tire size & of all things, they are 205/60-13 made by Federal. Any input on Federal tires on our cars? Thanks...
 

Warren

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Pep Boys Brand

A big chain out here on the Left Coast. A budget brand auto parts tire and repair stop. With all due respect like the Kraco cruise control we just do not have a lot of choices for some items. Outside of being a Taiwan mfg. tire with a sub brand of Hero not much info.
 

varodder

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Messages
33
Federal Tires

While I am pretty much sold on the Toy 888s, does anyone have any experience with Federal tires? This month's Hot Rod magazine had a blurb about 5/8 sized glass-bodied hot rods called the Legend Series. In the specs for the cars, they had showed tire size & of all things, they are 205/60-13 made by Federal. Any input on Federal tires on our cars? Thanks...

I have a set on my Tiger. Haven't driven it yet but am getting very close to getting it on the road. I may have some feedback in a few months.
 

ToyTrainGuy

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Vredestein 205 / 60 R13...

Well, two years ago I was concerned about my aging tires & since then I have put 9,000 miles on them, now it is way past time to make a change. I was really excited to hear about the new 15" LAT wheel, until I saw how different they look compared to the originals, so now I am back to looking for 13" tires again. The Toyos are a great tire for most guys that Autocross & have round wheels, but unfortunately my original LATs are about as round as an egg, so as soon as I get tires mounted, I have to have them "Trued" on the car, shaving the tread depth that on the Toyo's that only begins with 6/32nds.

I see that Vredestein is now making the 205 / 60 R13 size. I have heard that while they look period correct, they are NOT improved at all from the original 50 year old design, consequently not that great of a tire. I hope that I have heard wrong, but for a car that has only been Autocrossed once in 40+ years, are they a decent tire on a Tiger? Wet or dry traction? Anyone? Thanks...
 

mwood

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175
No experience with the Vredsteins and what is available on the internetz in terms of reviews is mixed. If you don't plan on autocross or other use that might make you want more grip, I'd maybe give them a shot, though. Real street tires in that size are unicorns.

I have quite a bit of experience with Toyo's. The RA1 in a 205 section width, square (same size f/r), is without doubt what I would have on my car if I still ran 13's...but, I do autocross and want the grip. The R888 doesn't feel as good, gives no real advantage in grip and wears much worse. Interesting data point, the Spec Miata class went from RA1's to R888's then back to RA1's. Toyo initially was planning to phase out the RA1, with the introduction of the R888, but ended up having to continue production due to demand. Not to say the R888 is a "bad" tire, just sharing my experience with both. (Also should mention the RA1 is a better rain tire)

I'm not sure which Federals you're looking at, but the manufacturer does have some good tires in their line up. I was given a set of 205/50-15 RS595 Federals to try on my car and have been pleased with them. Not as much outright grip as the Toyo R1R they replaced, but very close.

The RA1 is the only 13" R-comp tire I'd run on the street, personally, now that Kumho no longer makes the Victoracer. Hoosiers are basically radial slicks and not safe in the rain...they sure do have a ton of grip, though :)
 
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