Few minors when I went to get tires.

Beetle, Karmann Ghia, Thing.

Moderators: Sluggo, Amskeptic

steve74baywin
IAC Addict!
Status: Offline

Few minors when I went to get tires.

Post by steve74baywin » Wed Jun 01, 2011 8:19 am

I got flat in my 66 beetle. One tire, but it looked useless.
I went to see what type the other tires were and noticed they were cracked from age.
I've owned the beetle for 9 years, put maybe 8000 miles on it. The tires might be double that in age.
I discovered it has gotten a bit harder to get tires for our beetles also.
But, the closest local shop I prefer to use was able to get them at pretty much the same price when mounted, new valve stems, balanced and installed.
Then we discover his machine can't balance the wide 5 rims.
Oh well. He took five bucks off each tire. I don't really use that as a highway vehicle anyway.
Figured I'd let yo know, one more thing to think about when getting tires installed is if the place can balance tires with the wide 5 rims.

User avatar
Randy in Maine
IAC Addict!
Location: Old Orchard Beach, Maine
Status: Offline

Re: Few minors when I went to get tires.

Post by Randy in Maine » Wed Jun 01, 2011 9:47 am

If I had a car or bus with wide 5s any more, I would invest in one of these to have and to hold on to. Used to be a lot of places had the ability, but not so many anymore.....

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/ ... ?id=373915
79 VW Bus

User avatar
hambone
Post-Industrial Non-Secular Mennonite
Location: Portland, Ore.
Status: Offline

Re: Few minors when I went to get tires.

Post by hambone » Wed Jun 01, 2011 3:31 pm

Schwab can do the 5's in th NW at least.
http://greencascadia.blogspot.com
http://pdxvolksfolks.blogspot.com
it balances on your head just like a mattress balances on a bottle of wine
your brand new leopard skin pillbox hat

User avatar
dtrumbo
IAC Addict!
Location: Mill Creek, WA
Status: Offline

Re: Few minors when I went to get tires.

Post by dtrumbo » Wed Jun 01, 2011 4:18 pm

Discount Tire mounted and balanced my wide-fives... at least they said they did. At least they put weights on them.
- Dick

1970 Transporter. 2015cc, dual Weber IDF 40's
1978 Riviera Camper. Bone stock GE 2.0L F.I.
1979 Super Beetle convertible.

... as it turns out, it was the coil!

User avatar
static
IAC Addict!
Location: Somewhere on I-5
Status: Offline

Re: Few minors when I went to get tires.

Post by static » Wed Jun 01, 2011 8:34 pm

I am pleased that there were few minors in the tire place. I believe that people under 18 shouldn't work under those conditions.

steve74baywin
IAC Addict!
Status: Offline

Re: Few minors when I went to get tires.

Post by steve74baywin » Thu Jun 02, 2011 8:37 am

static wrote:I am pleased that there were few minors in the tire place. I believe that people under 18 shouldn't work under those conditions.
My choice of a title is lacking.

Thanks all. I wasn't sure how widely known this was, or if it is an isolated thing.
The tire shop I used is a small shop. One owner, not a chain, not a franchise. (what I usually seek out) I wasn't sure if it was just because I used a little hole in the wall.

I may have to keep that plate in mind Randy.
So far it seem okay unbalanced.
As usual, I need to let some air of the tires. Tire shops go nuts. I feel every bump in the road. They probably have about double the psi than what is recommended. I usually go about 5 psi over the VW spec.

User avatar
sped372
IAC Addict!
Location: Waunakee, WI
Status: Offline

Re: Few minors when I went to get tires.

Post by sped372 » Thu Jun 02, 2011 10:11 am

It seems like most shops just air them up to the "max pressure" rating on the tire itself. Dummies!
1971 Karmann Ghia - 1600 DP
1984 Westfalia - 1.9 WBX

User avatar
Hippie
IAC Addict!
Location: 41º 35' 27" N, 93º 37' 15" W
Status: Offline

Re: Few minors when I went to get tires.

Post by Hippie » Thu Jun 02, 2011 10:58 am

steve74baywin wrote: ...I may have to keep that plate in mind Randy...
I got a wide five adapter plate at a VW junkyard. Works well enough for me. I mount and balance my own tires though.
Image

User avatar
Randy in Maine
IAC Addict!
Location: Old Orchard Beach, Maine
Status: Offline

Re: Few minors when I went to get tires.

Post by Randy in Maine » Thu Jun 02, 2011 11:10 am

You could jsut take them over to Hippie's place in Des Moines and he will mount/balance them up for free. Watch out for his dogs though, they will make you pet them :profileleft:

On all my beetles I always kept them right at what VW suggested or I felt every bump in the road and felt like I was steering in the air.

I want to say that was about 16-17 F and 24/26 rear. Really precious little has changed in the way radial tires are made today as opposed to the way they were made years ago. Some of the tread compounds are a little different, but that is about it.
79 VW Bus

User avatar
Hippie
IAC Addict!
Location: 41º 35' 27" N, 93º 37' 15" W
Status: Offline

Re: Few minors when I went to get tires.

Post by Hippie » Thu Jun 02, 2011 7:39 pm

^^^ I work for beer.

Ditto on the Beetle tire pressure. I think I ran the '64 at about those pressures, Randy, or else it rode hard and steered funny too. VW knew what they should be.
Image

User avatar
Amskeptic
IAC "Help Desk"
IAC "Help Desk"
Status: Offline

Re: Few minors when I went to get tires.

Post by Amskeptic » Fri Jun 03, 2011 7:05 am

Hippie wrote:^^^ I work for beer.

Ditto on the Beetle tire pressure. I think I ran the '64 at about those pressures, Randy, or else it rode hard and steered funny too. VW knew what they should be.
Inflation pressure recommendations are a direct reflection of the weight on the tire.
Sometimes, manufacturers will play a little too hard to get handling tuned by tire pressures (lower inflation pressures promote breakaway), and this I will override. I run the Squareback front tires a good 5 psi over factory recommendations and still have very good tire wear across the foot prints.
Colin
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles

bajaman72
Addicted!
Location: Quartz Hill, CA
Contact:
Status: Offline

Re: Few minors when I went to get tires.

Post by bajaman72 » Fri Jul 08, 2011 12:44 pm

Wow. Learn new stuff when I venture to different threads. I have always did what the idiot tire guy does. Sez 44psi on front tire, 50psi on rear... Guess what they are set at? Yup, 44n50. In case you were wondering, I don't steer, I hang on for dear life! Maybe I shall lower the pressures and go for a putt today.
1968 Karmann Ghia - Driver
1969 Transporter - Project
1959 Karmann Ghia - Full Race Car

bajaman72
Addicted!
Location: Quartz Hill, CA
Contact:
Status: Offline

Re: Few minors when I went to get tires.

Post by bajaman72 » Sun Jul 17, 2011 4:41 pm

WOW! Major difference. Turned em down a bit to 30 lbs all the way around and the drive is actually a pleasure. I was thinking the problem lay in my suspension. Thanks.
1968 Karmann Ghia - Driver
1969 Transporter - Project
1959 Karmann Ghia - Full Race Car

User avatar
ruckman101
Lord God King Bwana
Location: Up next to a volcano.
Contact:
Status: Offline

Re: Few minors when I went to get tires.

Post by ruckman101 » Sun Jul 17, 2011 5:35 pm

Should be higher in the back than the front.


neal
The slipper has no teeth.

VWGirl
Getting Hooked!
Location: Powder Springs, GA/Micanopy, FL
Contact:
Status: Offline

Re: Few minors when I went to get tires.

Post by VWGirl » Sun Jul 17, 2011 7:57 pm

can't you just use an old drum to balance them? I guess that the drum could throw off the weight though... but i thought i had heard of something like that being done before. Only wide 5 I have is my thing, and I got my tires at Coker tire in Chattanooga. They are known for making weird tires tho

Post Reply