FINALLY - MY SMALLER FRONT TIRES

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soonercruiser

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I had previously posted about the several problems going from 15 to 14 inch wheels on my Notchback.
Besides the brake caliper issues that got resolved once we identified my spindles as Volare spindles; I had been getting some tire rub on my front fender edges when I turned and went over bumps, as in the end of my driveway.

The new Cooper tires I have are 225/70 R 14s. Seems like a 70 sidewall is all they make now.
I had searched for quite a while to find smaller 14 inch Coopers. With No avail; especially the 205s, were no longer in production.
When I was at The MOPAR Nats at Carlise, near the end of the last day, I spotted 2 Cooper GT Radials that were 215/60 R14s with a guy that was packing up to go back to NY.
His beginning price was $40 each - marked all the way down to $20 each - and now he was willing to give them away just not to have to haul them back to NY.
So, I gave him $20! :D

It's been a really busy summer, and since I was travelling some distances to shows on the highway, I delayed trying out the older/smaller tires for safety reasons.
I finally got around to it 2 weeks ago, had them mounted, and "Slimed" them myself.
I put them on yesterday and found them to be holding air well; and drove around roughing them up a bit on local raods (all that I intend to do with them).
They drove just fine (not balanced), and I had absolutely no wheelwell rub at all. The tire tyreads and sidewalls look to be in very good condition.
When I put the 2 different size tores together, the 21/60 R14 is about and inch less in diameter. Just enough to avoid the rubs!

Only other issue with them is that since they are pretty old tires, the white lettering is a little yellow, even after some aggressive scrubbing.
White lettering pens should take care of that!
And, I will report back if I have any problems with the older tires.

smaller front tires 1.jpg


smaller front tires 2.jpg
 
Uh, did you check the date code on those tires?

If they're more than 7 years old you wouldn't catch me gambling on them.
 
those $20 tires aren't gonna look like much of a deal when one of them comes apart at speed and takes out your fender trim and sill molding and sends you into the curb all slash ways.

i see you have aftermarket wheels, so i totally understand the size limitations due to that; but i don't understand why would you compromise on safety with some sketch used tires when you could get a tire that fits.

yeah, a BFG wouldn't match but 99.9% of people wouldn't even notice.
 
When I bought my Duster (from a classic dealer no less) the rear tires had a wobble to them. Was going to change them anyway but when I removed & took the wheel/tire assemblies to the tire shop the guy said those tires were nearly 30 years old. Yikes! I drove almost 200 miles home on those tires, slowly though because of the wobble!
 
Date code is ...3708

Only using them for short trips up and down our main street with 40 MPH speed limit.
Some steep driveway to street bumps, with no rubbing.
Wish Cooper made a smaller GT Radial.
 
16 year old tires are fine for something you're gonna push around the yard. wouldn't catch me rollin' donuts that old, no way, no how.
 
Date code is ...3708

Only using them for short trips up and down our main street with 40 MPH speed limit.
Some steep driveway to street bumps, with no rubbing.
Wish Cooper made a smaller GT Radial.

Even a tire failure at 35mph could end up costing you a lot more than a new set of tires.

Tread separates and now you're out a fender or a quarter panel? Nah, I'll buy new tires thanks.
 
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