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Author Topic: Old tires?  (Read 17311 times)

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GTRS Fiero

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Old tires?
« on: February 19, 2017, 08:16:08 pm »
The tires on my Fiero have plenty of tread, but are of an unknown age.  They were old when I bought the car.  The tires are not original.  The tires do have some cracks.  I've put about 9,000 miles on them.  I have looked into new tires, but have had a difficulty finding quality tires of the correct size.  I've had the car for nearly 4 years.  These tires were on the car through the last 2 owners.

How old can the tires be, and still be safe to drive on?
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pgackerman

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Re: Old tires?
« Reply #1 on: February 19, 2017, 08:48:42 pm »

Everything about your car - handling, acceleration, ride, etc - comes down to four little spots about the size of your palm.

Take your car to the nearest Goodyear, Firestone, COSTCO, whoever you like/trust and see if they tell you you need new tires. 

But to answer your question 6 years according to google.  You could get longer if pressure was maintained and the tires were spun to prevent damage.  But I wouldn't count on it.

Get new tires.


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Red '88 GT 5-Speed, 7730ECM, 1.6 Rockers, and KEYLESS Entry! 
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GTRS Fiero

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Re: Old tires?
« Reply #2 on: February 19, 2017, 08:56:47 pm »
It's an '88.  No rotating.

I went to Firestone and GoodYear.  No luck.  I don't use cheap tires.  The car handles OK, but I'm worried that the tires may decide to come apart.  One place quoted me about $800, but the tires never came in.

In general, tire places ALWAYS recommend new tires, unless the tires are under their warranty.  One place told me my battery was bad.  When I showed them the battery was under their warranty, they refused, stating that the test was wrong.  After arguing, I got a new battery, and took my business elsewhere.

My tires aren't worn on the sides.
« Last Edit: April 25, 2018, 08:59:08 pm by GTRS Fiero »
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TopNotch

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Re: Old tires?
« Reply #3 on: February 19, 2017, 10:03:21 pm »
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GTRS Fiero

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Re: Old tires?
« Reply #4 on: February 19, 2017, 10:17:39 pm »
We tried that, and decided the tires were old.  I don't remember coming up with a date.
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Fierofool

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Re: Old tires?
« Reply #5 on: February 19, 2017, 10:19:57 pm »
Even on an 88, tires can be rotated.  Just move them side to side on the same axle.  If they're directional they would need to be dismounted to do this.  BF Goodrich makes a Performance All-Season Outline White Letter that goes for about $125 a tire. 

These are one size up and gives you a little better selection than stock sizes.
https://www.tirerack.com/tires/TireSearchResults.jsp?zip-code=&frontWidth=215/&frontRatio=60&frontDiameter=15&rearWidth=225/&rearRatio=60&rearDiameter=15
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GTRS Fiero

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Re: Old tires?
« Reply #6 on: February 19, 2017, 10:24:05 pm »
Tires don't seem to last long when changing sides of the car, remount or no.
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Raydar

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Re: Old tires?
« Reply #7 on: February 19, 2017, 10:45:59 pm »
A lot of people use BF Goodrich Radial T/A, white letter.
I used to use them frequently when I was buying 15s. They seemed to last a decent amount of time, and gripped well.
I have no idea where to buy them, or the cost, these days.
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Fierofool

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Re: Old tires?
« Reply #8 on: February 19, 2017, 11:08:21 pm »
They're listed in my Tire Rack link. 
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There are three kinds of men:

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2.    The few who learn by observation.
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Raydar

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Re: Old tires?
« Reply #9 on: February 20, 2017, 07:59:17 am »
Quote from: Fierofool on February 19, 2017, 11:08:21 pm
They're listed in my Tire Rack link.

Holy CRAP, they're expensive!
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GTRS Fiero

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Re: Old tires?
« Reply #10 on: February 20, 2017, 08:12:30 am »
Long ago, I used to work as a tire tech.  I tried all the brands of tires we carried.  Pirrelli, Dunlop, Firestone, Goodyear, Michelin, BF Goodrich, Cooper, Yokohama, etc.  Some were just junk.  Yokohamas tended to separate, for example.  Coopers tended to have issues on the highway.  Goodyears were good, after about 3,000 miles; before that, sometimes I had to fight them on the highway.  Firestones were OK on some vehicles, or some tires were OK.

Pirrelli made good low-profile sport tires.

The tire techs used to argue about the best tire.  We eventually discovered that it largely depended on the vehicle and the driver's preference.
« Last Edit: October 14, 2018, 09:25:05 am by GTRS Fiero »
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