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Welcome to FordPinto.com, The home of the PCCA => General Help- Ask the Experts... => Topic started by: JoeBob on December 04, 2018, 04:13:54 PM

Title: tires and rims
Post by: JoeBob on December 04, 2018, 04:13:54 PM: I know this issue has been covered a 100 times. I was dumb and did not read about it then, because I did not need it at the time. I bought new Goodrich 205 60 13 all season tires. They are worthless if wet. These are the only tires I could find 13" Is there such a thing as a 4 to 5 lug adapter? I may need custom wheels made. Do 15" wheels fit safely. I don't know the proper wording for this. what wheel depth or offset do I need.
Thank you
Bill
Title: Re: tires and rims
Post by: Craiggarrett1969 on December 04, 2018, 05:44:45 PM: You can use a mustang notchbacks 4 lug rim
Title: Re: tires and rims
Post by: Wittsend on December 04, 2018, 09:37:23 PM: The more important question is, "What are you trying to accomplish?" The Ford Fox body cars came with 14", 15" and 16" wheels (steel and alloy) that are the same 4.25" X 4 pattern as the Pinto. Aftermarket wheels are also available. So, if you are just trying to get a different wheel size because there is more tire variety then you would not need adapters, just different wheels with the 4.25" X 4 pattern. Do note that I hear people complaining that even 15" tire are getting more difficult to find though I'd think they would be more available than 13" tires.

Tire bulge becomes a factor in wheel offset. On the rear you can just measure with a straight edge from the brake drum face to the most likely point of contact - the leaf spring. A lot of times the leaf springs are not parallel so measure at the front and back at the anticipated bulge point of the tire. On the front it gets a bit tricky because clearance issues arise from the turning of the wheels. Hopefully someone here who has bought wheels can give you a better idea of the numbers that they had to work within. That all said Pinto's have very generous wheel opening. I have temporarily run 225-60-16" on my Pinto with minimal rubbing..., not that I recommend this (see image). On the rear I think I used about 1/4" of spacer and none on the front.

Lastly whenever the tire size is increased the diameter also increases unless one steps the tire series (70, 60, 50) down. I say that because a taller tire will have the same effect as a numerically lower ratio. That will be slower off the line and slower to gather speed. Also the speedometer reading will be off. So just a few things to consider.
Title: Re: tires and rims
Post by: JoeBob on December 05, 2018, 01:54:11 AM: I bought the mustang wheels last year. I bought the last ones in the yard. I did not inspect them closely, two were damaged. There are no more available.
I am trying to locate after market wheels, but have not had any luck yet. This is my driver. As it is now, I can not leave the house if the road is frosty. This is not a serious problem as I am retired.
I contacted a custom wheel manufacture to see if they carry blank wheels and can add the correct pattern per my request. They are going to call back. I do not understand much about cars. I understand measuring to see if tires fit, but don't under how that applies to offset. I am sure I need to understand this before I order. If anyone knows any aftermarket 15"wheels I would be grateful. As far as the availability of 15" tires in the future, I figure this purchase will out last me.
Bill
Title: Re: tires and rims
Post by: russosborne on December 05, 2018, 03:25:36 AM: Bill, where about are you located?
I have a set of fox mustang after market 15 inch wheels on the 79 that need to go away since I am converting to 5 lug. They have decent tires on them but might not be any better than yours in the weather.
Shipping might be a problem but I could take the tires off.
Russ
Title: Re: tires and rims
Post by: russosborne on December 05, 2018, 03:39:16 AM: Another option would be to look on Craigslist for fox body Mustang 15 inch wheels. The ones I have cost $100 for 4. And they're not bad. Somebody wanted bigger. Worked for me.
79 to 93 years. Stay away from the newer ones, the offset is different than these and while they can be used, you don't want to mess with the hassles it takes.
Summit racing sells them also, just tell them you want stock offset but 15 inch. Pick a few out on their website and post links here. We can help you with what works.
Well, Summit only has a few. But fox mustangs are popular l know there are many more around.
Russ
Title: Re: tires and rims
Post by: Wittsend on December 05, 2018, 11:10:29 AM: Bill,
This link does a good job of explaining wheel offset. https://www.wheelpros.com/page/offset-explained/9 (https://www.wheelpros.com/page/offset-explained/9) It is important because offset moves the wheel/tire closer to the internal aspects of the car..., or outward closer to potential rubbing fender openings. And in extreme cases the tire won't even be able to turn because if it presses against a portion of the suspension.

In general I'd say tires bulge about 1" outside the wheel. And you probably want no less than 1/2" (better 1") clearance between the tire and anything it can rub against. So, for any wheel considered the inner edge of the wheel should be minimally 1-1/2" away from anything it might hit. As I stated above one can measure from the face of the brake drum (or hub if disc brakes). If you are looking at say... a 26" diameter tire hold a straight edge across the drum then at point 13"out from center measure the distance to anything the wheel/tire would first hit. This then gets processed mathematically .

As an EXAMPLE (only): If you have a 6" wide wheel with zero offset that means that 3" of the wheel goes inward. You want that additional 1-1/2" for tire bulge and clearance. So the distance measured from the face of the brake drum to the first thing likely to be hit (on a Pinto/rear - the leaf spring) you would need a 4-1/2" measurement.

As Russell stated be careful about newer wheels (even though they have a 4.25 X 4 bolt pattern) as they are most often designed for front wheel drive cars and have significant positive offset (center moved inward). I've also found the the wheel center hole is typically too small to fit over the Pinto hubs. In general I think (but can’t say 100%) you will find that just about any Fox body ('78-'93 Mustangs/'83-‘88 Thunderbirds - Ford Fairmont and the Mercury version of all these mentioned cars) 14" or 15" wheels will fit and give adequate clearance. Remember too as I stated above that the taller the tire the more "bog" on acceleration and the difference also alters the speedometer reading.

What tires you find that actually work well in inclement weather is another story. Perhaps having a discussion with a reputable tire dealer would be beneficial. That way they can direct you towards the proper type of tire, what is available in what size (as we all know the smaller wheel sizes are getting harder to find) and THEN you can start a search for the wheels that are most appropriate.
Title: Re: tires and rims
Post by: LongTimeFordMan on December 05, 2018, 11:44:09 AM: I would upgrade to 14" wheels and tires..

American racing sells alloy rims with a 4 bolt ford pattern...

I have a set of 14" ones..

Not sure of the model numbers though..

I have a 3.40 rear end and 4 spd and the gearing works out well..3000 rpm at 70 mph with good off the line acceleration..

had to change to a 17 tooth speedo gear..

Discount tire, walmart, and a lot of places sell 205 70 14 tires for around $50-70
Title: Re: tires and rims
Post by: Wittsend on December 05, 2018, 04:14:32 PM: In general I would agree. But his situation is that 205-60-13" tires are not conducive to the frost (and I assume snow) in his area. If he goes to 205-70-14 he has nearly the same footprint. So, it seems proper tire compound and tread design is more of what needs to be changed. And in the 13" size it he can't get it even if the tire are sold as "All Season."

I'm thinking if he can get a set of Fox body 14" steel wheels (used) and mount appropriate "snow" (or at least a better All Season) tire it is to his financial benefit. Aftermarket, especially alloy wheels are a lot of money spent for tires and wheels that only see a season each year. Here in So. Cal. the Pick Your Part has Madness Monday where you can buy a steel wheel with whatever tire is mounted for $7.00. They charge $3.00 to dismount the tire if you don't want it. A tire shop is going to charge you about the same as a disposal fee. And sometimes you even get a decent tire too (but good luck finding a matching set of two..., or four).
Title: Re: tires and rims
Post by: LongTimeFordMan on December 05, 2018, 05:08:24 PM: Are there any pick a parts left down there? They closed the one in sun valley.. turned it into an auction site..
Title: Re: tires and rims
Post by: JoeBob on December 06, 2018, 05:44:00 PM: Russ
I will take your offer. PM to follow.
Thank you
Bill
Title: Re: tires and rims
Post by: russosborne on December 08, 2018, 04:12:28 AM: Couldn't seem to send anything by pm.
here are a couple of quick pictures.
I do have the center caps.
I'll take some better pictures later, I was rushing while heading out to the car to go to work when I took these.
the one just shows the current tire size, to give you an idea of what the rims take.
Russ
Title: Re: tires and rims
Post by: Wittsend on December 08, 2018, 01:13:59 PM: Quote from: LongTimeFordMan on December 05, 2018, 05:08:24 PM

Are there any pick a parts left down there? They closed the one in sun valley.. turned it into an auction site..

Actually there were two self serve yards in Sun Valley. There is the large, corporate LKQ Pick Your Part (some mistakenly called it Pick A Part) over on Tuxford. It is still there. They still have a 40% off (use to be 50% off) roughly every month. But they nickel and dime you on EVERYTHING. It is $3 to get in the “Regular” yard and an additional $2 to get in the “Premo” yard. The place is poorly managed and on sale day check out can be an hour and a half – or more.

The yard you are referring to was U-Pick Part on Penrose. They never had sales but generally their prices were somewhat lower. A sad day when it closed. It was more of a quirky yard where the other is decidedly corporate.

I use to go to both yards monthly for over 15+ years. I’d pack a lunch and be there from 7AM to 6:30PM when they closed. I’d come home tired, filthy and HAPPY! But the past year or so I have not gone. The closing of U-Pick Parts cut the potential parts cars in half. And the “classic” section at the remaining Pick Your Part is two small rows of mid 80’s Mercedes, early Miata’s and the like. Hardly classics in my books.

Picture is the last day U-Pick Parts was open.
Title: Re: tires and rims
Post by: Wittsend on December 08, 2018, 02:16:26 PM: I'm not trying to hinder a sale here, but Bill know what you are getting into. You will need 4.25" X 4 by 4.50" X 5 wheel adapters that run about $300 for a set of four. Adapter (set of 2) https://www.amazon.com/Wheel-Adapter-Lug-4-25-4-5/dp/B008IJQTVO (https://www.amazon.com/Wheel-Adapter-Lug-4-25-4-5/dp/B008IJQTVO) Add in another $30+ for lug nuts. These adapters will push the aready wide wheels outward about 1" to 1-1/2". I am no expert on ice and snow driving but you likely need tires specific to that climate. Maybe others can help as to whether wider or narrower tires are better. But at least in this case these wider wheels will require a wide enough tire to fit properly.

So, you are probably looking at $350-ish for the adapters/lugs, likely no less than $450-$500 for proper tires plus whatever Russ wants for the wheels and shipping. This is likely going way over $1,000. And you will have a very wide placed, wide width tire that might have clearance issues. Again, I'd advise you check with a reputable tire store to see if this is a proper course to remedy your problem. If they say this is appropriate THEN by all means proceed if you choose.

Any sleet, rain, snow, ice driving members out there that can help Bill as to what works best?
Title: Re: tires and rims
Post by: JoeBob on December 08, 2018, 02:34:36 PM: Russ
Did I misunderstand this offer, or did Whitt? It is my impression that you are offering 15" 4 lug direct fit rims. Just bolt on and go. Nothing besides tires are necessary. I have the nuts.
Thank you
Bill
Title: Re: tires and rims
Post by: Wittsend on December 08, 2018, 04:45:35 PM: Frankly it is hard to tell in the picture if that is a fifth wheel stud..., or a reflection that looks like a fifth wheel stud. The stud spacing on the right looks 4 bolt but the stud spacing on the left looks 5 bolt. It may just be picture distortion. If they are 4.25 X 4 then that saves about $350 right there and also eliminates the extra widening that the adapter would create. Many issues solved. So, if they are 4 bolt my apology for the unnecessary concern. Better to be safe than sorry (as a buyer).
Title: Re: tires and rims
Post by: russosborne on December 08, 2018, 07:34:05 PM: These are fox body Mustang. Direct fit. .
They are currently on my 79 Pinto, no adapters needed.
Sorry for any grammar errors, just woke up. can't see the keyboard well

Russ
Title: Re: tires and rims
Post by: russosborne on December 08, 2018, 07:35:26 PM: And what sale?
They are free.
Title: Re: tires and rims
Post by: JoeBob on December 08, 2018, 08:10:50 PM: Thank you Russ. Just let me know what you need.
Bill
Title: Re: tires and rims
Post by: Wittsend on December 08, 2018, 09:05:32 PM: Well Bill this gets better all the time. So, they are the stock bolt pattern (so much for pictures telling the whole story). And it is very generous for Russ to offer them to you. Hope it all works out.
Title: Re: tires and rims
Post by: russosborne on December 08, 2018, 09:40:53 PM: Bill, I will try to get a picture of the other side tomorrow with the center cap on.
Didn't realise how bad the reflections were on this one, like I said I was in a hurry to get to work and that side was the only one the car cover wasn't covering completely.
That spot that caused the confusion is the nut that the center cap mounting screw goes into.
Definitely 4 lug Fox Body Mustang. Not sure of the exact rim width, but you can go a bit narrower or wider than the tires that are on it. Depending on clearance with the car that is.
I actually had bought these for the 89 Mustang I had, but scrapped that car. Tossed these on the Pinto so I could move it around after selling the tires/wheels it came with.
Russ
Title: Re: tires and rims
Post by: russosborne on December 09, 2018, 10:50:14 PM: Hopefully these two come out better.
Russ
Title: Re: tires and rims
Post by: LongTimeFordMan on December 13, 2018, 11:47:50 PM: Hi.. actually the LKQ is on pendleton and glenoaks across from the dump.. i never had much luck there.. when i lived in sun valley on vineland i was into mgb's and used to go the foreign yard on both tuxford and the american yard on penrose for parts for my rv..

I think the LKQ yard changed ownership sometime in the 90s there sed to be a section called memory lane there where they had a lot of classics.. i would cherry p8ck the goodies from.british cars, switches, allison ign modules, etc for really cheep. But then they got wise..

And the main yard checkout people couldnt recognise parts and often undervalued them.. then LKQ took over and things changed

I never had much success at the new LKQ yard since most of the check out people were latin, tended to speak spanish a lot behind the counter and tended to price gouge non hispanics..

And they did nickle and dime a lot.. if you bought an engine, they charged for pulleys, mounts, water pump, etc..

I think the yards on tuxford and penrose used to be one then they split it up to foreign and domestic... at least i remember the "domestic" yard on penrose having a lot ot mgb cars there in the 90s.

The folks at the yards on tuxford and penrose seemed a lot fairer and prices were better..

Anyway.. end of an era...
Title: Re: tires and rims
Post by: Wittsend on December 14, 2018, 11:52:17 AM: [
Quote from: russosborne on December 09, 2018, 10:50:14 PM
Hopefully these two come out better.
Russ

Ahh, Haa. It is the hole for the single screw center cover, coupled with the (previous) angled image, that made it look like a possible fifth lug bolt hole. Yes, obviously 4 bolt pattren for sure.
Title: Re: tires and rims
Post by: Wittsend on December 14, 2018, 12:56:12 PM: LTFM, My bad. You are right the LKQ Pick Your Part is on Pendelton. If you have a 10-20 year old car if might be a usable source for parts. Nothing else though. And yes, I have left many a part on the check out counter when they tried to jack up the price. Also had my credit card number lifted there. Only used cash there ever after.

Once I even bought an engine then AFTER I paid for it the guy at the gate said the exhaust manifolds weren't included. He offered me the option of giving him "some money" or going back in line at the counter. I had another guy hounding me because he wanted the engine lift. I threw the guy $4 and left. For years people went in with tools and dismounted tires themselves. Then one day after I had paid for the tires the guy at the gate strongly harassed me telling me I wasn't allowed to do so and threatened to bar me from the place. There was NEVER a sign to this day stating that they prohibited the process.

The place is SO poorly managed. On sale days the Premo section (about 40% of the volume) has ONE guy checking people in AND checking people out. The Regular section has five people for about 60% of the people - and they don't have to check people in. Look at their engine prices on line. They sell engines as "complete" and as "packages." NOTHING defines what the difference is and price wise they are all within a few dollars. Then where most engine "packages" (fuel injected, turbo etc.) are in the upper $200/lower $300 range for some stupid reason a "carburetor" engine package is over $700! WHAT??? If anything it should be cheaper.

-----

The Penrose yard (U-Pick Parts) was the American yard and the Foreign yard (separate) was closer to Telfair and I believe called A Foreign??? But they basically had same owner (Aadlen Brothers). In their last few years they took the wall down between them (saved $2 on admission) and moved the Foreign yard to the front of the American section. In fact, in their closing months there was no admission charge. They just had you sign the wavier. This was the quirky yard with a water buffalo in a corral and many other oddities. Here are a few articles about the yard closing.
http://sanfernandovalleyblog.blogspot.com/2015/10/sun-valleys-u-pick-parts-closing-down.html (http://sanfernandovalleyblog.blogspot.com/2015/10/sun-valleys-u-pick-parts-closing-down.html)

https://www.dailynews.com/2015/10/29/sun-valleys-venerable-u-pick-parts-junkyard-to-close/ (https://www.dailynews.com/2015/10/29/sun-valleys-venerable-u-pick-parts-junkyard-to-close/)
Title: Re: tires and rims
Post by: LongTimeFordMan on December 14, 2018, 01:40:44 PM: Agreed..

I actually met Aadlen i think.. he was an old guy who hung out at the yard on penrose.. he had a pacemaker and so did i so we swapped stories..he was pretty cool. I bought a lot of mgb and 76 dodge truck parts there.. s8nce the early 90's. I liv3d about 2 miles away and used to go there and walk around for exercise..
Title: Re: tires and rims
Post by: JoeBob on February 08, 2019, 02:55:32 PM: I thought I would update everyone about our wheel deal. I received the wheels today just as Russ promised. He is a real gentleman.
Firestone is a real problem. This started with new 13" all season tires with no grip on frost or worse. No other tires were available. They suggested I upsize to 15" They also informed me of a suggested 15" tire they would pprovide. After 2 months I lost their recommendation .
They now say the only tire that will work (they did math calculations) is 225/40/15 This tire does not exist. I asked is this calculation for the purpose of speedometer or safety? Tire salesman paused and said "kinda both." I think he is BS ing me. I got the wheels from Russ because they recommended it.
I gladly paid Russ the shipping price for the wheels. He did exactly what he said he would do. Not only did he give me free wheels, he gave me his time. I would not have wasted his time if I knew Firestone was unreliable.
What size 15" tires are you all using? These rims are 15"x7

Bill
Title: Re: tires and rims
Post by: russosborne on February 08, 2019, 05:37:37 PM: 225 60 was what were on them. 215 60 might be a better fit for you
But let's see what others think.

And forget Firestone if at all possible. Discount Tires or Big O, or what you have around you. Shop for the tire size, not the car. Pintos never came with 15 inch wheels.

Russ
Title: Re: tires and rims
Post by: russosborne on February 08, 2019, 06:10:46 PM: You can do 205 60 on those wheels also.
I'm thinking smaller is a safer bet.
Russ
Title: Re: tires and rims
Post by: russosborne on February 08, 2019, 06:14:45 PM: If used is a possibility you would consider, I just saw this on Craigslist in your area.
https://denver.craigslist.org/wto/d/denverused-firestone-affinity-touring/6784982242.html
Title: Re: tires and rims
Post by: one2.34me on February 08, 2019, 09:20:20 PM: I have a set of 195/55-15's on 15x7 rims on my Pinto. Very close to the same diameter as a 185/70-13.
Title: Re: tires and rims
Post by: Wittsend on February 08, 2019, 10:08:45 PM: There are tire calculators available that allow you to see the difference in your tire sizes and engine rpm's at certain speeds. Your car having an automatic or a manual might be a factor. But likely most important is the rear ratio. If you are in the 3.40, 3.55 area you can go with somewhat taller tires. If you are in the 3.00 and sub ratios you likely don't want taller tires. Comparing the rpm's of your current tire size and a proposed tire on "paper" is a start. BTW, the Firestone dealer stating 225-40-15 tires is odd. Following the factors that equates similarly to roughly a 205-60-15" tire which is much more common.

I think that 205-60-15" tires aren't that bad a size..., ratios permitting. And the speedo can be re-calibrated closer with an appropriate speedo gear. It may not be perfect, but you can get it close. If the tires you received hold air try them out temporarily to get an idea of how the car responds with the 225-60-15".

In summary, gear ratios don't mean much and tire sizes don't mean much but tire size and gear ratios combined mean everything. BTW, have you looked to the Tire Rack for tires? They even deliver to the many "associate" tire dealers in your area and you just show up with your old tires/rims for the mount and balance.
Title: Re: tires and rims
Post by: JoeBob on February 08, 2019, 11:33:35 PM: I don't know anything about cars. Mine is a stock 77 bobcat, 4speed, with a 2.3. I don't need performance. I am a handy capped old man. I just drive the neighborhood. Safe is all I care about. I don't know tire measurements. What is the difference between 205 and 225.
Because I have a all stock car, can anyone tell me what I need to know to enter information in the calculator? I can show the dealer the correct size.
Title: Re: tires and rims
Post by: russosborne on February 09, 2019, 12:56:42 AM: 205 is slightly narrower than 225. 195 is even narrow. The bigger the number the wider the tire (very basically, it is a bit more involved). These numbers are millimeters. Width also depends on what size rim/wheel you put them on.

The other thing is going to be a problem because these cars NEVER came with 15 inch tires. So there is no CORRECT 15 inch size. You will just need to get tires there and have them mounted somewhere else most likely.

here's a decent explanation of tire sizes
https://www.justtires.com/en-US/tire-basics/tire-size

There are as Wittsend said above online tire size calculators for both width/height and the difference in speed.
For speed, all I do is follow my wife with her driving different speeds, and I look at my speedometer and see what the difference is and hopefully remember that number. On the 79 I will be using a GPS speedometer, so gears/tires/etc makes no difference.
Title: Re: tires and rims
Post by: JoeBob on February 09, 2019, 10:14:41 AM: Witt
You mention how tall a tire is important. What number tells me how tall proposed tire is? I assume I want the shortest tires possible so as to keep the speedo close.
Turning a bigger wheel will be more strain. Is there a possibility of abnormal wear and tear on gearing and trans?
Title: Re: tires and rims
Post by: Wittsend on February 09, 2019, 11:53:28 AM: Russell did a good job of explaining it. Because you are going to 15" wheels yes, you do want a relatively short 15" tire. Ideally as close to the original size as possible. I ran a "guessed" 185-70-13' tire as the original through this calculator with a "new size" 15" wheel https://tiresize.com/calculator/ (https://tiresize.com/calculator/) and you can see the range that is acceptable in green. It doesn't mean you can't deviate from that slightly. As 2.34me stated above he runs 195-55-15" tire and that does fall within the green (acceptable) range.

Plug some number into the calculator and see what you get. You can always order tires on line and then get them mounted elsewhere. As I stated above the Tire Rack has "associated" other brand tire stores that work with them. They will ship to the desired store and you just arrange an appointment. The bulk of a tire stores profits likely come from the mount and balance far more than the tire itself. So, while a local store would also prefer to sell you the tires they are likely content to take the bigger chunk of profit on the mount and balance.
Title: Re: tires and rims
Post by: LongTimeFordMan on February 13, 2019, 12:15:03 AM: I posted this somewhere else but if you are concerned about correcting your speedo and odometer to tire size.. there is an easy way by changing the speedo gear.

They are available here

https://transmissioncenter.net/shop/driven-gears-for-ford-standard-transmissions-and-ford-transfer-cases/

To determine correct tooth number use a smartphone with a gps speedo app and compare readings to speed indicated on your car speedo..

For android
Speedometer & odometer - Tripmaster Car and Bike
By DS Software

Most 4 speed pintos have 19 tooth gears..

To find correct tooth number use this formula..

Remove and count teeth on existing car speedo gear or match color from pix on the website.

Drive at a speed.. maybe 60 mph as indicated by gps speedo, note speed indicated on car speedo.

Speed on gps speedo divided by speed on car multiplied by tooth count on car speedo equals orrect tooth count on replacement gear.

Example..
car speed 65,
Gps speed 60

60÷65=.92
.92x19= 17.5
Title: Re: tires and rims
Post by: Reeves1 on February 13, 2019, 05:39:43 AM: ford man

thanks for posting the link for the gears !
Need some !
Title: Re: tires and rims
Post by: JoeBob on February 13, 2019, 10:20:00 AM: Go to this
https://tiresize.com/calculator/
as provided by Whitt. You will see spedo variations listed, when you make a comparison of sizes. It is on the second page (tire comparison) 185/70/13 @ 60 mph equals 63.9 mph for 15". For myself, I don't believe an adjustment is worth the effort.

Bill

ps Can anyone tell me the width of the OEM 13" rim?
Title: Re: tires and rims
Post by: JoeBob on February 14, 2019, 02:13:15 PM: PROBLEM SOLVED!
Boy am I dumb. I have been fighting with lying firestone for 3 months. They lied again today. They told me there was only one tire they could source in my needed size. I called another firestone and asked for options in my size. They had loads. I was going to use this information to pressure them to deal fairly. Then I thought, why not get the new store to honor my tire guarantee.
They were wonderful. They gave me $110 ea. credit on my 7 month old $115. tires. I need to paint Russ's rims, so installation is next week. Thank you all for advice and ideas

Bill
Title: Re: tires and rims
Post by: russosborne on February 16, 2019, 08:59:49 PM: Glad you finally got someone that is willing to help.
In the past there were more stories like your first Firestone store. Most people I knew avoid them because of that.
What size are you going with?
Russ
Title: Re: tires and rims
Post by: JoeBob on February 17, 2019, 10:03:49 AM: Here is a side by side comparison of tires that came with the car and what I am getting on Tuesday.
OEM 195/70/13 Hight 23.7 Width 7.7 Speed 60mph
195/55/15 H 23.4 -1/8” W 7.7 Speed 59.2
This is the tire Firestone said was the only tire that would fit, and no longer made.
225/40/15 H 22.1 -1 ½ W 8.9 +1 1/8 Speed 55.9

I will post photos when it is all done.
Thanks again Russ
Title: Re: tires and rims
Post by: pintoman2.0 on February 17, 2019, 11:33:41 AM: I ran a set of Fox LX wheels on my 75 Bobcat, with 225-60-15 for years with a 1/4 inch spacer. Started without, backs wedged against the springs. The spacer took care of the problem. Front rubbed on the frame rail when I turned it left all the way to the lock. I just learned to not turn that sharp. I also ran a set of GT wheels with the same size tire on my 77 Ralley Wagon without spacers, never had a problem.
Title: Re: tires and rims
Post by: 65ShelbyClone on March 02, 2019, 12:55:45 PM: Quote from: pintoman2.0 on February 17, 2019, 11:33:41 AM
I ran a set of Fox LX wheels on my 75 Bobcat, with 225-60-15 for years with a 1/4 inch spacer. Started without, backs wedged against the springs. The spacer took care of the problem.

They sound like 15x7s with 4.5" backspacing, which is common for Fox3s. I have some 10-hole wheels off of an '86 T-bird I was going to use, but didn't want to fuss with spacers. Then I went 5-lug anyway with 15x7 slot mags. 8)

I went with 205/50-15s to keep the height close to stock. It's slightly shorter so the speedo reads is just a tad high, but that's better than too low in my opinion. One thing to be aware of is that short sidewalls like mine will make you feel the road noticeably more for better or for worse.
(https://i.imgur.com/G7DsP26.jpg)