(This is a repeat to the reply I hit below... the site suggested I start a new topic)
Okay... here I am. Total newbie to the site and Pinto Specs. I've read all below but am still unsure. Can anyone help with suggestions?
I just bought a totally restored '77 V6 Squire. She has what I would term, the factory "Rally" wheels (Black, with silver trim, centercap with red decals, and trim rings -- not the slotted mags I had on my '79).
The tires on it are brand-new, Uniroyal Tiger Paw 185-70's, Blackwalls.
Problem is...
1) They look too small for the car / wheel wells
2) Because of the short sidewall, the car rides like they are made of stone... too firm, too much banging.
What I want...
1) As close to original looking as possible. I am not looking to make the car look mean, over-tired, aggressive, racy, etc.. So, I don't want big wide monsters or anything sticking out of the fenderwells.
2) I want to soften the ride as much as possible / higher aspect ratio
3) Whitewalls
4) To properly fill the fender-wells without over doing it.
5) I live in the Northeast, so light snow and wet traction is necessary.
What do you suggest....?
I have found:
Coopers Trendsetters -- 175-80's and 185-80's
Kelly -- 185-80's and 175-80's
Komho -- 185-80s and 185-70's
I see below that people are hunting down 195's and even 205's, but that sounds a bit more aggressive than I think I want. But, without seeing an example, I can't judge.
Do 185-80's, with a 24' hight do the trick or should I be looking for bigger?
welcome Edselbill,
I put new tires on mine in july the size 175/80/13 all season white walls the black wall just look wrong. here is a link to the picture
http://www.fordpinto.com/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=30&topic=5152.msg31105#msg31105
hope this helps some the white rims are the new tires
phils toys
Phil...
Thanks for the reply. I couldn't get the link to load up for the pics. I'd love to see 'em though.
But, what do you think? How's the ride? Do you think they fit the bill or would you go with 185's?
Bill
bill ,
here is the pic. i am happy with the ride and handeling of the tires. i would not go any larger side wall as the car would " float " to much
I've driven Pintos with 70, 78, and 80 section ratios. Personally, I prefer the 70s. With the 78 and 80 series, there is less rubber on the road and I feel that it makes the car less stable in cornering and medium to hard braking situations. The tires that I enjoyed the most were 195/70-13's, but they are getting difficult to find. On the '80 Squire I once had, I replaced a set of 175/80-13 tires with a set of 185/70-13 tires. I much preferred the ride and feel of the 185/70's over the 175/80's. I've attached a photo of the '80 so you can see what it looked like. The tires I really like, which are nowhere near stock, are the 205/50-15 & 225/50-15 tires that can be seen on my user photo!
Thanks guys !!
I took off the set of 185-70's that just made the car ride too harsh. I don't mind a stiff ride, but I was getting the feeling the car was just going to jiggle and bang itself to death. (BTW -- if anyone wants them, all 5 are pretty much brand spanking new Uniroyal Tiger Paws let me know.)
Well, I came across Sears "god-knows-what" brand tires in 175-80's in White Walls and they were..
-- In stock
-- No waiting
-- And only $24.00 freaking dollars a piece!
So I figured for the $165 installed investment, it was an interesting experiment and I would do it for nothing other than a size / ride sampler.
The ride has softened a bit, but not much, and they look bigger in the wells, but there still a lot of bang and rattle. I just don't remember that much harshness in my '79. (Now I am thinking that the car's suspension might have been stiffened up in the resto...)
But, I am still wondering if I should hunt down some 195 70's as you suggest. I might poke around for some and give those a try.
On a similar topic...
Now with the new tires on the same rallye wheels, the balance is off (Get what you pay for at Sears I guess...) and it was fine with the old tires... so it isn't a bent wheel.
But, I watched them do it and it seems that the cone for the balance machine doesn't seat right on the "spokes" of the rallye wheel. They struggled quite a bit with it, and clearly didn't get it right. And, of course, put scratches on the silver of each "spoke" of each wheel as the face of the cone clamped right down on it.
They offered / will do it again, but I am wondering if anyone else had this problem, and if there is a fix or suggestion as to how to get it done right or who I should take it to.
Bill
Ive often wondered what the absolute closes tire size is to the originals on the pintos. Both my pintos just have the cheap steel wheels with hubcaps on them. My spare for my 76 is a 155 75 13 (something like that, i know its 155 something) which i have seen all the way around on an 74 before (not my 74 tho). The rest of the tires on both cars are something like 185 80 13 (i know theyre 185 something with there being like a 175 or two in there somewhere. Not all matching tires). Now, back when these cars were new we werent using metric sized tires. Im not even sure they had radial tires back then either. Obviously you wont get an exact original sized tire on there since tires are metric now and the old tires were SAE sized but i do wonder which ones are the closest to the factory size or if there is a different size that is closer. Anyone know?
Voila !! I found it. 195-70 R13's were the OEM spec size for the 1977 Pintos (or at least those with the optional radials)
For Christmas, I recieved a 1977 Full Line Pinto brochure and while they did not specify the tire size in the text, they did show some upclose pictures of the optional wheels and hubcaps .........
And looking closely, I was able to read the tire size!
195-70- R13
(The photo is actually reversed, so I had to hold it up to a mirror.. but it is clearly readable "195-70")
This makes more sense to me as when I look at the photo's in the book, the tires are clearely wider and larger than my 175-80's that I just installed, and clearly bigger than the 185-70's that I just took off.
Also, in one of the photo's in a Ford wagon brochure, they show the load floor of the Pinto wagon, and it clearly shows the spare tire lifting a "ring" bump in the load floor above the spare tire. Meaning the spare is higher / bigger than the depth of the spare compartment (which was designed in... 1970? when the tires were likely narrower). 175-80s and 185-70s don't even come close to doing that.
So, I guess I finally answered my own question. Hopefully for anyone following this thread I have helped them along as well.
From my bad experience above with the blown balancing at Sears... (and I've since been back with no luck in getting it right) I might just try to hunt down a set this size and find a real professional installer to do it right.