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Topic: Tires for a bug?  (Read 4465 times)

Offline Bugnut

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Tires for a bug?

« on: August 22, 2005, 10:24:12 PM »
Anybody know where to get tires for a 67 bug? It has 15inch rims. Does anyone know how wide a tire will fit? Or a different size I could use?
By the way pep boys has a policy saying if they can't get tires for your car in 48 hrs they will pay you. My wife is working  that I'll let you know if the really pay.

Offline Zen

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Tires for a bug?

« Reply #1 on: August 23, 2005, 07:25:32 AM »
The closest size to the stock bias-ply tires that came on a 67 are 165R15 radials.  Very few places stock them . . . lots of tire places can't even get them.  Pep Boys is one exception.  Unless they have dropped then in the last year, they should have them in stock.  Your stock rim is pretty narrow (4.5 inches) so if you want to go with a much wider than stock tire, you really need to get a wider rim.

I've heard that Sears and NT&B can get the 165's but they might not have them in stock, so call ahead.  There are a few other sources for them, maybe someone else can jump in here and let you know where they get theirs.

The hardest part about tires for a 67 is not finding the tires, but finding someplace that can/will mount tires on the wide 5 rims.  Even if you buy the tires at Pep Boys, and they could mount them, I advise against it.  A $25 tire on the shelf will end up being over $50 before you drive off their lot!  I've had more than one bad experiance with their tire mounting . . . I still buy from them, but will NEVER, EVER have their shop touch anything on one of my cars.

Offline Bumble65

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Tires for a bug?

« Reply #2 on: August 23, 2005, 12:14:23 PM »
Kumho makes a 165/80/15, I think its name is PowerStar 758.  Tirerack.com has them for $30.  When I was checking at the Sears at Hamilton Place they didn't carry them but would order but wasn't that cheap.  Kyle found that Truck Tire Centers of Chattanooga, Inc. had Dayton tires in this size and that they could get more.  They were like $140 something with tax if I remember right, it was back in Jan. or Feb.  That was without getting the tires mounted since thye couldn't do the Wide 5 rims.  When I was checking around back then I went to Pep Boys and couldn't find that size tire there so I'm not sure if they carry them anymore.

Offline Bugnut

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Tires for a bug?

« Reply #3 on: August 23, 2005, 08:29:57 PM »
I should have waited for all these replys. Instead I went to coker tire and bought some clasic white walls for way too much. turns out my rims had tons of weights on it and were bent. I guess that explains how it was riding. I got it fixed with some chrome empi wheels so it's great and my wallet is so much lighter empty.

Offline Bugnut

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Tires for a bug?

« Reply #4 on: August 23, 2005, 08:32:20 PM »
oh yeah coker tire also mounts and balances 5 wides for anybody who needs that service. call ahead for a price I'm not sure what they charge.

Offline Zen

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Tires for a bug?

« Reply #5 on: August 24, 2005, 01:22:15 AM »
Coker whitewalls and chrome EMPIs . . .  =P~  Yeah, that'll empty your wallet in a hurry, but if you gott'a have an empty wallet, you might as well ride in style!   8)  :thumbs-up:

On the other end of the scale . . . Pep Boys still has the 165R15 on their web site.  It's a Futura Euro Metric economy (cheap) tire.  Not the best tire in the world, but if the suspension and steering on your bug are anywhere near correct, they will give you several years of service.  They are listed as a 40,000 mile tire . . . I can't say for sure that I've always gotten 40,000 out of them, but they have always been worth the money.  Just don't let Pep Boys mount them! By the time you finish paying for all the "extras" they try to force on you, you've almost paid for those chrome EMPIs and Coker whitewalls!

http://www.pepboys.com/tires_wheels/economy/futura_euro_metric.html

Offline Anthony

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Tires for a bug?

« Reply #6 on: August 24, 2005, 01:49:40 PM »
Pep Boys can mount them with no problem because most mounting machienes grip the rim. Its balancing them that's the problem. I've gone with the Pep Boys tires and told the guy at the counter very specificly what insurance I don't want, etc. and they were about as cheap as anybody. A few months later I had a tire repaired under the insurance and pretty much got my money out of it. Sorry if others have had a bad experience!

The Euro tires aren't performance tires any more than my Bug was a performance car, but they rode, wore, and handled fine. The price was right!

Offline Bugnut

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Tires for a bug?

« Reply #7 on: August 25, 2005, 10:45:35 AM »
pep boys discountinued the tire as of last week. Thanks for all the refrences next bug I need some cheap tires for I will know better. I bought some chrome empi's and some  bf goodwrench silver town white walls kinda like the ones on the last mexican bug but I got the ones with a slimmer white wall.
Thanks to all.

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