Jump to content

IGNORED

Replace or Keep Original Spare


fixitman

Recommended Posts

My spare tire wheel will be back from powdercoating shortly. The question now is whether to remount the original Toyo spare tire, which was never used, or find a new replacement tire. I'm concerned about the safety of a 38 year old tire. But I have not been able to locate a new 175 HR-14.

Has anyone found a suitable replacement? What is the maximum tire size that will fit in the wheel well without protruding above the rear deck of an early 260Z?

Thanks for your input.

Fixitman

Edited by fixitman
Link to comment
Share on other sites


Since you had the wheel powdercoated, I assume you're not going for originality and therefor the Toyo is worth more to a collector than the cost of a new tire. The new (available) tire size closest to a 175 HR-14 is a 195/70-14. Tire Rack has them. Yes, you should be concerned about the safety of a 38 year old tire!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Strange, but I just refilled the 175 HR-14 spare in my '71 240z yesterday. I realized it was 41 years old and certainly subject to dry rot. Was surprized it actually held pressure. So I'm in the same boat as you looking for a replacement.

So I just took a straight edge and laid it across the flats where the fiberboard cover sits. Yes, we have a problem as there is less than 1/4" clearance. A 195 tire is by definition 2 cm (0.800") wider than the 175 sitting in the well.

Later models used a compact spare that inflated with a CO2 cartridge when needed. But the cartridges are now harder to find the a 175/75-14.

If you are looking for a get you home spare tire, tirerack.com shows several 175/70 R14 tires. These will certainly fit within the well.

Edited by djwarner
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Keep the toyo on your factory rim, then put it in your garage and use if for show purposes. Buy a cheap modern rim and tire combo that fits and use it as a serviceable spare tire. Or do what I did and exchange the spare tire for a can of fix-a-flat and roadside assistance.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mine is a '78 with collapsible tire. I heard that you could use a spare from a Mazda, that would fit in the storage space nicely. Problem is that I do not recall which model of Mazda had the spare...If anyone know please reply to this posting.

On the other hand, I am thinking that I could mount a 175/70/14 on a extra stock metal wheel. So does anyone know if a 175/70/14 on a factory steel wheel would fit in the storage space??

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The wider 195/70 will not allow the cover to lay flat in a 240Z, as you fear. The 185/75 might - it will be very close. The Vredstein is an OK tire, especially for use solely as a spare.

Arne is correct. My car had a 195/70 mounted on the original spare and the cover sat up ~1/2" or so.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Who's Online   1 Member, 0 Anonymous, 202 Guests (See full list)

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Guidelines. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.