TheSamba.com :: View topic - I need 4 new tires for my bus to pass inspection for cheap

Wed Nov 04, 2009 11:13 am

so i need 4 new tires for my bus to pass inspection and i am very low on cash right now so im trying to look into getting the postal take off tires i read about in the tire sticky. i tried calling the post office around here to see if they knew but all im getting is 1800 numbers that take me to costumer service thats no help. their are tons of tire places in the philadelphia area, ive called a few so far with no luck and my dad keeps calling and bitching at me about not having my bus ready yet and doesnt really understand the fact that im a broke college student haha. i was just curious if anyone had any information on where id be able to get the postal take offs in the philadelphia area. i dont plan on using the postal tires that long, just till i can save up enough to afford hancooks from busdepot

any help would be great :) in the meantime i suppose i will keep calling tire places to see what i can find

Wed Nov 04, 2009 11:21 am

if you have any friends that work in auto shops, ask them. I have heard of these tires, I actually have a set on my buggy, but never seen em first hand. a friend got like 8 of em, gave 4 to a buddy, who gave me 2. they are actually from state work trailers, decent rating and 8 ply sidewalls.

Wed Nov 04, 2009 11:27 am

Please don't use trailer tires on your bus.

You can get 4 new good ones for about $300 here....

http://ssl.delti.com/cgi-bin/rshop.pl?details=Orde...0Range%20D

or you could just call up the Bus Depot and go pick yours up for about the same dough (that is what I would do)

http://www.busdepot.com/details.jsp?partnumber=RA08

Wed Nov 04, 2009 11:30 am

i sadly dont have any autoshop friends but ive been calling around to all the tire places in the area and no one seems to know what im talking about. the best ive been able to find is the place i usually go to for tires said they can get me 185/14 c tires for $65 each but thats still more money than i have right now

Wed Nov 04, 2009 11:36 am

Randy in Maine wrote: Please don't use trailer tires on your bus.

You can get 4 new good ones for about $300 here....

http://ssl.delti.com/cgi-bin/rshop.pl?details=Orde...0Range%20D

or you could just call up the Bus Depot and go pick yours up for about the same dough (that is what I would do)

http://www.busdepot.com/details.jsp?partnumber=RA08

i know that i can get them from busdepot for about $300 but im very low on cash right now with being a college student, paying for my apartment, and i was sick the last 2 weeks so i didnt work much im like out of money so i was trying to see if i could find these postal take offs for cheap until i can get the money for proper tires

Wed Nov 04, 2009 11:43 am

How about this place: 44th St Used Tires & Rims

Also, try calling around to some junkyards, think about the cars coming in there, most all of them have tires on them...maybe not the best tires but that might be an option of you till you can buy the correct tires. I know around here you could get a used tire and have it mounted on your own rim for around $20.

Wed Nov 04, 2009 12:01 pm

I would call a junkyard or used tire shop and ask them if they had 4 decent 195/75/14s for cheap money. Tell them that it would be nice if they were truck tires or something like that with some miles left on them and were not too old.

There are people on this forum that have always driven on car tires and still do. It is not the best, but it can be done in a pinch.

For the record, I used to "swap out" my bus tires to other bus owners to get their cars inspected when I was a ski bum in Utah. Not perfect, but it worked for a while. I least I got some beer out of the deal.

Wed Nov 04, 2009 1:06 pm

nowhere around here know anything about the postal tires and the best i can find from used tire places is $30 a tire and used tire places are usually pretty iffy so i think what im gonna have to do is start selling off stuff i own(ipod, instruments, etc) to try and raise the money i need...i think my only other options would be to finally get a credit card which would just end up being a hassle in the long run or to just sell the bus and get a normal car and wait till im a bit older to continue my dream of being a vw bus owner

thanks for all the help :)

Wed Nov 04, 2009 1:43 pm

Well, if you do end up buying new ones, this is the cheapest source I have found for the Hankook RA08s:

http://www.onlinetires.com/products/vehicle/tires/hankook/185%252F00-14+hankook+ra08+n%252Fa.html

Wed Nov 04, 2009 3:15 pm

Where in Philly are you? There are lietrally dozens upon dozens of used tire places here....

Wed Nov 04, 2009 4:21 pm

Don't be afraid of used tires. My parents have run used tires on their cars ever since I can remember man...and I have in turn followed suit. They're a pretty good deal if you can find decent brands with some meat left on them.

And I will now don my flame suit after making these statements. 8-[

Thu Nov 05, 2009 6:24 am

wonka816 wrote: nowhere around here know anything about the postal tires

Have you thought about walking into the Post Office and asking someone?

Scooter

Thu Nov 05, 2009 9:06 am

There are some goodyear tires 185-14 on the tires-easy site Randy referred to for $51 apiece. Search for all tires 185 14.

Thu Nov 05, 2009 10:41 am

wonka816 wrote: nowhere around here know anything about the postal tires and the best i can find from used tire places is $30 a tire and used tire places are usually pretty iffy so i think what im gonna have to do is start selling off stuff i own(ipod, instruments, etc) to try and raise the money i need...i think my only other options would be to finally get a credit card which would just end up being a hassle in the long run or to just sell the bus and get a normal car and wait till im a bit older to continue my dream of being a vw bus owner

thanks for all the help :)

Dude, just get some used tires. If its just for inspection then what are you waiting for! No need to start selling things. Okay, maybe just that Ipod though ;)

Thu Nov 05, 2009 11:01 am

Alright, Wonka, I started this mess about the postal take-offs so let me try and help you out here . . .

Yes, they are available! Here are the two options I've found locally:

1) Find out which garage is contracted to service the postal trucks in your area. I've gotten to know the guys at the shop that does ours, and they have told me I can come any time and pick up any postal take-offs for free. Granted, many of them are no good, but if you check often enough, you'll find some worth running. They apparently can't sell a 14" tire anymore?!? They say there's no market for a heavy-duty 14" tire, and I say "GREAT!" I've got four in my shed right now, just need to pay a few bucks to have them mounted & balanced. Why not walk into the central post office for your area and ask to speak with the person responsible for vehicle maintenance? Tell them you're trying to find out who is contracted to service their trucks. Then go to that shop and explain why you can use the tires that nobody else wants!

2) Check all used tire dealers in your area and explain that you're looking for a Goodyear Wranlger LT 14" with a load range-C that is run on the weird little postal delivery trucks. Two dealers in our little town get these in from time to time on their loads of used tires, and generally have trouble selling them.

The set still on my bus were purchased almost two years ago for $17 a piece (that's TOTAL - out the door!) and have been absolutely great. The bus is much more stable than with passenger tires, and these things grip real well off-road and in the snow.

Just trying to encourage you to keep looking . . . If there are weird little postal trucks running around your town, then some local shop is maintaining them and that includes changing out a whole lot of tires!

-Klauss

Thu Nov 05, 2009 10:51 pm

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=815310

I can meet you in the New Brunswick area if you are interested.

Thu Nov 05, 2009 11:01 pm

one thing I have done when I am in a bind for cash and need to pass inspection is to borrow someone else's wheels and tiress and go get the car passed off. I do however, replace the tires as soon as I can but this can help get you by for an extra month or so. I would be very very carefl seeing as winter is coming up and the snows are about to fall

Thu Nov 05, 2009 11:22 pm

http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/pts/1452268175.html

http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/pts/1443731125.html

Fri Nov 06, 2009 7:56 am

SGKent wrote: http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/pts/1452268175.html

http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/pts/1443731125.html

Craigslist can be your best friend. There you go.