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Sun Jul 10, 2011 7:25 pm

I am having trouble finding my tire size anywhere around here. None of the local shops carry my tire size ( big suprize.)
I am looking for a 165/r15, is there another tire size that is comparable?
As posted on another thread, I am looking at empi 8 spokes; or possibly iron crosses, but don't know about tire selection.

Sun Jul 10, 2011 8:22 pm

i haven't bought 165r15s in a while but last time i checked both Tire Kingdom and Discount Tire Co could get them. if you have either of those that may be a good starting place. you can also switch to a wider tire with the same overall diameter since either of those new wheels is wider than stock. 195/65/15 are only slightly smaller in overall diameter and are easy to find. i run 185/65/15 on the back of my square. i have also ran 205/65/15 out back which are slightly larger in overall diameter than the 165r15.

there are a bunch of places you can get 165r15s online also. last i check you could get the 195/65 or 185/65 in a nice brand tire for less than 165s cost nowadays...ken....

Sun Jul 10, 2011 8:29 pm

Would the 195/65/r15 give me any clearance issues in the turning radiance? I am running stock height on my 1972 super beetle.

Sun Jul 10, 2011 10:10 pm

hard for me to say. i haven't driven a stock height vw for many years. with the HORRIBLE offset of those wheels i'd have to say maybe maybe not.......

anyhow here i did the work for ya.....
discount tire in longview,tx has nankang 165/80/15(165r15) for $68 each....
http://www.discounttire.com/dtcs/searchTiresBySize...amp;cs=165

so if you want 165s you might have to drive about 20-30 miles to get 'em but they can be had. ANY tire dealer that sells nankang can get you the same tire. some may be to lazy to pick up the phone and call their distributor but they CAN get them...ken....

Mon Jul 11, 2011 8:39 am

You can check the classifieds here, as I sell new (mfg 11th week of 2011) Nexen tires for $60 each plus shipping

If you trying to find them locally, tell the tire salesman, that you are looking for a 165/80R15

Mon Jul 11, 2011 1:29 pm

Mike Henry wrote: I am having trouble finding my tire size anywhere around here. None of the local shops carry my tire size ( big suprize.)
I am looking for a 165/r15, is there another tire size that is comparable?
As posted on another thread, I am looking at empi 8 spokes; or possibly iron crosses, but don't know about tire selection.

Hey Mike,

The size you are actually looking for would equate to 165/82R15, to be exact.

You should check out Tiresbyweb.com. They sell a few different tires in that exact 165R15 size, specifically the Vredestein Spring Classic which is a great tire for your vehicle. They also offer free shipping on all their products.

http://www.tiresbyweb.com/tbw_tiresearchadv2.aspx?...hoice2=All

Hope this helps!

Mon Jul 11, 2011 1:50 pm

and NOBODY list them as 165/82/15. they either list as the true 165r15 or 165/80/15. and guess what in modern spec the 165r15 are usually 165/80/15 spec not 82. it's finite and doesn't matter. and the link you posted may be one of the most expensive places i've ever seen to buy tires. the guy 2 post up from your reply sells nexen's for $60+shipping(it cost $7-10 to ship a tire) and they are $98 on the site you lnked. i think you can get the Firestones from coker cheaper than that.

tires easy has nankangs for $60.........
http://ssl.delti.com/cgi-bin/rshop.pl?dsco=135&...View+tires
i've ordered tires from them a few times usually about the best on price and shipping ain't bad either. and they have recommended installers on their site...ken....

Fri Jul 15, 2011 5:38 pm

Thanks for the tip on the 195/65/R15's LuckyStiff.
I ended up going with them due to availability from my trusted local tire shop. They fit like a glove; and look good on the EMPI 8 spokes that I picked up.

Sat Jul 16, 2011 8:09 am

I've Always bought my tires locally at the smaller Tire Shops! They will order/mount/balance/repair when needed. America's Tire wouldn't mount used 165X15's for me because of Liability? TireCrack wouldn't sell me inner tubes because they were afraid we were gonna use them for tubing down the River! :roll:

Tue Aug 02, 2011 10:03 am

luckystiff wrote: and NOBODY list them as 165/82/15. they either list as the true 165r15 or 165/80/15. and guess what in modern spec the 165r15 are usually 165/80/15 spec not 82. it's finite and doesn't matter. and the link you posted may be one of the most expensive places i've ever seen to buy tires. the guy 2 post up from your reply sells nexen's for $60+shipping(it cost $7-10 to ship a tire) and they are $98 on the site you lnked. i think you can get the Firestones from coker cheaper than that.

tires easy has nankangs for $60.........
http://ssl.delti.com/cgi-bin/rshop.pl?dsco=135&...View+tires
i've ordered tires from them a few times usually about the best on price and shipping ain't bad either. and they have recommended installers on their site...ken....

The 165/15 tires DO equate to 165/82/15 thank you very much. And considering this is a percentage of the tread width, i would say that it DOES make a difference. A 165/15 is going to be taller than a 165/80R15 - thats why they differentiate the two. Also, did you seriously just compare Firestone and Nexen tires to Vredesteins? Nexen is the most garbage brand i've ever encountered. I had them on my mustang and they lasted a whole 15,000 miles. Firestone? Firestone has NEVER made good tires. Sure, buy Firestone tires if you want to have blowouts, and die. It is clear to me that you have no idea what you are talking about.
Vredestein tires are made in HOLLAND, not in some factory out in China. And you will not find tires anywhere cheaper. Period. Its called shipping costs. You forgot to add about $10-$20 per tire for freight.

Tue Aug 02, 2011 10:26 am

luckystiff is well respected Here for having Run every conceivable VW tire/wheel combination, Mr. 2 Posts! If you want to spend $139/tire we don't care. :roll:

I bought my good used Michelin's for $20/tire mounted/balanced.

Tue Aug 02, 2011 1:28 pm

don't forget that between different tire manufacturers, the tire size might have the same given size, but dimensionally they differ. So that the 80/82 percentage is a kind of a misnomer

Go4Gold you say that Nexen tires are garbage yet pulled 15k miles out of them? What was the issue with it? Did they wear oddly because your balljoints were worn out causing it to wear uneven? Being a former mustang enthusiast, I know that tires usually don't last long (and tickets come with it too!)

I agree with Mike Fisher, that luckystiff has done his tire homework and knows what works and what is a good value.

Tue Aug 02, 2011 9:40 pm

Go4Gold wrote: luckystiff wrote: and NOBODY list them as 165/82/15. they either list as the true 165r15 or 165/80/15. and guess what in modern spec the 165r15 are usually 165/80/15 spec not 82. it's finite and doesn't matter. and the link you posted may be one of the most expensive places i've ever seen to buy tires. the guy 2 post up from your reply sells nexen's for $60+shipping(it cost $7-10 to ship a tire) and they are $98 on the site you lnked. i think you can get the Firestones from coker cheaper than that.

tires easy has nankangs for $60.........
http://ssl.delti.com/cgi-bin/rshop.pl?dsco=135&...View+tires
i've ordered tires from them a few times usually about the best on price and shipping ain't bad either. and they have recommended installers on their site...ken....

The 165/15 tires DO equate to 165/82/15 thank you very much. And considering this is a percentage of the tread width, i would say that it DOES make a difference. A 165/15 is going to be taller than a 165/80R15 - thats why they differentiate the two. Also, did you seriously just compare Firestone and Nexen tires to Vredesteins? Nexen is the most garbage brand i've ever encountered. I had them on my mustang and they lasted a whole 15,000 miles. Firestone? Firestone has NEVER made good tires. Sure, buy Firestone tires if you want to have blowouts, and die. It is clear to me that you have no idea what you are talking about.
Vredestein tires are made in HOLLAND, not in some factory out in China. And you will not find tires anywhere cheaper. Period. Its called shipping costs. You forgot to add about $10-$20 per tire for freight.

i just you read what you like as in your quote of my post you can PLAINLY see i say $60 + SHIPPING which should be $7-10 per tire(if you're paying $10-20 they are ripping you off even more, i've shipped ALOT and i think $12 might have been the MOST). and i hate to break your little heart but i've seen 3 vredesteins blow out and a half dozen only get 20-25k on stock cars with good alignment. the place that used to carry them local stopped for this very reason. i don't give a damned where they are made. funny the cheap CHINA made Achilles 185/55/15 i had on the front of my home aligned(and not even that picky with it) square lowered 4 splines still look BRAND NEW when i sold the wheels and them with 10k on them. and they were a WHOPPING $50ea SHIPPED.

the ONLY tire i have ever been loyal to and would buy them if they came in the size i'm looking for is COOPER. the conti's i tend to run on the front of most of my cars are alright i guess.

i speak from experience in what i've run on my cars. and as the guys above say i tend to change wheels/tires a good bit and until recently usually have multiple vw's that i switched between as daily drivers and have done so for years.

i don't think i know everything but i do know what i personally have done and what i have personally seen. i give my opinion from that and that alone....ken....

Tue Aug 02, 2011 9:47 pm

oh and the DIFFERENCE between a 165/80 and a 165/82 is a WHOPPING 3.3mm or about 1/8". i'd surely hope 1/8" isn't gonna make or brake that tire for anyone....ken....

Wed Aug 03, 2011 8:47 am

So, if you use a Tire Height Calculator; http://www.wallaceracing.com/tire-aspect-calc.php

a 165/80R15 should be 25.39" tall
a 165/82R15 should be 25.65" tall

here's a quick list of 165R15
BFG 25.20"
Vredestein 25.19
American Classic 25.25

the 165R15 Rather close in sizes, but falls short of the mathematical tire calculator of what it should be 25.65 if used as a "82" series

A Nankang 165/80R15 is 25.20" which is really close to the above 165R15 tires, yet is labeled as an 80 series.

A Nexen 165/80R15 is 25.47" So, the Nexen is the closest tire to a 165/82R15 of which a 165R15 should be. However, a 165R15 doesn't match up..hmmmph! At this point of 80/82 is just splitting hairs in tire height & like Luckystiff says..."i'd surely hope 1/8" isn't gonna make or brake that tire for anyone"

A Vredestein Sprint Classic 165r15 is wider compared to the other tires 5.25 to 4.60ish and they are H rated (130mph) But,Are they really for Aircooled VWs? They look more at home on a Triumph or British car compared to VW.

* all tire sizes are MFG specs.

Wed Aug 03, 2011 2:44 pm

see the width difference is the one that would make me wonder as a 165 should have a section width of 165mm or 6.49"...ken....