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Fri Jun 26, 2015 11:51 am

Hey All, just a quick question. My Ghia has 145/70/15 tires. I want to upgrade to a wider rear tire since I have some issues with stability. Car tends to weave. Have lowered the rear back 4" to it's original stance which has helped incredibly with the cars stability. My mechanic suggested replacing the rear tires with 165/70/15's. But I have searched high and low and can't find any tires in that size. Anyone out there know if that size is even made? I have seen a 165/65/15 tire on another Ghia but have no idea where I might find them.
Any suggestions would be a great help...Thanks

Fri Jun 26, 2015 12:24 pm

No one makes a 165/70R15 as far as I know. 165/80R15 or 165R15 were commonly used on VWs as radial replacements for the original 5.6 x 15 bias ply tires. If you want more tire in back, try 175/65R15 or 185/65R15.

Fri Jun 26, 2015 1:43 pm

If you are having a "weave" or stability problem, you might want to check your tire pressures.

Over inflating the front tires is a common mistake.

19psi front - 26psi rear

Fri Jun 26, 2015 5:24 pm

I have nexen 165/80r15'a on mine and they are fine - you can call the almighty Walmart and order some for like 50 bucks. Don't know the specs and how good/bad they are - they get me where I need to go :wink:

Sat Jun 27, 2015 8:20 am

Is your Ghia lowered?
If so you may benefit from installing caster shims.

Sat Jun 27, 2015 9:12 am

-Zodiac- wrote: I have nexen 165/80r15'a on mine and they are fine - you can call the almighty Walmart and order some for like 50 bucks. Don't know the specs and how good/bad they are - they get me where I need to go :wink:

You have a very nice tall tire. Post a picture .....

Mon Sep 21, 2015 3:08 am

I run 165r15 tires on my 72 coupe, and they seem to fit fine......however I just read that the REAL correct size for my should be 155r15? So what is the answer? 165r15 or 155r15?

Mon Sep 21, 2015 7:05 am

I would suspect other problems if there is weaving, before blaming the tires. Alignment (caster, camber, toe both front and rear) would be one of the first things I would check to make sure all aspects are within factory parameters. The suggestion about tire pressure is valid as well.

I'd just hate to see you change tires and leave some other problem uncorrected.

Mon Sep 21, 2015 8:13 am

Northof49 wrote: I would suspect other problems if there is weaving, before blaming the tires. Alignment (caster, camber, toe both front and rear) would be one of the first things I would check to make sure all aspects are within factory parameters. The suggestion about tire pressure is valid as well.

I'd just hate to see you change tires and leave some other problem uncorrected.

Not getting much feedback from the OG poster...is he shy or just gone missing? :?

Mon Sep 21, 2015 10:12 am

Well Guys, I eventually did go with 165/80/15 tires on the rear. Have a long rear axle and this is about as large a tire I can get away with. Yes lowered rear back to OG standards and toe in on the rear wheels. Stability has improved but always room for even more improvement. While the car is far more stable still weaves once I get to around 63MPH. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Mon Sep 21, 2015 10:55 am

As mentioned...caster, camber, alignment and maybe replace worn steering stabilizer. I dont think you mentioned your ghias age...worn balljoints on 66+
worn king/link pins on early.

Mon Sep 21, 2015 11:14 am

I'm guessing it's a 67 unless it's a Canadian or sold in other country car. That was (one of?) the year they had long axles in the States right? I had long axles because I used a 1973 or 1974 Canadian bug suspension, but I swapped it out for some 61-66 short axles. A bit of an endevour, but worth it, as I can now run 195's all round. I had 205's on custom steel rear rims, but I didn't like the look of the steel rims.

Anyhow, it runs great at 80 plus mph. Even with a little too much toe in at the rear.

Mon Sep 21, 2015 11:17 am

Zack1978 wrote: I run 165r15 tires on my 72 coupe, and they seem to fit fine......however I just read that the REAL correct size for my should be 155r15? So what is the answer? 165r15 or 155r15?
Neither. Your car originally came with bias ply tires size 5.60 x 15. However, cars have long since switched to radial tires because of their safety, handling, and ride advantages over bias ply tires. There isn't a exact duplicate replacement size in radial tires for 5.60 x 15, so various bias ply to radial conversion charts may list 155R15, 155/80R15, 165/80R15, or 165R15 referenced as the equivalent radial size for your car.