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Woreign Samba Member

Joined: June 04, 2006 Posts: 2841 Location: Crestview FL
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Posted: Fri Oct 12, 2007 9:22 pm Post subject: Blow Out! |
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I'm driving home from work this afternoon, minding my own business and enjoying the 70* weather, when suddenly "POW"!!! It sounded like I ran over something, but I didn't see anything in my rear-view mirror. I drove about a 1/2 mile and realized that my rear tire was flat! I'm not sure what caused the tire to pop, I didn't find anything stuck in the 1/2" tear in the tread. Luckily my spare was functional, and in a few minutes I was able to limp home.
Anyway, my Thing currently has some "Trail Buster" 27x8.50R14 tires. I have been unable to find the same tire anywhere for a replacement, which is OK, because I don't really like the these tires anyway... For one, they are quite big and rub if I turn sharply, and they don't fit in the trunk!
I'm looking at getting some 195X75R14 tires as a replacement. This size seems to be the most readily available and the closest match to the stock tire. I'm thinking of going with one of the following:
Goodyear Wrangler AT for $146.26 from Sam's Club:
or the Bridgestone Dueler AT 693 for $131.00 from Discount Tires:
What do you think? |
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Towel Rail Horizontally Opposed

Joined: April 15, 2005 Posts: 4622 Location: SE CR IA US NA PE
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Posted: Fri Oct 12, 2007 9:41 pm Post subject: |
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I'm not crazy about either. You can still get 185R14s from a couple of companies, but I'd stay with the 27x8.5x14s, personally.
BTW, the spare tire doesn't need to match the others. Just keep a 165R15 in the trunk, and if you blow a rear tire, swap one of the good fronts to that spot and mount the spare in its place.
- Scott _________________ 1974 Thing -- under the knife
1967 Beetle -- spring/summer/fall driver
1996 Subaru OBW (EJ22, 5-speed, AWD) -- winter car, 3-seasons "don't feel like biking today" car
049 > 070 > 053 > 009 |
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Pierre G Samba Member

Joined: April 28, 2007 Posts: 1771 Location: New Caledonia
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Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2007 2:11 am Post subject: |
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Between the two options you mentioned, I would go for the goodyear as I read some bad things about the bridgestone tires under rainy conditions in several tech articles. _________________ 1976 181/Thing, 1967 fastback, 1973 squareback, 1964 microbus, 1967 Double Cab, 1969 westfalia (currently under resto), 1972 LM1C dune buggy, 1974 jean's bug, 1974 1303 (super beetle, currently under reassembly after new paint). |
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kubelmann Samba Member

Joined: April 13, 2003 Posts: 3268
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Posted: Mon Oct 15, 2007 5:01 pm Post subject: |
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Hankook Winter iPike W409
195/75R-14 92S DSB
$58 each at Discount Tire
That is a bad ass sipped directional tire.
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Woreign Samba Member

Joined: June 04, 2006 Posts: 2841 Location: Crestview FL
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Posted: Mon Oct 15, 2007 7:26 pm Post subject: |
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I like that price a lot better than the Wrangler ATs, but I don't need a winter tire... It doesn't snow here in easter NC.
Everything I've found for a 14" rim seems to be touring tires, which I don't think look right on a multi-purpose vehicle. You wouldn't put such a tire on a Willy's Jeep, would you? So unless someone can suggest some other "beefy" tires, I'm going to go with the Goodyear Wranglers. I had to special order them since Sam's doesn't keep them in stock. They should be in by the weekend, hopefully. |
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GA_RR Samba Member

Joined: June 06, 2006 Posts: 70
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Posted: Tue Oct 16, 2007 3:18 am Post subject: |
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They probably wear differently on the Thing but I had those same Goodyears on a truck I had and they were horrible. They made a varying humming sound that sounded like a didgeridoo and I only got about 20K out of them(which turned out to be a good thing because I couldn't stand the noise). For Goodyear tires I'm running the Wrangler silentarmor on my truck right now and so far they are the best AT tires I've ever had. I'm not sure if they make 14" sizes but if they do I'll be putting them on my Thing when the Coopers I have on now wear out. |
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bmwloco Samba Member

Joined: March 19, 2006 Posts: 1093 Location: Asheville NC
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Posted: Tue Oct 16, 2007 7:47 am Post subject: |
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Hankooks are good tyers (as they say here up the mountains).
Large rally tire supplier too. So it's got street cred.
Personally, the way I feel about tires are 1) they must be black 2) they must be round 3) they must hold air.
Beyond that, I don't care whose label is on it.
Totally off the subject, but I had a wicked shimmy in my Thing at 55 mph. On Sunday I put 32 lbs of air in each tire. No more shimmy. Mind you, that was only 2 lbs different than what was in the tire... |
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bciesq Samba Member

Joined: April 13, 2005 Posts: 495 Location: Orlando, FL
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Posted: Tue Oct 16, 2007 9:33 am Post subject: |
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bmwloco wrote: |
Hankooks are good tyers (as they say here up the mountains).
Large rally tire supplier too. So it's got street cred.
Personally, the way I feel about tires are 1) they must be black 2) they must be round 3) they must hold air.
Beyond that, I don't care whose label is on it.
Totally off the subject, but I had a wicked shimmy in my Thing at 55 mph. On Sunday I put 32 lbs of air in each tire. No more shimmy. Mind you, that was only 2 lbs different than what was in the tire... |
You have 32 lbs in the front tires?
I thought they only called for 18 or 19?
*
* The picture is from a '74 std. Beetle _________________ '73 Thing -- making 45 mph exciting again. |
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Captain Spalding Samba Member

Joined: February 19, 2005 Posts: 2519 Location: . . . in denial.
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Posted: Tue Oct 16, 2007 6:30 pm Post subject: Re: Blow Out! |
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I have the Bridgestone Dueler's you mentioned, in 27/8.5R14. Odd that you experienced rubbing at that size, if you have stock wheels/brakes/lift. Anyway, they've performed well. |
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Woreign Samba Member

Joined: June 04, 2006 Posts: 2841 Location: Crestview FL
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Posted: Tue Oct 16, 2007 6:55 pm Post subject: |
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They only rubbed when I was backing up. I think the front right tire was catching on the fuel vapor line.
Does anyone have an opinion on the Cooper Discoverer LT?
I can get all four mounted and balanced for less than $300.
Last edited by Woreign on Wed Oct 17, 2007 6:20 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Towel Rail Horizontally Opposed

Joined: April 15, 2005 Posts: 4622 Location: SE CR IA US NA PE
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Posted: Tue Oct 16, 2007 7:08 pm Post subject: |
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I've had 205/75R14s rub the inner fender well at full lock. I think the only way to avoid it is to get little tires.  _________________ 1974 Thing -- under the knife
1967 Beetle -- spring/summer/fall driver
1996 Subaru OBW (EJ22, 5-speed, AWD) -- winter car, 3-seasons "don't feel like biking today" car
049 > 070 > 053 > 009 |
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Towel Rail Horizontally Opposed

Joined: April 15, 2005 Posts: 4622 Location: SE CR IA US NA PE
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Posted: Tue Oct 16, 2007 7:23 pm Post subject: |
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bmwloco wrote: |
Totally off the subject, but I had a wicked shimmy in my Thing at 55 mph. On Sunday I put 32 lbs of air in each tire. No more shimmy. Mind you, that was only 2 lbs different than what was in the tire... |
Have you considered balancing them?  _________________ 1974 Thing -- under the knife
1967 Beetle -- spring/summer/fall driver
1996 Subaru OBW (EJ22, 5-speed, AWD) -- winter car, 3-seasons "don't feel like biking today" car
049 > 070 > 053 > 009 |
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Skorzeny's G Ride Samba Member

Joined: July 10, 2007 Posts: 291 Location: Gods curse on humanity...The Arizona Desert
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Posted: Tue Oct 16, 2007 7:49 pm Post subject: |
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[/quote]Totally off the subject, but I had a wicked shimmy in my Thing at 55 mph. On Sunday I put 32 lbs of air in each tire. No more shimmy. Mind you, that was only 2 lbs different than what was in the tire...[/quote]
I have had that about the same speed. My tires are brand new so i know its not that. I thought i saw post a while back about a steering dampner causing that. I might as well replace it since its probably stock.
I could see the front end bouncing on the freeway and wished I had someone with a camera to tape it so i could see what it was doing. I'll probably have someone drive it so i can check it out.
Things to buy,
Wind tunnel
Full sized Dyno _________________ ...70 type 181
...59 Beetle
...62 beetle baja (new) |
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Towel Rail Horizontally Opposed

Joined: April 15, 2005 Posts: 4622 Location: SE CR IA US NA PE
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Posted: Tue Oct 16, 2007 9:51 pm Post subject: |
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Skorzeny's G Ride wrote: |
I have had that about the same speed. My tires are brand new so i know its not that. |
What makes you so sure? New tires can be out-of-balance.
Replacing the steering dampener won't hurt, and it's the most likely cause here. _________________ 1974 Thing -- under the knife
1967 Beetle -- spring/summer/fall driver
1996 Subaru OBW (EJ22, 5-speed, AWD) -- winter car, 3-seasons "don't feel like biking today" car
049 > 070 > 053 > 009 |
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Skorzeny's G Ride Samba Member

Joined: July 10, 2007 Posts: 291 Location: Gods curse on humanity...The Arizona Desert
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Posted: Tue Oct 16, 2007 10:20 pm Post subject: ... |
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Because my tires came with an SS stamp of approval.
Actually no tire is perfectly balanced and most people think rims are not balanced but its the reverse.
But in this case I watched them balance them. Its some shop and i know the guy who owns it and he has done the tires on all my other cars for the last 5 years. He's pretty reliable.
Besides, the wheel does a hop and not a wobble. I should have specified. Im sure if you have driven as long as i have can visually pin point problems. This one is definitely not an unbalanced wheel. An unbalanced wheel does a very noticeable shutter in the steering wheel and I can only associate it with what happens when you hit the brakes on a car that has warped rotors. Im trying to think of what else it could be compared to. In any case the more i think about it i can tell its more invovled with the suspension.
Im picturing the fender with a slight up and down bounce while i was driving to work today. _________________ ...70 type 181
...59 Beetle
...62 beetle baja (new) |
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Towel Rail Horizontally Opposed

Joined: April 15, 2005 Posts: 4622 Location: SE CR IA US NA PE
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Posted: Tue Oct 16, 2007 10:25 pm Post subject: Re: ... |
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Skorzeny's G Ride wrote: |
Because my tires came with an SS stamp of approval. |
Which means?
Quote: |
Actually no tire is perfectly balanced and most people think rims are not balanced but its the reverse. |
Either can be out-of-balance.
Quote: |
But in this case I watched them balance them. Its some shop and i know the guy who owns it and he has done the tires on all my other cars for the last 5 years. He's pretty reliable. |
That's cool. It's good to know skilled people.
Quote: |
Besides, the wheel does a hop and not a wobble. I should have specified. Im sure if you have driven as long as i have can visually pin point problems. This one is definitely not an unbalanced wheel. An unbalanced wheel does a very noticeable shutter in the steering wheel and I can only associate it with what happens when you hit the brakes on a car that has warped rotors. Im trying to think of what else it could be compared to. In any case the more i think about it i can tell its more invovled with the suspension.
Im picturing the fender with a slight up and down bounce while i was driving to work today. |
An out-of-balance tire/wheel can hop or wobble -- it depends on *where* the extra weight is. _________________ 1974 Thing -- under the knife
1967 Beetle -- spring/summer/fall driver
1996 Subaru OBW (EJ22, 5-speed, AWD) -- winter car, 3-seasons "don't feel like biking today" car
049 > 070 > 053 > 009 |
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Skorzeny's G Ride Samba Member

Joined: July 10, 2007 Posts: 291 Location: Gods curse on humanity...The Arizona Desert
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Posted: Tue Oct 16, 2007 10:32 pm Post subject: ... |
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Dude get a hobby. _________________ ...70 type 181
...59 Beetle
...62 beetle baja (new) |
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Towel Rail Horizontally Opposed

Joined: April 15, 2005 Posts: 4622 Location: SE CR IA US NA PE
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Posted: Tue Oct 16, 2007 11:00 pm Post subject: |
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I have a couple already, thanks. _________________ 1974 Thing -- under the knife
1967 Beetle -- spring/summer/fall driver
1996 Subaru OBW (EJ22, 5-speed, AWD) -- winter car, 3-seasons "don't feel like biking today" car
049 > 070 > 053 > 009 |
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klokard Samba Member
Joined: February 10, 2005 Posts: 158
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Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2007 8:54 am Post subject: Don't count out the McCreary |
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klokard Samba Member
Joined: February 10, 2005 Posts: 158
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Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2007 8:57 am Post subject: |
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I have had these on for a year now and love them. Capt. Spaulding saw them at the Wolfsburg West show and can chime in with his opinion. They are a bias tire and go for $45 a piece. The size is E78X14. Check them out at the following web site.
http://www.stausaonline.com/light-truck/super-traxion.html |
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