Are these Whitewalls too big on lowered stock wheels?

[svwilbur]

I have spend hours and hours reading post on tires......but no answers to my questions I had on taller tires below.

I have been trying to find whitewalls for stock wheels on a 1970 2000.
I normally run 185/70R/14 tires black walls but my speedometer shows 70 or so when I am really doing 65 or less so I was thinking going taller might help a little and I can not find 185/70R/14 in a whitewall.

Anyways I have not yet lowered the 2000 but i plan too with some Mike Young Comp springs and maybe the taller tire would rub?

So I know some people have run 185/75R/14 tires on stock rims no problem but I think it may only be with stock springs.
The 185/75R/14 are 25 inch diameter and the 185/70R/14 are 24.3.
I have heard that some think the 185/75R/14 has more flex or roll but maybe running more air pressure helps that?

So will the 185/75R/14 tires rub if I bought some and then comp lowered it in front?????
That would be a waist of money for me if they rubbed. And money is scarce for me now.

All the online and local shops can not find any 185/70R/14 whitewalls in stock or I would buy them.
Many online places list them but as you finally try to purchase they say they are not available.
Or they are BW not WSW.

I have found several selling Uniroyal Tiger Paw AWP II 185/75R/14 Whitewalls so I was thinking of getting 5, one for the spare but if they are known to rub when lowered that would be a bummer for me.

Any suggestions????

[bakerjf]

It would appear Uniroyal isn't making the White Wall Tiger Paw in the 185/70 anymore - that's what I use with my Nissan lowering springs. I knew a member that bought a set of 185/75s for a restoration he brought to Solvang three years ago - I thought they looked ok, but he hated them - they are noticeably larger.
Cooper used to make a cheap WW in that size - did you try that?
Sorry I can't provide more help.

[bikermike]

Looks like some Uniroyal 185/70/14 WSW tires are for sale on ebay today for $83 each with free shipping.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Uniroyal-Tiger- ... Vj&vxp=mtr

Confirm age via the DOT date code with the seller.
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/ ... ?techid=11

Some alternative size info:

I don't know in which sizes WSW tires are available.

[Alvin]

get 185/70/14.
They won't rub on lowered cars.

[svwilbur]

Thanks everyone for responding,

Alvin, -Looks nice! I remember you drove that once on one of your local runs I went on.

Bakerjf, - I did check on Coopers at a few places and I could not find any White Walls in stock anymore. On the Cooper website it shows only Black SW for this size 185/70R/14. they have WSW in some 205 and larger 15 inch tires.

BikerMike, - I had seen that listing on the ebay item. It is the only one that says they have them in White Wall.
I checked that they were suppose to be really WSW as the title says and the item number indicates 04910 and they say it is White Side Wall/ White Lettering (which to me indicates they don't know what they are talking about as they are supposed to just be a White Wall Stripe not White Lettering.

"New message from: tires-easy Top Rated Seller(19,344)
This tire is White Side Wall / white lettering.

If you notice on the listing page that the specs indicate part number 04910.

Thanks for shopping with us."

Hmmm......
I followed up with another question as to the Date Codes as I suspect they are a couple years old as they are available nowhere.
They stated:

"New message from: tires-easy Top Rated Seller(19,344)
Yes, we have plenty in stock, ready to ship.

It is difficult to pull the DOT codes off this tires until an order has been placed.
We have these tires located in over 100 warehouses across the US and it will be impossible for us to determine the exact tires that will be shipped until an order is actually placed. All tires are new and current production and under manufacturers warranty.

We do offer a 45day return policy if you are unhappy with your purchase for any reason.

I hope this helps!"



So They don't really have them....as they are somewhere in "their" "over 100 warehouses" and can not check the date codes. Um right...
They say they are current production (which current must mean from a few years ago as I don't think they Uniroyal has made them in a couple years, I may be wrong).

They offer a return, I would have to pay the shipping, unless i get ebay Paypal involved possibly.

I took a big chance and ordered a set anyways as I would like some White Walls, that and as the tires i am on are Michelin's in very good looking shape with only 4,000 on them and they are the correct 185/70/14 size but are NOT whitewalls. The big issue with the Michelins I an currently using is the Date Code on the tires is 4205 (October 17, 2005) so about 11 years old! The spare looks older but i guess is just dusty as it's Date Code is 3807 (September 17, 2007) just 9 years old.

The Age of my current tires may not be a problem i suppose but it has been very problematic as no "reputable" tire shop will touch them. The current statements from at least 5 shops, Big O, Sears, Firestone, Lloyds tire and others in my area is if the date code is 4 or 5 years old they will not even balance the tire let alone repair a flat on it. I did find some local mom and pop corner gas stations that would balance them but their machines seem to be old and tires still bounce a bit.

So the fact that I can not get the old tires to smooth out, the age of the tires (possibly a safety issue) and the desire to have white walls and a better ride and safer feeling I wanted to get some new tires.


later I may buy some Panasports or something, probably 15 inch so I will have to hind other tires then too but i thought I would try white walls on the original rims first and see it the ride settles out with better balancing, assuming the new tires if they come are not date coded more than 4 or 5 years ago!

Am I a pessimist? Living life has proven to me that dealings in business never seems to go as one would like more often then not. Once in a while I am pleasantly surprised and thing work out great but that seems to be more rare as time goes on.


I will let you know what happens with these tires. There is one other place I found that might have them also but I think they may be bogus like some other sites. Both Sears and Walmart list them and let you attempt to order them and then say they are not available when you go to pay for them.

[svwilbur]

I am not smiling yet but they did create 3 UPS tracking numbers that do show up in the UPS website as Label Created.
Ebay says shipped but obviously that is not the case yet.

[bikermike]

Good luck. Let us know how you make out.

I have had success w/ Calderon Tire in San Jose for swapping tires between wheels. It's a small shop, but they always are quick if you get there early. If you can't get the current tires to balance you may ask the shop that mounts the next set to see if one of your wheels is bent. If it is, it could be straightened, but it may be simpler to replace it or just use it as the spare.

You've had the car for about 4 yrs, right? Do you know if it sat for a long time with the previous owner. Could the tires have developed "flat spots"? Maybe you have something else going on. What kind of vibration are you feeling and under what conditions?
http://www.311s.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.ph ... 15#p185479

[svwilbur]

It did sit with the previous owner. He cosmetically restored it and got it running mechanically but he only drove it about 500 miles after having done that. He owned it for 6 or 7 years I think. They may be flat spots. hard to tell I had it jacked up a couple days and tried to spin the wheels and see if I could see anything but it is hard to tell. The rims seem to be ok, one rear one has a little wiggle on the outer lip but does not seem to effect the tire position. I would not mind picking up a couple if you know of any around. they are marked various 1969 4.5 inch wheels. I'm not sure about the spare as it is not marked, may be 4 or 4.5 I guess.

The vibration i feel is at highway speeds. I am dead smooth around the mountains up here 50 and under. But on a highway at 65 on my speedometer which is probably 60 in real speed as it seems to be off when ever I go by a speed display like on PCH in Davenport. But at 65 it starts doing the normal "needs balancing steering wheel shake" or the "bent wheel shake". Usually a bent wheel you can feel at slower speeds too.

I have had some of my other cars wheels straightened at a place in San Jose. It is expensive, like $140 or more a wheel. Usually I can buy a replacement for less unless the wheel is no longer made as in this case.

There could be plenty else going on. The steering and joints are all pretty much original but they seem to be tight. The prior owner told me something about having had Mike Young and team swap out the A-arms for some older "everlasting arms" (ones that seemed to last longer on older years). It all seems tight under there but the boots are all blown. I do keep it all greased, lots of grease fittings under there.

It could use lots of things replaced i suppose but it handles and drives nice still.

[svwilbur]

well I ordered 5 tires and they say they have shipped and have tracking numbers and got picked up. 3 different bundles. they made 3 stops in north carolina and have not moved the last 4 days.

UPS says I have to wait until they are over due before they can really check on them. They also said they may have just not scanned going out from NC and are probably traveling across country for 3,000 miles. So I am waiting.

At least I may eventuality get some whitewalls. I thought they we all gone.
I hope the date codes aren't 5 years old.

[bikermike]

It all seems tight under there but the boots are all blown. I do keep it all greased, lots of grease fittings under there.

FYI on dust boots:
http://www.311s.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.ph ... ots+option

[svwilbur]

It all seems tight under there but the boots are all blown. I do keep it all greased, lots of grease fittings under there.

FYI on dust boots:
http://www.311s.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.ph ... ots+option

thanks mike, maybe when I install the comp springs I will look at that but it would make the job a lot longer. and I'm not sure if I looked at them if I would know if any of the joints were good or bad or if I would cause more damage to them trying to install the dust boots. it seems the more one messes with stuff the more one finds other things that could be fixed or tweaked or replaced.

[bikermike]

When you replace the springs, take the opportunity to replace the spring isolator pads while you are there.

[svwilbur]

When you replace the springs, take the opportunity to replace the spring isolator pads while you are there.

anything special or are Dean's urethane ones ok part # 1274. ?

[bikermike]

Dean's are certainly fine. There are other sources too. The posting in the link above indicates Energy Suspension 9-6114G (R suffix for red) as a suitable replacement.

[svwilbur]

I got my uniroyal tiger paw whitewalls today. as I suspected they are older stock. they offer free return and shipping but I will probably keep them. I could not find any locally or online except these and possibly newegg which was through simpletire but they may not really have them either and you won't know until you really order them and they try to get them. that is what happened at two other places.

I got the 185/70/14 size. but they are date coded june 16 2014, so almost 2 years old already. most tires I buy are within 6 months of the current date. now a days they say to toss tires after 6 years. shops won't work on them after 5. that is why I am asking for a partial refund. that and they are a bit dirty and a little scuffed up from 6 truck drives to get out here from north carolina. they did not wrap them or anything. most places dont. but they should be safer than my current 11 year old tires, I hope.