just got outbid on the perfect set of tyres for my bus so am now after some more. have an as-new pair of Dunlops on the front and a barely legal pair of others on the back at the moment, am ideally looking for a set of 4 195/75 R14's in near new condition but would consider a pair, dont have the cash to pay for new ones so was hoping someone might have some second hand ones kicking around
thanks
Ryan
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Try the wreckers or second hand tyre places.
185R14 is stock size and is the same as all comercial vehicles.
I have seen new below ~$90, so second hand I guess should be 1/2 that.
seen them for $40 in reasonable condition at tyre places with say 50% + tread
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are you sure 185 is stock? i havent checked or anything, but all 10 wheels that i have (from my 2 kombis) have 195 tyres on them (just a shame that 2 of those tyres are oddballs, 2 are barely legal and another 4 are badly scrubbed on one edge)
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Tyres are like talking about oil or 1916 engines, always end up in arguments.
VW book specifies 185R14C. C is load range and effectively is a light truck tyre (so here in Oz you buy a 185R14LT).
Many people don't like LT tyres as they give a harder ride and less grip (depends on brand of course), so they put car tyres on, and then 195/75R14's are most common. The rolling circumference is near enough the same so your speedo etc isn't affected.
As a Kombi is a commercial vehicle with a GVM over 2ton (carrying capacity 1 ton depending on model) I'm not sure it's leagle to run car tyres as they are not rated to carry the weight, even though many kombi's run them.
My personal opinion is to run LT's for the load carrying capacity, less side wall flex, and less likely to puncture (noticable when cornering and in cross winds), and with my Michelins the ride is as smoth and grip as well as a car tyre. That being said at $180ea they are too dear for some people (mind you I expect well over 100,000km out of them!!).
Many people will disagree with me though, so make up your own mind 😀
[Edited on 23-2-2005 by Andy]
thanks for that. tis all a bit confusing but makes more sense now.
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Andy is very correct with his information, I run a pair of light trucks 185's on the rear of my bay and it has made a massive different to the way the bus handles.....run light trucks on all 4 of the old girls or at lease, same as me on the rear!.....Speaking of tyres i use these really cool Goodyear LT 4wd tread tyres and they take me most places before a have to get out and use my winch.
spent 2 hours at the local wreckers today and no luck, nothing matching in either ype :cussing too hot for this sort of thing
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With a 185R14C the C stands for Commercial indicating that the construction is heavier than that of a passenger car tyre.
If I were you I'd check the price of new tyres. These sorts of sizes are very price competitve because couriers and tradesman use them.
Secondhand tyres are scary. You should inspect the inside of the casing because it will indicate damage that the outside wouldn't show. You should also ask the seller to tell you how old the tyres are.
Tyres go off with age and are not warranted after they are 10 years old. Don't fit tyres that are over 10 years old.
In my opinion if you have an old car with a braking system that's old technology or in need of maintenance then you need the best tyres you can get. Good tyres and brakes can halve your stopping distances and the speed of impact.
CYA CT
esratrams
fullnoise wrote:With a 185R14C the C stands for Commercial indicating that the construction is heavier than that of a passenger car tyre.
CYA CT
http://www.michelin.com.au/tyres/howToCheck.asp
http://www.toyo.com.au/tech_info10.html
http://www.mbspares.com.au/default.asp?d=18017&p=18013took a look at the mbspares site, looks like a 185/R14 is actually a 185/80 R14. i can see why people use the 195/75 R14 now, very close indeed, but found that 215/75 is even closer. how wide is a kombi wheel? 5.5inches? 6 inches? would a 215 fit under the rear guards (looks a bit too close to me). i have also been considering a couple of other options and was wondering what you think about their safety/legality. if i was to keep my near new 195/75 Dunlop GPs on the front, would i be able to fit a pair of 205/75s under the rear (to lower highway revs and improve fuel economy), or, i have been offered a set of 195/r14 Dunlop truck tyres, presuming that being truck tyres they are 80series, they would be too big to be feasable, but if i could get just a pair of them for the rear would this be a good idea (same width tyre front and rear, but higher profile in rear and better sidewall strength) and would $90 for a pair of these truck tyres with a supposed 95% tread be a fair price?
thanks for all the help
Ryan
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You need to check with transport dept. for specs on what over size is leagle, it varies state to state. Outside of that you need to consider engineer certificates for the mod.
Check with tyre places what size rim you need to run a 215 tyre, I think it may be a bit wide for a stock rim.
Just so you know, when I take Andy off road I fit 215/75R15's light truck/all terain tyres on Merc rims. They fit with no mods needed to bus. The rims are same off set as stock. Only the front rubs, on the torsion bar at full lock, and top of guard at full travel.
some US info, not entirely correct here in Oz.
http://busdepot.com/busdepot/details/tires.jspI,ve got some sava (made in slovenia) 195r14 light truck tyres on the front of my bay and I find them just as good if not better than the more expensive dunlop and riken LT tyres i have used in the past . I think they cost me $75 each which is good value and they have very deep tread which seems to lasting very well. They are only an inch taller than the 185s so if fitted to the rear the difference in gearing would be very slight, unlike the 235/75r15 4wd tyres I have on the back. I've tried the secondhand option and I would only do it was an emergency i.e. no money and bald tyres. I find new tyres will last 3 times as long before being unroadworthy but usually cost less than double. And yes, driving a 35 year old 2 ton van with 4 wheel drum brakes down the toowoomba range everyday,I reckon tyres are not the place to skimp on a few dollars. Gee, Iwonder why the muscles in my right leg are bigger than my left..........
am currently looking into a pair of new Dunlop GPs for the front to match my near new pair currently on the rear, will look into a few more brands of LTs. thanks
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