Generation 6 - S550 Discussion Area > Wheels & Tyres

What options for 14" tyres these days?

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67FBGT:
The very old 205/70R14 tyres on my currently laid-up '67 FB with 14"x7" alloys are well past any use-by date and must be replaced. But not many options left these days in wide 14" are there? Even BFGoodrich T/A radials seem to be limited in availability, I was thinking a set of 195/70 on front and say 215/60 on back to better fill the rear wheel arches but not sure if I will be able to even get any in Brisbane.
I could bite the bullet and buy new alloys but there's hardly anything in 16" so I'd have to go to 15", little change visually from 14" but at least there are some tyre choices, although how much longer for I do wonder.
I like the Torq-thrust design, similar looking to the Cheviot 5-spoke I currently have. I see a couple of suppliers on eBay namely BCI and Showster with sets of 7" & mixed sets of 7" & 8" x 15 alloys in the region of $700-800. Are they American-made or Chinese made, and what sort of quality are they? Has anybody here used them?

Dwayne:
Nearly all alloy and steel wheels are Chinese made.

The quality is good as long as you avoid OEM replica wheels (often poor quality alloy to cut costs).

We have independent quality inspectors at each factory we use, plus random testing once they arrive. They are often made in the same factories as OEM and the biggest brands out there.

Cadd:
There are some good 14 inch tyres still around (ebay gumtree and most tyre dealers ) I looked for myself recently and found a fair few in 215/60-225/60-235/60 and there are some good brands too
Toyo Coopers yokohama sumitomo even Nexen make them
I got the toyo 225 for the rear (wish I went bigger) and they are fine.
Cadd

mcarnage59:

--- Quote from: Dwayne on January 22, 2018, 08:30:48 pm ---Nearly all alloy and steel wheels are Chinese made.

The quality is good as long as you avoid OEM replica wheels (often poor quality alloy to cut costs).

We have independent quality inspectors at each factory we use, plus random testing once they arrive. They are often made in the same factories as OEM and the biggest brands out there.

--- End quote ---

I used to import alloy wheels from Taiwan to supply Ford and Holden in
Australia. I visited the factory in Taichung many times. That was 15 years ago and the quality will have only got better. There are some magnificent factories over there making high quality products.

67FBGT:
Cadd, were your new tyres for your '68? Would you really go much bigger than 225 on the rear? (Thinking light car, limited traction...)
I think what scares me when I look online at tyre retailers and eBay vendors are numerous tyre brands I've never even heard of.
But thanks for the input, I'll dig around.
If I go for 15" then the Showster TorqThrust II or US Mags U102 take my fancy..... a set of 4 for around $800 seems very reasonable.

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