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Has anyone successfully replaced 3/4" WW tires lately?

Started by Rob CLC #12428, September 14, 2009, 02:16:52 PM

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Rob CLC #12428

I need to replace the 3/4" WW tires on my '93 Deville. Has anyone done it lately.The Michelin XA4's are quite badly weather checked. I wish they still made them. I would rather not go the 1/2' Symmetry route. I'm not sold on any of the other brands still offering the 3/4" WW. Any good experience out there? Handling and ride quality are the most important. Car does not see snow any more. Thanks.

jeff1956

have you looked into goodyear assurance?  i believe they offer that size whitewall...

jeff

Misfit

Do you have Tire Kingdom in your area? If so, look into the Uniroyal Tiger Paw AS6000. I have them on my '59, with 4 1/2 years and 15,000 miles on them. Still look new. Handle really nice, and ride smooth. They have a nice firm sidewall like the Michelins.

They were $375 for all 5. Mounted balanced, tax, road hazard.

MisFit

GBrown #8092

I recently got 4 the name of which escapes me from Pep Boys for the Roadmaster. I seem to recall they had two brands.
I paid right around $500 with an alignment.
Discount Tire also had a model called the Arizonian, but the reviews were mixed and the Boys had a buy 4 get one free sale, plus an affinity card that got me an additional $25 dollars back.

They seemed to ride fine for the two days I had the car but my son has had the car since.

Glenn

Tod -NTCLC

I also put the Pep Boys Futura Plus Touring SE (235 70 15) whitewalls on my 94 Fleetwood - I had been having a difficult time locating whitewalls for that size tire, and had narrowed it down to some Coopers from a private tire store, or the Pep Boys tires.  I went with the Pep Boys because the tires had an 80,000 mile rating, and the price (down right cheap) was comparable to the Coopers which were rated at 50,000 miles.

The tires look great, ride great  BUT after about 5 years, I had a belt slip which I detected at slow speed.  I took the car back to Pep Boys and they determined that yes, the belt had slipped and it was due an adjustment.  At the time, I had approx 40,000 miles on the tires, and the tread looked good.  The manager measured the tread, and compared the mileage - either way, the adjustment was going to be 50% which indicated that the tires were wearing at their rated mileage.

I suggested to the manager that if one of the tires had been defective, that it might be likely that all might slip belts in the near future, and shouldn't he replace all four.  He indicated that they couldn't do that, but then went out and looked at the tires, and said that there seemed to be some slight sidewall cracks in the remaining tires, and that he would go ahead and adjust all 4 tires at 50% - such a deal.  In addition, they had a buy 4 get $100.00 rebate going on (mgr. said I wouldn't qualify, but I sent in the rebate anyway and did get the rebate).

That was 4 years ago - tires have been great, but just last night, while slowly idling thru a parking garage, I noticed that I might have a rear tire out of round (slipped belt).  I will check closer this weekend, but I am not too sure that they still stock this tire in whitewall, so I don't know what my options will be.

Just my experience - I know some of the reviews aren't great for these tires, but my experience has been acceptable - at least I have never had a flat, and never threw a tread while at highway speed with the Pep Boys tires, and I have put about 90,000 miles on the two sets.

TJ Hopland

A 75 serirs except in a LT is getting to be a rare tire from the typical sources.  It seems as soon as I find one I like they cant find 4 or I come back in a month for more and there are none to be found.  We may be stuck with the vintage tire dealers.   
StPaul/Mpls, MN USA

73 Eldo convert w/FiTech EFI
80 Eldo Diesel
90 CDV
And other assorted stuff I keep buying for some reason

austingta

I just replaced my wide whitewalls with Firestone 721 radials... they seem to ride fine and they were only 61.00 each at my local Firestone franchisee...

Here they are:





Frank in Austin

Otto Skorzeny

I didn't know Firestone still made those 721 radials. My mom put some on her '64 Galaxie 20 years ago.
fward

Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for YOURSELF

HUGE VENDOR LIST CLICK HERE

CEC #20099

CEC  #20099
You better check the date codes on those 721`s. I think someone unloaded old stock on you. Radials more than 6 yrs old are asking for trouble.
I had 13 Firestone 721 `s fail on me, when these tires were supplied as orig. equip. RAGS. !!!!  CEC.

76eldo

Brian Rachlin
Huntingdon Valley, Pa
I prefer email's not PM's rachlin@comcast.net

1960 62 Series Conv with Factory Tri Power
1970 DeVille Conv
1970 Eldo
1970 Caribu (?) "The Cadmino"
1973 Eldorado Conv Pace Car
1976 Eldorado Conv
1980 Eldorado H & E Conv
1993 Allante with Hardtop (X2)
2008 DTS
2012 CTS Coupe
2017 XT
1956 Thunderbird
1966 Olds Toronado

Otto Skorzeny

#10
That's what I thought.

Frank, do an internet search on those tires. They haven't been manufactured since my mom bought them 20 years ago!

721s were made from 1978 to 1989. That means your new tires are a minimum of 20 years old!

I can't imagine they get any better with age.


At $61 each, you got ripped off. You should go back to the place you bought them and demand that they install NEW tires at no extra charge. My guess is that installing those tires for road use was illegal.
fward

Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for YOURSELF

HUGE VENDOR LIST CLICK HERE

jeff1956

Unfortunately in the United States there is no expiration date on tires.  The government warns that tires are unsafe after I want to say 8-10 years, but there is no law that outlaws the sale of new old stock tires.  If you go back to the store that sold them to you and documented the date code on the sidewall of the tire that they would probably take care of it because it is a safety issue and nobody wants to open themselves up for a lawsuit.  The only way you could have any legal recourse basically is if they fail and cause you bodily injury etc.  There was a group trying to get a law on the books, but I do not believe they have been successful yet as the tire manufacturers have defeated their efforts every time.  The date code will be after the DOT numbers and it will be on only one side of the tire right up next to the rim.  it will be a two letter week code and a two letter year code.  I definitely would not ride on them for very long if they are indeed firestone 721's and are that old.

Jeff

Otto Skorzeny

The 721s don't exactly have a model safety record, either. Those things had tread separation problems long before these SUV tires started blowing up. I don't think Firestone would be too pleased about one of their franchisees selling 20 year old tires.
fward

Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for YOURSELF

HUGE VENDOR LIST CLICK HERE

jeff1956

Otto,

According the the chrysler imperial forums....someone there says firestone makes runs of the model 721 periodically to supply the classic car market......  http://www.imperialclub.com/Repair/Wheels/white.htm  It's listed on that page.  Who knows if this is correct...

Jeff

austingta

Quote from: Otto Skorzeny on September 24, 2009, 11:18:21 PM
That's what I thought.

Frank, do an internet search on those tires. They haven't been manufactured since my mom bought them 20 years ago!

721s were made from 1978 to 1989. That means your new tires are a minimum of 20 years old!

I can't imagine they get any better with age.


At $61 each, you got ripped off. You should go back to the place you bought them and demand that they install NEW tires at no extra charge. My guess is that installing those tires for road use was illegal.


No no no... it's simpler than that... I got the model wrong. I apologize. I went from memory, and my memory is 20 years too old, I guess!

Here is what I bought:


Otto Skorzeny

That's a relief. Sort of.

Not to keep scaring you about your tires but check this link regarding a massive recall of FR380 tires due to tread separation.

http://www.aboutlawsuits.com/firestone-tire-recall-1537/

Check your tires' serial numbers against the numbers affected by the recall.

The serial numbers affected by this recall are as follows:

# WBHL 380 2306 through and including WBHL 380 3507
# WBUL 380 2306 through and including WBUL 380 3507
fward

Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for YOURSELF

HUGE VENDOR LIST CLICK HERE

CEC #20099

CEC  #20099
Tire date codes were 3 digits, before about 1999. After that , they are 4 digits, to date. FR 380`s are some of the cheapest stuff Firestone made, & check
their date codes also, as they have been made for years.
We need an honest tire dealer to join this thread, & give us the exact data.  CEC.

carguyblack

I just purchased a set of Coopers from Discount Tire here is Michigan last week to fit my 1956 Cadillac. Spent a whopping $325 for the set and couldn't be happier.
The whitewall was as wide as they come standard, which I believe was the 3/4 inch you asked about. They are a 50k tire, by the way.
Chuck
Chuck Dykstra

1956 Sedan DeVille
1956 Coupe DeVille (2 sold)
1957 Oldsmobile 98 (sold)
1989 Bonneville SSE

austingta

I'm happy too. I've never been the biggest Firestone fan out there, but these tires look correct, and run and drive fine. They are a 55000 mile tire, and I may put 3000 miles on them.... naaaaah, that will never happen.








Herb

I put a set of those 380's on my 75 Eldo and have put about 7000 miles on them in the last 6 years and have had zero problems with the tires sometimes running up tp 85MPH. Still the tread looks like new. Herb