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75 Eldo wheels

Started by DaveShreiner CLC#23834, December 16, 2009, 03:44:14 PM

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DaveShreiner CLC#23834

I have attached a photo of the wheels on my 75 Eldo convertible.  I have not been able to find where they came from and they don't look like wheels on other Caddies of that year.  If anyone knows what kind of wheels these are, I would appreciate hearing about them.

The tires are Michelin with the old size of 230 x 15.  Can you date these tires, and should they be used because of their age.  I have read that tires older than 7 years are subject to failure or blowout.

Thankds for any info you may have on this.  :)
Dave Shreiner
CLC#23834

Dave Shepherd

HARD TO SEE IN THE PHOTO BUT THAT IS NOT AN OE WHEEL,  BUT IT DOES LOOK AN OE WHEEL THAT HAS BEEN CHROMED?, WITH A PAINTED TO MATCH OR STICK ON CENTER COVER AND MEDALLION. ( sorry about the caps) too slow to retype this. LOL   It is easy to see if they do have DOT info on the inside of the tire.

Otto Skorzeny

There are serial numbers on the tire and may even be a date of manufacture. Look closely. If you have theserial number you may be able to find out how old it is from the maker. From the photo they look nearly bald anyway.
fward

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

HUGE VENDOR LIST CLICK HERE

"Cadillac Kid" Greg Surfas 15364

Dave,
The wheels look like "early" Toronado wheels with a semi polished chrome plating finish.  The caps I would guess are toronado caps with the Cadillac emblem grafted on.
Regarding tires, Michlein has discontinued white walls in the 15 x 230 sizes and the only tire that the major Manufacturers are making is the Firestone FR-380.  I am trying out some on one of my cars and so far they are quiet and have provided good traction.
Greg
Cadillac Kid-Greg Surfas
Director Modified Chapter CLC
CLC #15364
66 Coupe deVille (now gone to the UK)
72 Eldo Cpe  (now cruising the sands in Quatar)
73 Coupe deVille
75 Coupe deElegance
76 Coupe deVille
79 Coupe de ville with "Paris" (pick up) option and 472 motor
514 inch motor now in '73-

The Tassie Devil(le)

Man, talk about a bald tyre.   I wouldn't be using it even as a garden ornament.

Bruce. >:D
'72 Eldorado Convertible (LHD)
'70 Ranchero Squire (RHD)
'74 Chris Craft Gull Wing (SH)
'02 VX Series II Holden Commodore SS Sedan
(Past President Modified Chapter)

Past Cars of significance - to me
1935 Ford 3 Window Coupe
1936 Ford 5 Window Coupe
1937 Chevrolet Sports Coupe
1955 Chevrolet Convertible
1959 Ford Fairlane Ranch Wagon
1960 Cadillac CDV
1972 Cadillac Eldorado Coupe

DaveShreiner CLC#23834

Sorry about the apparent "bald" look of the tire.  It really isn't bald but it has a good coating of fine gravel from the driveway and reflects light in the photo so that it does look bald.  I was mainly trying for a good pic of the wheel, which is not like any I've seen on Cadillacs.  Maybe it did come from a Toronado. 

The Michelin tires have a "Made in Spain" mark on them.  I thought Michelin was a French tire.  I will check out the Firestone FR-380.

Is it true that tires older than 7 years should not be used?

Thanks for all your comments.
Dave Shreiner
CLC#23834

Otto Skorzeny

#6
Michelin is a French company but owns lots of tire companies throughout the world, including BF Goodrich in Akron, Ohio. It's the largest tire maker in the world.

I don't think the 7 year thing is set in stone. In other words, tires don't have expiration dates and suddenly fall apart after 7 years.

What matters is the actual condition of the tire. Look for cracks, stiffness in the tread or sidewall that might indicate that the tire has dry rot or other structural defect.

Rubber does deteriorate over time but the rate varies with climate and use of the tire.
fward

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

HUGE VENDOR LIST CLICK HERE

The Tassie Devil(le)

I have never been one to abide by the 7 year rule, or any other rule for that matter.

When I sold my '60 CDV, the Bridgestone tyres were 15 years old, and still with over 50% of tread left, and still in very good condition, sidewall that is.

But, when my Father's '67 420G Jaguar with Michelin's attached started tossing little bits off the tread, they were destined to be replaced, even though they were only half worn out.   They were Original fitment and were only 20 years old.   Man, the rubber was that hard that it looked like it would never wear out

Bruce. >:D
'72 Eldorado Convertible (LHD)
'70 Ranchero Squire (RHD)
'74 Chris Craft Gull Wing (SH)
'02 VX Series II Holden Commodore SS Sedan
(Past President Modified Chapter)

Past Cars of significance - to me
1935 Ford 3 Window Coupe
1936 Ford 5 Window Coupe
1937 Chevrolet Sports Coupe
1955 Chevrolet Convertible
1959 Ford Fairlane Ranch Wagon
1960 Cadillac CDV
1972 Cadillac Eldorado Coupe

TJ Hopland

#8
There does not seem to be any dispute that the 67-78 eldos never left the factory with anything other than steel wheels w/covers.  There were some aftermarket dealer installed wheels that were somewhat popular 71-76 especially on the converts.

Im thinking those areToronado wheels also.  Thought I had a better pic of just the wheels but at least you can see them.
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

DaveShreiner CLC#23834

I agree the wheels look very much like the Toronado's  wheels.  Just the caps are different in shape.

A couple of years ago I bought a 79 Eldo that had been sitting in a garage for 12 years.  The tire treads were still about 75 percent left, and they were the expensive Vogue tires with a thin white sidewall and the gold stripe.  They were tough rubber and looked and felt like they would last another 12 years.  It was a radial 4 ply tire with 2 of polyester and 2 of Aramid, which is another name for Kevlar, the stuff they use for bullet-proof vests.  After a few months of almost daily driving, one tire developed a slow leak, and a quick inspection showed a substantial, deep crack in the sidewall.  The other tires showed slight superficial cracks, but I decided to retire all of them and use new ones.

I believe you are right that a tire's life depends on the tire, the environment, and how it was used.  Forget the 7-year rule.

The Michelin tires on the 75 Eldo are not hard or cracked, except slight dry cracks in the depth of the tread.  The sidewalls feel and look like new.

Thanks for all your comments and info.   :)
Dave Shreiner
CLC#23834

35-709

I've had trouble with older but good looking tires on 3 different occasions.  This is an informative video on older tires and how to identify them.  In my opnion, any tire older than 5 years these days bears close watching, with 10 year old tires I would not get on a high speed highway (Interstate) with them on my car.  Radial tires last much longer than the bias-plys that preceded them and they absolutely, positively will deteriorate and can come apart suddenly and unexpectedly!  Please watch this video.

Http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=4826897 

Geoff N.     
1935 Cadillac Sedan resto-mod "Big Red"
1973 Cadillac Caribou - Sold - but still in the family
1950 Jaguar Mark V Saloon resto-mod - Sold
1942 Cadillac 6269 - Sold
1968 Pontiac Bonneville Convertible - Sold
1950 Packard 2dr. Club Sedan
1935 Glenn Pray - Auburn Boattail Speedster, Gen. 2

The Tassie Devil(le)

A big THANKS for posting that site Geoff.

Nice to learn good information every day.

Bruce. >:D
'72 Eldorado Convertible (LHD)
'70 Ranchero Squire (RHD)
'74 Chris Craft Gull Wing (SH)
'02 VX Series II Holden Commodore SS Sedan
(Past President Modified Chapter)

Past Cars of significance - to me
1935 Ford 3 Window Coupe
1936 Ford 5 Window Coupe
1937 Chevrolet Sports Coupe
1955 Chevrolet Convertible
1959 Ford Fairlane Ranch Wagon
1960 Cadillac CDV
1972 Cadillac Eldorado Coupe

DaveShreiner CLC#23834

An interesting video Geoff.  But interviewing a lawyer who makes his money suing tire manufacturers is not the best "scientific" evidence that the tire failure was caused by age and not defective manufacture.  I have driven at highway speeds on old tires many times, including the post WWII days when retreads were still popular.  I have never had a tread separate from the tire.  But maybe I have a guardian angel.  :)  It would be nice if tire makers would do some controlled tests on tires of various ages to see if the older ones really do fail sooner than newer ones, and how old a tire has to be before it could fail.  We know that some new tires will also fail because of faulty manufacture.  A study needs to be done on failed tires to determine how many are old and how many are new, what types they are, etc. 
Dave Shreiner
CLC#23834

35-709

Hi Dave,
The lawyer wasn't the only one interviewed, but he certainly made good points in my view.  Taking the video as a whole, the message is crystal clear as far as I am concerned. Tire construction and materials have changed since the "old days" and the "modern" radial tires just do not SEEM to last like the older tires did ---- if they got all that old to begin with before wearing out.  I have had enough retread failures back when money was much tighter for me to finally quit using them, cheaper or not, and you see retread carcasses from trucks (the main users anymore) scattered along the interstates on a regular basis.  Retreads might be fine for around town and city buses but they have no business on trucks on the interstates in my opinion, but that is another subject.
Geoff N.   
1935 Cadillac Sedan resto-mod "Big Red"
1973 Cadillac Caribou - Sold - but still in the family
1950 Jaguar Mark V Saloon resto-mod - Sold
1942 Cadillac 6269 - Sold
1968 Pontiac Bonneville Convertible - Sold
1950 Packard 2dr. Club Sedan
1935 Glenn Pray - Auburn Boattail Speedster, Gen. 2

DaveShreiner CLC#23834

I wish the message were "crystal clear" but I hardly think ABC "news" is an unbiased source.  Besides the trial lawyer, there was the head of some tire manufacturer's union, which naturally would want to squelch negative news about tires.  But he said there was no scientific evidence for the claim that tires of any certain age were dangerous.  This statement could not be refuted by ABC or any of the other interviewed people, most of whom were retail tire dealers, who seemed uncertain and could provide no real evidence for their questionable belief that unused tires of a certain age were dangerous.  The British data was also unsubstantiated by any evidence. 

One think we can be sure of -- ABC never would have televised a show that showed old tires were safe!

We all have seen remnants of truck tire treads on the highways.  I don't think this has much to do with aged tires but more to do with heavy use.  I can't imagine those 18-wheelers not wearing out their tires long before age begins to affect their quality.
Dave Shreiner
CLC#23834

The Tassie Devil(le)

99% of the treads that come off truck tyres is as a result of under inflation, getting a puncture whilst driving, and not being replaced at the time, seeing as the driver isn't really aware of the puncture, and overheating and overloading.

I have known of truck drivers actually still driving the vehicle, knowing full well that the trailer tyre is flat, and simply waiting for the tyre to blow out, and disintegrate from the rim, so it is easier to replace without getting spiked by the steel belts.

Bruce. >:D
'72 Eldorado Convertible (LHD)
'70 Ranchero Squire (RHD)
'74 Chris Craft Gull Wing (SH)
'02 VX Series II Holden Commodore SS Sedan
(Past President Modified Chapter)

Past Cars of significance - to me
1935 Ford 3 Window Coupe
1936 Ford 5 Window Coupe
1937 Chevrolet Sports Coupe
1955 Chevrolet Convertible
1959 Ford Fairlane Ranch Wagon
1960 Cadillac CDV
1972 Cadillac Eldorado Coupe

Tom Magdaleno

Back to the topic, body colored rims were very popular in the 70's.  I still see those ugly 70's Mercedes on the road with puke yellow body and wheels.  The last owner of my 71 Riviera painted the rally wheels brown to match the car.  I made sure to paint them black again.

On your car I think it looks alright, its a good color.
Tom
'38 Cadillac V16
'71 Buick Riviera
'65 Chevy Truck
'56 Packard Super Clipper

DaveShreiner CLC#23834

Tom, I agree with you about those Mercedes of the 70s and their ugly colors.  I could never understand why a car so expensive would be painted like baby poop or worse in the case of their brown.  I plan to keep the painted hub caps on my car but they do need re-painted because of chipping and they are not quite the right shade to match the car body.  I suppose a previous owner preferred the Toronado wheels to Cadillac's wheel covers.  I have been told colored caps weren't available until 1976, so I suppose the guy with my 75 decided to move up a notch or two and found the Toronado wheels to go with the painted caps.

Bruce, thanks for the info on truck tires and how to lose your treads by ignoring tire pressure. :)
Dave Shreiner
CLC#23834