1966 Replacement Tires

General discussion forum. Moderated. Keep it clean and nice folks.
dap8
Posts: 17
Joined: Sun Jan 20, 2019 1:38 pm
TOA Membership Number: 1390
Years Owned: 1952 MG
1949 Packard
1976 Eldorado
1966 Toronado

1966 Replacement Tires

Postby dap8 » Sun Jan 20, 2019 2:06 pm

Just bought a '66 and want to replace the tires. Recommendations please and prices if known. Any cautions?

User avatar
Otto Skorzeny
Posts: 1721
Joined: Fri Feb 28, 2014 12:41 pm
TOA Membership Number: 0
Years Owned: 1966 Toronado

Re: 1966 Replacement Tires

Postby Otto Skorzeny » Mon Jan 21, 2019 8:55 am

235/75 R15 radials are the correct size. If you want a 1" whitewall, you'll have a little searching to do. If you want a blackwall, your choices are endless. Originally I think the whitewall width was 3/4".

Or contact Diamondback tires and they will vulcanize any width whitewall you want on any brand tire you choose.

https://dbtires.com/

My car has Firestone radials on it.
Attachments
DSC03913.JPG
DSC03913.JPG (425.28 KiB) Viewed 24731 times

dap8
Posts: 17
Joined: Sun Jan 20, 2019 1:38 pm
TOA Membership Number: 1390
Years Owned: 1952 MG
1949 Packard
1976 Eldorado
1966 Toronado

Re: 1966 Replacement Tires

Postby dap8 » Mon Jan 21, 2019 10:06 am

My car has Sears P225/75R-15 with a white wall. I've seen a red stripe that looks interesting. (Gold car) Now that my axles have been replaced the steering wheel has a little wiggle. Could it be tires, alignment or normal wear.

User avatar
Otto Skorzeny
Posts: 1721
Joined: Fri Feb 28, 2014 12:41 pm
TOA Membership Number: 0
Years Owned: 1966 Toronado

Re: 1966 Replacement Tires

Postby Otto Skorzeny » Mon Jan 21, 2019 5:19 pm

Replace the steering damper (shock absorber thing). Cheap and easy. I listed all the part numbers in a post in the Parts Sources section of this forum.

225 is a little narrow and short but it will work. If the tread is good use it till it runs out. If not, buy the 235s.

User avatar
Otto Skorzeny
Posts: 1721
Joined: Fri Feb 28, 2014 12:41 pm
TOA Membership Number: 0
Years Owned: 1966 Toronado

Re: 1966 Replacement Tires

Postby Otto Skorzeny » Mon Jan 21, 2019 5:22 pm


dap8
Posts: 17
Joined: Sun Jan 20, 2019 1:38 pm
TOA Membership Number: 1390
Years Owned: 1952 MG
1949 Packard
1976 Eldorado
1966 Toronado

Re: 1966 Replacement Tires

Postby dap8 » Mon Jan 21, 2019 6:12 pm

I am having a little trouble finding my way around this Forum. Part of the problem is that I am not mechanically inclined. Is steering dampener the name of a part? Where can I get it? My car will look like this when I polish it. Well, close...
Attachments
Toronado.jpg
Toronado.jpg (29.97 KiB) Viewed 24725 times

User avatar
Otto Skorzeny
Posts: 1721
Joined: Fri Feb 28, 2014 12:41 pm
TOA Membership Number: 0
Years Owned: 1966 Toronado

Re: 1966 Replacement Tires

Postby Otto Skorzeny » Tue Jan 22, 2019 7:14 am

Yes. It's called a steering damper. It's connected to the steering down by the center link. It was designed to eliminate torque steer from the fwd. You can get one from http://www.rockauto.com and probably other parts stores as well. The link in the previous post lists all the part numbers and the prices.

How old are the tires on the car? There is a date code embossed in an oval on the side.

Of course old worn out or imbalanced tires can cause vibrations so just work your way through the system to isolate the cause of the vibration.

Was your car parked for a long time or was the previous owner using it? If it sat for a long time, check the tires for dry rot, flat spots, etc. Check the wheel bearings, too. Jack up the front end, grasp the tire at the top and bottom and see if you can rock it in and out. If you can, you might need ball joints.

Sonny Kennedy
Posts: 31
Joined: Tue Aug 11, 2020 9:34 pm
TOA Membership Number: 0
Location: Tampa, FL

Re: 1966 Replacement Tires

Postby Sonny Kennedy » Fri Aug 28, 2020 3:49 am

"If it sat for a long time, check the tires for dry rot, flat spots, etc. Check the wheel bearings, too. Jack up the front end, grasp the tire at the top and bottom and see if you can rock it in and out. If you can, you might need ball joints."

THIS! I was about to advise the same thing.

romcoby
Posts: 18
Joined: Thu May 18, 2017 8:33 am
TOA Membership Number: 0
Years Owned: 1991

Re: 1966 Replacement Tires

Postby romcoby » Mon Oct 26, 2020 5:52 pm

I'm currently running 225/75/15 Kumho tires from 4wheelonline. I chose this size because the 235's rub sometimes at full turn based on my experience.

User avatar
Otto Skorzeny
Posts: 1721
Joined: Fri Feb 28, 2014 12:41 pm
TOA Membership Number: 0
Years Owned: 1966 Toronado

Re: 1966 Replacement Tires

Postby Otto Skorzeny » Tue Oct 27, 2020 6:02 am

Interesting. I've never had that happen with the Firestones on my car.
I wonder if some 235s have a wider section width than others. Those on my car don't exhibit a large bulge, characteristic of many radial tires.

Where were they rubbing? Leading edge or trailing edge? Both?


Return to “General Talk”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 12 guests