Google Groups no longer supports new Usenet posts or subscriptions. Historical content remains viewable.
Dismiss

Is it not wotrh mentioning that a tire is a steel belted radioal

85 views
Skip to first unread message

micky

unread,
Feb 1, 2024, 4:31:14 PMFeb 1
to
As I mentioned in a post earlier today, I had two flats in 12 hours, or
maybe 2 flats at the same time except it took overnight for the 2nd one
to go flat.

I must be getting tired, because I'm willing to go to Firestone, a
half-mile away, rather than go into the city to a used tire store where
I'm always in and out in under 10 minutes, sometimes 6. Partly because
he charged $70*** per last time. ***Total price including balancing.

So Firestone has a tire for 66.99!** Less than the used tires I bought
last time. Or course Firestone's is the cheapest one they sell, and the
used tires might have been a much better model. (But I don't bother to
check, and even though I still have the one on the right side, I'll
probably not check.) **Plus about $30 for putting it on.

But that was intro and this is the question:

I thought maybe I should have a steel belted radial, and for that price
I was getting ... I don't remember what they used to sell. So I looked
at the details and it says neither steel nor radial. That's bad. But
then I loked at the most expensive tire they sell for my car, $170, and
it doesn't mention steel, belts, or radial either. Does no one care
about that anymore?

Mark Lloyd

unread,
Feb 1, 2024, 5:01:58 PMFeb 1
to
On 2/1/24 15:31, micky wrote:
> As I mentioned in a post earlier today, I had two flats in 12 hours, or
> maybe 2 flats at the same time except it took overnight for the 2nd one
> to go flat.
>
> I must be getting tired, because I'm willing to go to Firestone, a
> half-mile away, rather than go into the city to a used tire store where
> I'm always in and out in under 10 minutes, sometimes 6. Partly because
> he charged $70*** per last time. ***Total price including balancing.

I remember my father saying he couldn't understand why anyone would buy
used times. Who would get rid of a tire that was still good?

I also heard that a lot of them came from wrecked cars, where the tires
are still good.

[snip]

--
Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.us/

"System Price Error. Inadequate money spent on hardware."

Ed P

unread,
Feb 1, 2024, 5:11:28 PMFeb 1
to
On 2/1/2024 5:01 PM, Mark Lloyd wrote:
> On 2/1/24 15:31, micky wrote:
>> As I mentioned in a post earlier today, I had two flats in 12 hours, or
>> maybe 2 flats at the same time except it took overnight for the 2nd one
>> to go flat.
>>
>> I must be getting tired, because I'm willing to go to Firestone, a
>> half-mile away, rather than go into the city to a used tire store where
>> I'm always in and out in under 10 minutes, sometimes 6.   Partly because
>> he charged $70*** per last time.  ***Total price including balancing.
>
> I remember my father saying he couldn't understand why anyone would buy
> used times. Who would get rid of a tire that was still good?
>
> I also heard that a lot of them came from wrecked cars, where the tires
> are still good.
>
> [snip]
>

Today, they seem to tout the need to have matching tires on the axle to
avoid problems. There are time though, you just need a tire to get
through a time until you can get the tire you want that is out of stock.
Used certainly is hand for that.

Years ago, I put re-caps on my cars. I don't think they sell them for
passenger cars any more.

Bob F

unread,
Feb 1, 2024, 5:57:07 PMFeb 1
to
I saw the full tread loop from one of those on the side of the freeway
Tuesday.

micky

unread,
Feb 1, 2024, 6:05:58 PMFeb 1
to
In alt.home.repair, on Thu, 1 Feb 2024 17:11:20 -0500, Ed P
<e...@snet.xxx> wrote:

>On 2/1/2024 5:01 PM, Mark Lloyd wrote:
>> On 2/1/24 15:31, micky wrote:
>>> As I mentioned in a post earlier today, I had two flats in 12 hours, or
>>> maybe 2 flats at the same time except it took overnight for the 2nd one
>>> to go flat.
>>>
>>> I must be getting tired, because I'm willing to go to Firestone, a
>>> half-mile away, rather than go into the city to a used tire store where
>>> I'm always in and out in under 10 minutes, sometimes 6.   Partly because
>>> he charged $70*** per last time.  ***Total price including balancing.
>>
>> I remember my father saying he couldn't understand why anyone would buy
>> used times. Who would get rid of a tire that was still good?
>>
>> I also heard that a lot of them came from wrecked cars, where the tires
>> are still good.

I think that is most of them. Loads of cars in junkyards, and they all
once had tires.

There used to be, maybe still are, people who buy new cars and put
better tires on them. The old tires, though practically new, become
used tires, although if I were a new car dealer, I think I'd want to
keep them for repairs to other cars that had them. I don't know if they
ended up in used tire stores, or if they still exist much.
>>
>> [snip]
>>
>
>Today, they seem to tout the need to have matching tires on the axle to
>avoid problems.

Actually, the front tire that I ruined was part of a matching pair,
bought from the used tire store, only 6 months ago. I suppose I could
check what make it is and try to find the same tire, but I'm not going
to do it. They were $70 each when her prices used to be 30, 40, and
50. I suppose it's inflation, or a used tire shortage.

>There are time though, you just need a tire to get
>through a time until you can get the tire you want that is out of stock.
> Used certainly is hand for that.
>
>Years ago, I put re-caps on my cars. I don't think they sell them for
>passenger cars any more.

When I got my first car, a '50 olds 88 that my 80-year old cousin gave
me when he stpped driving, it needed a tire, and my uncle offered to get
me one. I didn't know much at age 19, but I knew to say, Okay, just no
recaps. I barely knew what a recap was but I didn't want it.

Chicago was 4 hours away then (3 hours now) and I got 20 minutes from my
family home in Indianapolis, when I heard a flapping noise. The cap
was partly detached and flapping. Somehow I must have come back to Indy
soon after that because I remember that the problem was rectified
without my spending more money.

AIUI recaps are used all the time for semi-trailers. But they usually
have 4 tires on an axle so if one goes bad, they still have 3.

Clare Snyder

unread,
Feb 1, 2024, 9:02:15 PMFeb 1
to
On Thu, 01 Feb 2024 16:31:17 -0500, micky <NONONO...@fmguy.com>
wrote:
Pretty hard to get a non radial passenger car tire today - whether
steel or kevlar belted - with the Kevlar tires being more expensive. I
can almost guarantee the new tire you bought was a radial. If the size
starts with a P and the last part of the number starts with an R - eg,
P135-65-R15 it is a p metric (metric passenger) radial tire. A light
truck radial would be an LT235-70-R16 or similar

Clare Snyder

unread,
Feb 1, 2024, 9:15:45 PMFeb 1
to
On Thu, 1 Feb 2024 16:01:50 -0600, Mark Lloyd <not....@all.invalid>
wrote:

>On 2/1/24 15:31, micky wrote:
>> As I mentioned in a post earlier today, I had two flats in 12 hours, or
>> maybe 2 flats at the same time except it took overnight for the 2nd one
>> to go flat.
>>
>> I must be getting tired, because I'm willing to go to Firestone, a
>> half-mile away, rather than go into the city to a used tire store where
>> I'm always in and out in under 10 minutes, sometimes 6. Partly because
>> he charged $70*** per last time. ***Total price including balancing.
>
>I remember my father saying he couldn't understand why anyone would buy
>used times. Who would get rid of a tire that was still good?
>
>I also heard that a lot of them came from wrecked cars, where the tires
>are still good.
>
>[snip]
Most come from wrecks - but many are also "trade-ins" - good tires
taken off a car where one or more tires were damaged and a full set of
replacements are installed. Sometimes only one good tire left,
sometimes 2 or 3.
Then there are "takeoffs" where someone decides they want a different
(usually high performance or "high end") replacement tire. Once they
have been mounted on a rim they are "used" tires, even if they only
have 10 miles on them.

I have bought used tires in the past - for example a set of high end
winter tires that had been used for one winter by the original
purchacer who then bought a different vehicle - and found they did not
fit. Got them for less than half new price. Another set just happened
to be mounted on a set of rather rare custom rims that I wanted for my
vehicle. They had lots of tread left and they saved me buying a new
set of tires to fit the wheels for another 3 years - - - Got the rims
for what I considered to be an EXCELLENT price - and got the tires for
nothing.
The only other time I would buy a used tire is to replace a damaged
tire to carry me through untill replacing the full set - like I'm on a
trip across country and blow a tire - no new matching tire available
on short notice and the sxcrapper or used tire shop has a decent tire
that is either a match or close match with roughly the same tread wear
as the rest if the tires on the vehicle. Back on the road for $40 in
half an hour instead of waiting a day or two for a $150 tire and
having to pay for a motel.
My other option is to buy a set of 4 matching new tires (that do not
match my old tires) ald leave the 3 used tires with the tire dealer
(who I pay a "disposal fee" to - and HE sells them to the next guy
that needs a single used tire, or a pair.

Clare Snyder

unread,
Feb 1, 2024, 9:16:57 PMFeb 1
to
On Thu, 1 Feb 2024 17:11:20 -0500, Ed P <e...@snet.xxx> wrote:

They do, but not in North America - -At today's highway speeds they
are NOT SAFE

Jim Joyce

unread,
Feb 1, 2024, 9:20:28 PMFeb 1
to
On Thu, 01 Feb 2024 16:31:17 -0500, micky <NONONO...@fmguy.com> wrote:

>I must be getting tired, because I'm willing to go to Firestone, a
>half-mile away, rather than go into the city to a used tire store where
>I'm always in and out in under 10 minutes, sometimes 6.

You lost me at "used tire".

Clare Snyder

unread,
Feb 1, 2024, 9:28:25 PMFeb 1
to
On Thu, 01 Feb 2024 20:20:21 -0600, Jim Joyce <no...@none.invalid>
wrote:
I'd like to see the guy dismount. mount, and balance the tire in 10
minutes.
As a young fellow I held the local record fir snow-tire change-overs -
with the car on the hoist remove the wheels, deflate, dismount,
remount, and reinstall - no balancing - at 4 1/2 minutes per tire with
a manual (not air powered) tire machine. That was with lots of
practice - about half way through a season when I changed 700 sets.
I'd be hard pressed to do it in twice that time today with a powered
tire machine - - -

micky

unread,
Feb 2, 2024, 12:21:42 AMFeb 2
to
In alt.home.repair, on Thu, 01 Feb 2024 21:28:19 -0500, Clare Snyder
<cl...@snyder.on.ca> wrote:

>On Thu, 01 Feb 2024 20:20:21 -0600, Jim Joyce <no...@none.invalid>
>wrote:
>
>>On Thu, 01 Feb 2024 16:31:17 -0500, micky <NONONO...@fmguy.com> wrote:
>>
>>>I must be getting tired, because I'm willing to go to Firestone, a
>>>half-mile away, rather than go into the city to a used tire store where
>>>I'm always in and out in under 10 minutes, sometimes 6.
>>
>>You lost me at "used tire".
>I'd like to see the guy dismount. mount, and balance the tire in 10
>minutes.
>As a young fellow I held the local record fir snow-tire change-overs -
>with the car on the hoist remove the wheels, deflate, dismount,
>remount, and reinstall - no balancing - at 4 1/2 minutes per tire with
>a manual (not air powered) tire machine.

That makes a difference. They use airpowered.

> That was with lots of
>practice - about half way through a season when I changed 700 sets.
> I'd be hard pressed to do it in twice that time today with a powered
>tire machine - - -

They have room in the shop for two cars, one behind the other. if
someone were behind me, I'd have to wait until he was done, which could
add another 5 minutes, But I don't remember that happening.

If there are already 2 cars inside when you get there, guys come out to
the sidewalk and the street with floor jacks and air guns, you have to
tell 'em what tires, but each one has his off in 30 seconds. One goes
in the back to get replacements while the other takes your rims to the
workroom where the old tire is removed. Guy come back in a couple
minutes and you approve the tires they found (I never look, they've
always done fine), then (pretty much out of sight. I could look in but
I'm busy paying so I'll be done with that in time to leave when they're
done. And the sign says you have to stay with your car) one guy puts it
on the rim and inflates it, another guy checks for leaks with a water
bath, a third guy does dynamic balancing, and another guy brings it to
your car and bolts it on. Meanwhile, I'm paying for it, to the
middle-aged blonde women who run the place. Maybe it was started by
their father, I don't know. And they're friendly although there is not
a lot of time for that. And I'm done in about 10 minutes. Once it was
6, but I don't count on that.

4.4 stars on 386 reviews. (It's really amazing how some reviews make it
sound so bad, but most are great and I've never had any problems. Google
reviews are like that for every place. One person loves it and the
other hates it.)
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Dana's+New+%26+Used+Tires/@39.2920825,-76.6595625,16.46z/data=!4m6!3m5!1s0x89c81b58822b552b:0x6152f228b16f2649!8m2!3d39.2928855!4d-76.6559344!16s%2Fg%2F1vtzj54m?entry=ttu
Open 7-5:30, to 3 on weekends.

We'll see how long Firestone takes, even though I've picked out the tire
and made an appointment for 1PM today Friday. But I'll save 15 minutes
of driving each way. .

Cindy Hamilton

unread,
Feb 2, 2024, 4:38:23 AMFeb 2
to
On 2024-02-01, micky <NONONO...@fmguy.com> wrote:
>
> Actually, the front tire that I ruined was part of a matching pair,
> bought from the used tire store, only 6 months ago.

Have you figured out what caused the flats? Used tires might be
a false economy, if they fail after 6 months.

--
Cindy Hamilton

micky

unread,
Feb 2, 2024, 9:52:29 AMFeb 2
to
In alt.home.repair, on Fri, 02 Feb 2024 09:38:16 GMT, Cindy Hamilton
I know exactly. It was not the quality of the tires. In the dark in
the rain I drove over a little island, not outlined in paint, in the
middle of the road where it comes to an intersection, meant to separate
opposing lanes, but the intersection was skewed and required a turn to
the left. I didn't see the island and I drove too far to the left.
(I've been there 100 times in the daylight, but I was rushing.) The
left front tire went flat immediately, and I changed it in the light
rain. The left rear looked fine then. Somehow I was still able to go to
Home Depot a mile away, then a mile and a half back to my house without
that tire going flat. I thought it was okay. But the next morning, the
left rear was flat, and I know those 12v tire pumps are not that good,
but my tire pump wouldn't pump it up. And I had to leave for the
airport in an hour.

I'm still driving with the donut on the front with the left-front flat
in the trunk and it has a vertical slit over two inches long in the side
wall. I don't know how bad the left-rear was, but Ben's Mobile Tire
Service gets 4.9 stars on 53 reviews and I trust him not to replace it
if it could be patched. (Several of his reviews say he did repairs when
he could have done replacing.) He/they told me in advance what the
charge would be if a new tire was needed and if it wasn't; they came out
within 2 hours of my calling and put a new tire on the rim, and charged
about $100, including the tire. Certainly a fair price. He called me
when he was there, and took a credit card over the phone. He said he
would put a business card on the windshield. I asked him not to and he
didn't. And even if the HOA didn't object, I wouldn't want my car
sitting with a flat for a month.

(Two threads before this one, called Emergency Tire Repair, I had said
briefly how the flats happened.)

Cindy Hamilton

unread,
Feb 2, 2024, 10:48:27 AMFeb 2
to
Yeah, about that. tl;dr

--
Cindy Hamilton

Clare Snyder

unread,
Feb 2, 2024, 11:16:58 AMFeb 2
to
On Fri, 02 Feb 2024 09:38:16 GMT, Cindy Hamilton
<hami...@invalid.com> wrote:

Micky likes driving over curbs, apparently. New tires would have
suffered the same fate, at a higher cost

Mark Lloyd

unread,
Feb 2, 2024, 11:51:12 AMFeb 2
to
[snip]
> They do, but not in North America - -At today's highway speeds they
> are NOT SAFE

I know of a new highway that allows 85MPH. I hear a lot of animals get
run over.

--
Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.us/

"Few people can be happy unless they hate some other person, nation or
creed." [Bertrand Russell]

Bob F

unread,
Feb 2, 2024, 3:29:48 PMFeb 2
to
Have you checked the rims for dents or other damage?

hub...@ccanoemail.com

unread,
Feb 2, 2024, 5:00:28 PMFeb 2
to

>
>Have you checked the rims for dents or other damage?
>

My 2015 Kia's OEM tires had unexplained sidewall leaks.
< a first for me >
The first one was tricky to find because it was such a slow leak
and there were no curb scuffs at all. The dealer replaced it
with a small pro-rating deduction but it was a 4-5 week wait
for the manufacturer to come through < Nexen >
Later when the second one started leaking I just replaced it myself
with a used tire and later replaced all 4.
This sort of experience makes a person swear-off the brand.
I was surprised at the high prices last year when I bought
the set of new tires - having not bought tires for 10 + years.

ps : whenever I see the family Utes with the huge
< 19 -20 ? inch > wheels - I wonder if they have
priced-out the tire replacement ..
John T.

micky

unread,
Feb 2, 2024, 5:40:26 PMFeb 2
to
In alt.home.repair, on Fri, 2 Feb 2024 12:29:35 -0800, Bob F
Yeah, they're scuffed some more on the edges but they're good to use.

I went back to where it happened and I can't see anything that could
have done it. Once in a while you see a metal sign post that is broken
off and the stub can damages tires, but here there was a rounded curb,
thke kind designed to drive onto, and an array of bricks at the top,
like a brick patio. Yes, I shouldn't have driven over it, but I don't
know how I damaged 1 tire, let alone 2. I didn't hit the sign, and if
I had it would still be broken. The road department is not that fast
here.

Got a better view of the first tire today and it had an L shamed cut,in
the sidewall, 3" vertical and 2 or 3" horizontal.

Went to firestone, on time, and they were very nice, but it took 90
minutes. Some of that was not their doing. I had found the tire for my
car on their website and put it in their shopping cart, a 215/60R16
(which I verified later), but when he went to put it on the rim it
wouldn't fit. I had a 17" tire and a 17" rim. Either the Firestone
listing is wrong or the original owner bought different rims than
normally came with a 2005 Toyota Solara SLE.

Yhat they are 17" might be why I had to pay $70 for each tire even at
the used** tire place. I think those two were the first tires I bought
for this car, an maybe 17" are harder to find. ?? **They sell new
tires too, and would have offfered me new if they didn't have used, but
there were no stickers on them so I think they were used.

I saved 40 minutes of driving but still I'm going back to the used-tire
place next time.

Jim Joyce

unread,
Feb 2, 2024, 7:12:27 PMFeb 2
to
On Fri, 2 Feb 2024 10:51:05 -0600, Mark Lloyd <not....@all.invalid> wrote:

>I know of a new highway that allows 85MPH.

When I lived in Texas, a long stretch of I-10 West was marked at 85mph. Of
course, the traffic flow was more like 105+. Oh, and there's Hwy 130 that
somewhat connects San Antonio to Austin, designed to reduce traffic on I-35.
It's a toll road with little to no enforcement. I don't remember what it was
marked at, but I was out there doing triple digits, getting passed by most
traffic.

When I lived in Montana, the Interstate speed limit was "Reasonable and Prudent"
during the daytime. I once overtook a state trooper at about 140mph. I figure he
was only doing about 120, which was close enough that we could exchange waves.

>I hear a lot of animals get run over.

I don't know about that but it sounds like the lady who wanted the 'deer
crossing' signs moved because so many deer were getting hit by traffic.

Clare Snyder

unread,
Feb 2, 2024, 9:25:08 PMFeb 2
to
There's over a grand's worth of Nokian rubber under the Sorento 18
inch Nokian One LT

Clare Snyder

unread,
Feb 2, 2024, 9:28:20 PMFeb 2
to
On Fri, 02 Feb 2024 17:40:28 -0500, micky <NONONO...@fmguy.com>
17 inch was standard on the V6 Solara Sport and Solara convertible

micky

unread,
Feb 2, 2024, 9:59:59 PMFeb 2
to
In alt.home.repair, on Fri, 02 Feb 2024 21:28:13 -0500, Clare Snyder
<cl...@snyder.on.ca> wrote:

>
>>Went to firestone, on time, and they were very nice, but it took 90
>>minutes. Some of that was not their doing. I had found the tire for my
>>car on their website and put it in their shopping cart, a 215/60R16
>>(which I verified later), but when he went to put it on the rim it
>>wouldn't fit. I had a 17" tire and a 17" rim. Either the Firestone
>>listing is wrong or the original owner bought different rims than
>>normally came with a 2005 Toyota Solara SLE.
>>
>>Yhat they are 17" might be why I had to pay $70 for each tire even at
>>the used** tire place. I think those two were the first tires I bought
>>for this car, an maybe 17" are harder to find. ?? **They sell new
>>tires too, and would have offfered me new if they didn't have used, but
>>there were no stickers on them so I think they were used.
>>

> 17 inch was standard on the V6 Solara Sport and Solara convertible

Then Firestone's listing is wrong. That happens.

micky

unread,
Feb 2, 2024, 10:02:15 PMFeb 2
to

I forgot that the original door sticker said the tires were 17", so
Firestone's listing is certainly wrong, or conceivably there were two
sizes and their listing is incomplete.

If they were easy to write to, I'd write to them, but I'm sure they're
not.

In alt.home.repair, on Fri, 02 Feb 2024 21:28:13 -0500, Clare Snyder
<cl...@snyder.on.ca> wrote:

>
>>Went to firestone, on time, and they were very nice, but it took 90
>>minutes. Some of that was not their doing. I had found the tire for my
>>car on their website and put it in their shopping cart, a 215/60R16
>>(which I verified later), but when he went to put it on the rim it
>>wouldn't fit. I had a 17" tire and a 17" rim. Either the Firestone
>>listing is wrong or the original owner bought different rims than
>>normally came with a 2005 Toyota Solara SLE.
>>
>>Yhat they are 17" might be why I had to pay $70 for each tire even at
>>the used** tire place. I think those two were the first tires I bought
>>for this car, an maybe 17" are harder to find. ?? **They sell new
>>tires too, and would have offfered me new if they didn't have used, but
>>there were no stickers on them so I think they were used.
>>

rbowman

unread,
Feb 3, 2024, 2:16:29 AMFeb 3
to
On Fri, 02 Feb 2024 18:12:20 -0600, Jim Joyce wrote:


> When I lived in Montana, the Interstate speed limit was "Reasonable and
> Prudent"
> during the daytime. I once overtook a state trooper at about 140mph. I
> figure he was only doing about 120, which was close enough that we could
> exchange waves.

Most of I90 and I15 is 80 mph now. I don't miss 'reasonable and prudent'.
Traveling down 93 on a bike at 100 in a flock of soccer moms in their SUVs
could get nerve racking. A friend died on Evaro Hill when one made him a
hood ornament.

>
>>I hear a lot of animals get run over.
>
> I don't know about that but it sounds like the lady who wanted the 'deer
> crossing' signs moved because so many deer were getting hit by traffic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3btA2Qu1-k

I stopped and checked it out one day. I didn't see signs of any usage. It
looked like their might have been a game camera at some point but FW&P
either removed it or someone stole it.

There are others that go under the road. The last deer I hit was just
north of St. Ignatius. He left the scene before I could load him in the
car. That's legal but you have to take the whole thing; no gut piles along
the highway.

Peeler

unread,
Feb 3, 2024, 3:41:39 AMFeb 3
to
On 3 Feb 2024 07:16:22 GMT, lowbrowwoman, the endlessly driveling,
troll-feeding, senile idiot, blabbered again:


> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3btA2Qu1-k
>
> I stopped and checked it out one day. I didn't see signs of any usage. It
> looked like their might have been a game camera at some point but FW&P
> either removed it or someone stole it.
>
> There are others that go under the road. The last deer I hit was just
> north of St. Ignatius. He left the scene before I could load him in the
> car. That's legal but you have to take the whole thing; no gut piles along
> the highway.

Feeling better again, you self-admiring, endlessly blathering bigmouth and
drama queen? <BG>

--
Gossiping "lowbrowwoman" about herself:
"Usenet is my blog... I don't give a damn if anyone ever reads my posts
but they are useful in marshaling [sic] my thoughts."
MID: <iteioi...@mid.individual.net>

hub...@ccanoemail.com

unread,
Feb 3, 2024, 7:07:22 AMFeb 3
to
On Fri, 02 Feb 2024 22:02:18 -0500, micky <NONONO...@fmguy.com>
wrote:

>
>I forgot that the original door sticker said the tires were 17", so
>Firestone's listing is certainly wrong, or conceivably there were two
>sizes and their listing is incomplete.
>

The trim package can make the difference - my car has 16 inch wheels
but the same car with the luxury trim has 17 inch.
John T.

micky

unread,
Feb 3, 2024, 9:03:51 AMFeb 3
to
In alt.home.repair, on Sat, 03 Feb 2024 07:07:14 -0500,
Aha. You're right. I looked at what tirerack.com had to say.

2005 Toyota Solara SE SLE V6 Convertible:
What Tire Size is on Your Vehicle?
Toyota equips your vehicle with TWO possible sizes during production.
(Learn More**)
Factory Tire Sizes
16" 215/60-16
17" 215/55-17

Optional Tire Sizes
18" 225/45-18
19" 225/40-19

They also allow for custom sizes and maybe will tell you if the tire
will fit or not.

But for the 2005 Toyota Solara SE SLE V6 *Coupe*, it says
Toyota equips your vehicle with ONE possible size during production
17" 215/55-17
Optional Tire Sizes
16" 215/60-16
18" 225/45-18
19" 225/40-19
SPR 155/70-17 Temporary/Compact Spare -- included for completeness.
When selecting a Factory tire size, note that the proper Factory tire
size for the vehicle is determined by options or changes by the
manufacturer.

But there is really nothing about being an SLE that enables more or
fewer sizes to be used than in an SE, afaik??? All the differences are
in the interior, I've assumed. It has a better radio and maybe other
stuff like leather seats. Surely the tire wells are no different??????
Yes, if you add the possible factory list to the optional list, the
lists are the same.

Unsure what to select?
We can help! Our trained experts have years of tire fitment experience
and are available to answer questions.
Call 888-541-1777. Monday - Friday: 8AM - 8PM ET, Saturday: 9AM - 4PM ET

**Factory sizes are based on the best information currently available to
us. Variations based on options or changes by the manufacturer may
change the Factory size on your vehicle. Please verify the size listed
matches the tire size listed on your vehicle (usually found in the DOOR
JAMB or gas cap) or in the Owner's Manual.

This means Tirerack's listing is more accurate than Firestone's, and
that doesn't suprise me, because Firestone is established and Tirerack
was new and had to try harder. What does surprise me is that, When
Firestone gathered its data, who gave it incomplete data? Was it early
in the 2005 year, before Toyota made the other size an option? That
might be. .... except that TireRack started before 1990 and was selling
online by 1998, also before, 6+ years before, my car was made.

I've never participated in choosing the size before. I've let the shop
do it. So I've learned a lesson. BTW, the same company that came out
to fix my flat when I was out of town will also put on mail-order tires,
so you don't have to squeeze them into your trunk or back seat, go to a
gas station or tire shop and wait around. There are days when I don't
go anywhere and they'll come then. The key search word is MOBILE tire
service.

Wait. TireRack has its own list of local trucks and cooperating
companies that will come out and install TireRack tires, INCLUDING the
Firestone I was at yesterday, but when I called them a month ago to come
out and fix my flat, they wouldn't do it. Maybe they don't like doing
this and only do it for TireRack, or maybe they don't do it for them
anymore either but their location is still on the list and the map.

And I see there is a Mr. Tire very close to me on the TireRack list too.
I didn't think to call them. And when I google mobile tire service ,
neither they nor Firestone shows up. I tried to call nearby places, so
it would only take them 5 or 10 minutes to get to me.

Clare Snyder

unread,
Feb 3, 2024, 9:59:25 PMFeb 3
to
On Fri, 02 Feb 2024 22:02:18 -0500, micky <NONONO...@fmguy.com>
wrote:

>
4 cyl and non-sport or non-convertible could come with 16 as standard.
I am sure 6 cyl sport and convertible was the minority od Solara sales

Clare Snyder

unread,
Feb 3, 2024, 10:06:57 PMFeb 3
to
On Sat, 03 Feb 2024 09:03:52 -0500, micky <NONONO...@fmguy.com>
wrote:
The options were established by Toyota cefore the mosels hit the
showroom floor. The wheelwells are the same sise. The 16, 17, 18 and
19 inch tires are all virtually the same diameter IIRC. On SOME models
of SOME cars the brakes are a different size, so the smaller standard
rim will not fit. Just like when I put the big brake upgrade on my
Ranger (that came with 15 inch rims) I had NO CHOICE but to put
minimum 16" rims on.I also chose to put larger diameter tires on so
had to change the speedometer/vss drive gear to correct the
calibration. Actually, I chose the bigger tires and rims first, and
then had to upsize the brakes to stop the truck -----, but now I can
NOT but 14 or 15 inch rimc back on the truck

micky

unread,
Feb 4, 2024, 12:45:27 AMFeb 4
to
In alt.home.repair, on Sat, 03 Feb 2024 21:59:18 -0500, Clare Snyder
<cl...@snyder.on.ca> wrote:

>
>>> 17 inch was standard on the V6 Solara Sport and Solara convertible

>4 cyl and non-sport or non-convertible could come with 16 as standard.
>I am sure 6 cyl sport and convertible was the minority od Solara sales

Probably so, a minority of sales.

It's so sad, IMO, that convertibles are fading away. That's why I watch
detective shows from the 50's, 60's and 70's. Highway Patrol, Mannix and
others. They all drive big convertibles. Sometimes the criminals do
too.

Jim Joyce

unread,
Feb 4, 2024, 4:13:37 AMFeb 4
to
The convertibles were there basically for the same reason that many cars on TV
during that era had their interior rear view mirror removed.* The TV show
creators wanted viewers to see who is in the car, versus just being able to see
the car itself.

*I actually hadn't noticed until I saw it mentioned in TV guide in about the
early 1980s. Once you see it, you start noticing it everywhere on shows from
that era. I don't think they do it as much anymore, but they do other strange
things like asking the rear passengers to crowd tightly together so that a
camera can catch all 4 passengers in a single shot from the front. No one would
actually travel that way.

micky

unread,
Feb 20, 2024, 11:05:18 PMFeb 20
to
In alt.home.repair, on Sat, 03 Feb 2024 22:06:51 -0500, Clare Snyder
I see. Thanks.
0 new messages