Tires, Brakes and Suspension

I have an 85 Euro 280E manual 5 speed and my 79 6.9.

I had been running Pirelli 195/70HR14 P4 All Season 80K mile tire on 280E.

I got 15" Fuchs from Tom and was running Pirelli 225/60VR15 P6. Think these were 40K mile tires. Important to note they were in spec for speed and load ratings.

280E has less than 12,000 miles on tires. 6.9 probably less than 6,000 miles.

Recently learned the 280E tires had steel belts showing and 6.9 tires had steel belts separated in treads of 2 of the four. Noticed imbalance at speeds above 75 mph on recent drive back from Martin Werminghausen's in MA. Took car in to have the tires balanced. Suspect they had no more than 3/32 of wear.

6.9 is driven primarily on weekends on what I call exercise circuits on country roads. Nothing aggressive enough to cause concern about the tires.

Anyone else had problems with belt separation problems with tires that caused out of round condition. I'm still tempted on occasion to get my 14 Inch Bundts refinished and getting 4 new XWX from Coker Tire. If I did not have the investment in 15 inch Bundts it might be easier to pull the trigger.

My concern with Tom Hanson's suggestion on more narrow tires for the 6.9 is the issue with the load rating? To the more seasoned experts, does load rating really matter with my 6.9 driving habits?

I was surprised about the 280E tires but shocked by the 6.9 tire situation.

By the way, replaced 280E with Michelins and 6.9 with Cooper CS5 Ultra Touring tires with appropriate speed and load ratings. With recent work only Martin Werminghausen could do to restore my suspension, I must admit the ride is super nice with new tires that are high speed balanced.

Thoughts and input welcomed..

Tom, check the DOT date on the tires. I don't think that you should have any problems. If your shock / struts are bad, then your wheels will bounce around which may (or may not) cause problems.



With best regards

Al

Age of the tyres? Not when you put them on, when they were manufactured.

Tires have been trashed so cannot determine when they were manufactured. Tires on 280E have been on maybe 3 years and on the 6.9 I'm guessing 4 years. Got them when I got the 15" Bundts from Tom Hanson.

Al, I've probably got the best 6.9 suspension system in the world. 280E has had entire suspension replaced. We just did the front end last week. New Bilstein HD shocks, John Olson sport springs, rubber mounts, drop links, and all rubber wear items. 6.9 has had every single piece of suspension rubber replaced. Most people have a hard time comprehending this. I am not the junkyard guy that tries to swap parts until something is found that will work for a while.

I've just never had this kind of problem with tires before. 280E is my daily driver but I don't put that many miles on the car.

The P6's on the 6.9 are the most perplexing. I cannot understand what caused them to have belt separation issues.

I think the issue is more about how long they were on the shelf before you bought them. There is a four digit date code on the sidewall of every tire. The first two digits are the week, and the last two are the year of construction.

quote:

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Originally posted by etmerritt33

Al, I've probably got the best 6.9 suspension system in the world. 280E has had entire suspension replaced. We just did the front end last week. New Bilstein HD shocks, John Olson sport springs, rubber mounts, drop links, and all rubber wear items. 6.9 has had every single piece of suspension rubber replaced. Most people have a hard time comprehending this. I am not the junkyard guy that tries to swap parts until something is found that will work for a while.

I've just never had this kind of problem with tires before. 280E is my daily driver but I don't put that many miles on the car.

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I've followed your efforts on this car and agree with your assessment. They were likely old tires.


With best regards

Al

Thanks Al and John!! Unfortunately, they threw away the evidence. I did not think to look at them before they tossed them.

But, neither of these tires are still available. Could it be I got some of the last sets of each which were old and failed prematurely.

I've been working too much and have not had time to drive the 6.9 since the tire change. Hoping tomorrow I'll be able to take it out for a drive in the country.

We had a Jag in last week --the Michelin tires were 6ix years old -sidewalls were showing stress cracks and had a balance issue. --tires themselves had more than 50% tread life remaining. Me thinks tires have a 48 month life from date of manufacture this day and age. -You just can't get good rubber --the wiper blades on my black 6.3 date back to at least 1983 -still just fine with no need to replace them.

Axle boots --that's another pet peeve of mine. Replacement boots do not last but a few years. I had a '79 TD wagon for 23 years -sold it at 650,000 miles --Original boots!
mpm

Is it true insurance coys will drop you like a hot potatoe if your tyres are more than 8 years old?
This age may vary in different countries but it's the principle that intrigues me and where does it say it in the policy if it is so?