Keeping it stock, Tires.

[Movin]

I looked in tires easy dot com and tried to go up in rim size (s) but keep the tire diameter around 21 inches. Every size I found was "last one" "3 left" even "only 11 remaining". I was was surprised as availability of larger rim sizes was suppose to increase availability of tires for those rims. The tires I did find did not really have great test results. I decided to check stock stuff.

I found Yokohama Y372 tires in 165 80 R12 77S 220 - A - A no limit. The ratings there are all great except that 220. The tread wear is awful, but we knew that lol.

I found Nankang CX668 155 80 R12 77T 440 - A - B. No limit. Not bad test results and it has quiet tire shoulder siping technology.

I found Falken SN-807 155 80 R12 77T 300 - A - B. No limit. The 300 is not tops but better than some.

I found Federal SS-657 155 80 R12 and 145 70 R12 No limit. Both with 77T 420 - A - A test results, both very good tests.

I found Maxxis MA-202 155 80 R12 77T No Limit. 400 - A - A very good.

I found Summit DS-618 145 70 R12 69T No Limit but no test results either.

I found the Classic 155 80 R12 77T but no other test results either, no limits.

I found lots of other brands but they were singles or up to 3 on Ebay. Looking at these results it sure looks like 12 inch tires are much easier to get. For back road and off road use stock tires and wheels have a lot going for them.
Is this going to stay this way ? Comments ?

[Studebaker]

Might want to look some place else. I have no problem finding 155 80 R13 locally.

[sketchman]

Yeah, 13s are the way to go for cost vs availability when I checked. 14s are fun, but I probably won't do them again on a Festiva. If I went big again, I'd just go 15" and super low pro tires.

[Eaglefreek]

Might want to look some place else. I have no problem finding 155 80 R13 locally.

That wouldn't be "keeping it stock". The 155/80/13 is over 1.5" larger in diameter than the the stock 145r12 tires. On my first Festiva I went that route and noticed a little loss in power. I'm at a crossroads right now, myself. I need tires and like the look of the little 12" wheels but don't want to spend $250+ every 20k miles replacing tires. The cheap 13" tires only lasted me 20k miles tops also.

[Movin]

I have 13's on the other two but I have been to the pick and pull twice, found lots of ones that would work but I would rather keep the steelies than put any of those on. The part I wanted to keep stock was that after I saw all that is out there in 12's. This one is so low already, it bottoms out on the stops regularly. A taller 12 if there is such a thing would actually be good. I should mention it is a 4 speed.

Lol I was ready to put loadstar trailer tires on after looking around town!

[sketchman]

Lol I was ready to put loadstar trailer tires on after looking around town!

Do it. I was gonna do that to my Focus with trailer wheels too, but then I sold it.

[Movin]

I just found Hercules G2000T 155 80 R12 77T and it has 500 tread-wear, A traction and A temperature. No limits on number ordered.
This one is pretty good tread wear. My concern is not road handling so much as a tire that helps protect the rim from rocks, gives some
ground clearance ( not low profile ) and as we have been seeing in the "shaking" thread, I want a tire that will be round and stay round for
3 or 4 years anyway.
Another recent development, It appears that some of these brands used to be made around the world, now the same brand is made by probably the lowest bidder from china. Probably changes every year. How can we keep current on who makes what and how good it is? I think this is a 12 inch problem as a lot of chinese cars use 12 tires, even their trucks use 12 tires. http://www.ityre.com/en/tyres/catalo...n/model/24643/

[Advancedynamix]

Search your area for a shop that will shave tires on the rims. Sometimes they call it tire "trueing". We have at least 1 shop that does it here. I'm going to have a couple of sets lightly shaved to make them round as an experiment.

[Eaglefreek]

Search your area for a shop that will shave tires on the rims. Sometimes they call it tire "trueing". We have at least 1 shop that does it here. I'm going to have a couple of sets lightly shaved to make them round as an experiment.

My dad has always been a freak when it comes to tire balance. I remember him getting tires trued many years ago and watching them shave the rubber off the tires. They did it while the wheel was still on the car.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAasIWzUJaU

[navdoc101]

I got 4 165/60-R13s from tireeasy.com.
$162.00 delivered.
They are small.

[drddan]

My dad has always been a freak when it comes to tire balance. I remember him getting tires trued many years ago and watching them shave the rubber off the tires. They did it while the wheel was still on the car.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAasIWzUJaU

This sounds interesting! Can you give any idea how they did it?

[Eaglefreek]

It's a special machine. It rotates the tire and then shaves rubber off like a lathe.

[Movin]

Guess I am not so old I have seen everything , that is cooler than penguin marbles !! I will have to poke around a bit.

That looks like an excellent price on some very good 13's !
It looks like they are a bit wider than my "stock" size of 155 or 145 80 R12 77T

https://www.tacomaworld.com/tirecalc?tires=155-80r12-165-60r13

[Safety Guy]

I just found these at Tires-easy:

http://www.tires-easy.com/cgi-bin/rshop.pl?dsco=135&sowigan=&Breite=165&Quer=65&Felge=13&Speed=&kategorie=6&LoadRange=&Marke=&ranzahl=4&search_tool=standard&tyre_for=&rsmFahrzeugart=ALL&suchen=View+Tires

I'd go with the Achilles. That size, 165/65-13, should be ideal for a stock Festiva on 13" Metro or alloy aftermarket rims.

Or these:

http://www.tires-easy.com/cgi-bin/rshop.pl?dsco=135&sowigan=&Breite=175&Quer=60&Felge=13&Speed=&kategorie=6&LoadRange=&Marke=&ranzahl=4&search_tool=standard&tyre_for=&rsmFahrzeugart=ALL&suchen=View+Tires

The Achilles is a bit expensive here, so I'd probably go with the Nexens. The 175/60-13 size is almost the same ride height as the stock 12s.

I'm sure there's more. Understand that while I've had excellent service from Tires-easy, Charlie had a bad experience.

Karl

[harpon]

I drove the old '88 Festiva from the 175 K mark when I bought it for over another 100K - the speedo cable broke at 274 and I hadn't replaced it when I had to sell it when I left the area-

I mostly used 145 width 12" tires, because you could get them for $15 a piece NEW before mounting back in the late '90's and early 2000's.

The tires wore pretty fast though at that width, but the car sure rolls easy then- thinner tires give better mileage, but wear faster- The boxy square wheel base makes for a stable car otherwise- I bought it in Southern cal and ended up driving it only in the warm months in Indiana when the heater core went out, so 145s still held the road very nicely.

and I always thought the Festy "pushed" a little bit in cornering- slightly top heavy then for the small tires- and I always felt the car would have been better off with the 155-13's that I had on those Rabbits back in the '70's.

In the meantime I also got the Aspire I'm still driving- I figured the tires were too wide, but at 115K after buying it at 35K, I've only replaced the tires once, about 15K back now-

so I'd like to get off the steelies but the tires are still too good to replace cost effectively with alloy rims.

Got that '91 Festiva at the end of last summer, and because of this forum I'm now more familiar with the lug widths-
It needed two new fronts so I found those on ebay, but haven't mounted them yet- I think they were $88 delivered as a pair
they are wider than the 145's- are they 165? Should last longer I think- they're still in the back of the car- garaged all last winter

A little sorry I bought them now because I still think 13's would be better- even steel ones- though not ready to spend a lot on wheels there yet- Geo and Toyota matching lug steelies are out there, and I could have changed just the front even for now-

but got great 12's all the way around when I get her on the road so that's what will happen if I'm still alive.

beating a dead horse