JHZR2
Staff member
Hi,
My 82 mb 300cd has 165k and is due for tires. Meanwhile the chrome wheels are starting to show some peeling - not good.
So my issue is that my 30 yo diesel is good for another 150-200k miles, it's like having new car to most. I need tires, and perhaps some wheels. The OE tire size is 195/70r14, on 6.0 or 6.5" wheels. These tires are getting harder to find in quality brands/types. The Michelin Hydroedge is always backordered. I can get Cooper cs4 and some other decent tires, but just compared to a few years ago, the options are dwindling.
Now, if I'm going to change wheels, it wont be real cheap, but I'll stick with OE forged wheels ONLY. One option is to change to 15x7 ET23 or 25 wheels that will exactly fit. This would let me use 195/65r15 tires which have a LOT more good options (though 7" wide is the limit for 195 tires), or perhaps go to a 205 width tire instead which likely gives more options.
So what is the outlook on 195/70r14, or 14" tires overall?
Will it be no big deal to get these tires 10-20 years out. (I have another diesel that has the same size - actually as a replacement for 175R14 (obsolete) which I plan to keep indefinitely).
If I swap wheels, 14" will be cheaper wheel-wise, and if I stay with 14", there is no rush or push to do anything but get new tires. If it is smarter to go to 15", the availability is low, but I can actually get NOS forged wheels in 15" from MB... Might as well go with the long term solution now if I'm changing tires.
Thoughts? Recommendations?
Thanks!!!
My 82 mb 300cd has 165k and is due for tires. Meanwhile the chrome wheels are starting to show some peeling - not good.
So my issue is that my 30 yo diesel is good for another 150-200k miles, it's like having new car to most. I need tires, and perhaps some wheels. The OE tire size is 195/70r14, on 6.0 or 6.5" wheels. These tires are getting harder to find in quality brands/types. The Michelin Hydroedge is always backordered. I can get Cooper cs4 and some other decent tires, but just compared to a few years ago, the options are dwindling.
Now, if I'm going to change wheels, it wont be real cheap, but I'll stick with OE forged wheels ONLY. One option is to change to 15x7 ET23 or 25 wheels that will exactly fit. This would let me use 195/65r15 tires which have a LOT more good options (though 7" wide is the limit for 195 tires), or perhaps go to a 205 width tire instead which likely gives more options.
So what is the outlook on 195/70r14, or 14" tires overall?
Will it be no big deal to get these tires 10-20 years out. (I have another diesel that has the same size - actually as a replacement for 175R14 (obsolete) which I plan to keep indefinitely).
If I swap wheels, 14" will be cheaper wheel-wise, and if I stay with 14", there is no rush or push to do anything but get new tires. If it is smarter to go to 15", the availability is low, but I can actually get NOS forged wheels in 15" from MB... Might as well go with the long term solution now if I'm changing tires.
Thoughts? Recommendations?
Thanks!!!