Narrower tires?

[MK2]

Hey guys I just acquired a 92 Camry Sedan with 195 70R14 tires, they are still ok, but I have a fairly new set of 185 70 R14s from my previous Accord.

The question is are they fine/safe to use???

Thanks in advance.

 

[flatlandtacoma]

Yeah. The 185/70R14 are 1/2" smaller diameter. Your speedometer & odometer will read 2% faster.

 

[robshelton]

Congrats on your Camry acquisition! I would run them without hesitation, but your speedometer/odometer will be slightly off. IIRC, for each inch of tire hight difference you can expect an error of about 3 mph on the speedo at 55 - 65 mph. You can check the tire mfg's website for exact tire heights, but I'm thinking the difference will be less than 1/2" so the difference in calibration should be about 1.5 MPH at real world speeds. It should read a little faster than your actual speed.

I'm sure I will be corrected if I'm even the tiniest bit off...

 

[flatlandtacoma]

The load rating on the 185 tires is also probably lower. By maybe 120 lbs per tire. So you can't carry as much payload.

 

[flatlandtacoma]

Originally Posted By: robshelton
I'm sure I will be corrected if I'm even the tiniest bit off...


The difference is 14mm which is MORE than 1/2"!!

 

[MK2]

Thanks fellas! Anyway, the 185's load index is 87 (1201 lbs.) compared to the 90 (1323 lbs.) of the 195s. What do you guys think?

 

[Colt45ws]

What is the specified pressure with the 195s?

 

[MK2]

They're both 30 psi.

 

[Colt45ws]

You wouldnt be able to match factory ratings with the 185. Maximum load is of course 1201 lbs at 35psi. Load tables for P195/70R14 (90) shows 1201 lbs at 29psi. Since it is calling for 30psi I eyeball it as wanting 1220lbs or so..

 

[CapriRacer]

I don't like the word "safe". It seems to imply a ceratin amount of precision - as in "safe/unsafe" So I use the word risk. It more accurately conveys what is going on.

There is a risk in using a tire with a lower load carrying capacity. The risk is a load related tire failure - which sometimes has tragic results. Remember the Ford/Firestone issue regarding inflation pressure? That was about load carrying capacity.

Your vehicle was designed and produced long before that issue came to the forefront. Since that time, vehicle manufacturers have made an effort to specify tires with larger load carrying capacity to address that issue.

At 30 psi, a 195/70R14 has a load carrying capacity of 1220#. In order to get the same load carrying capacity, a 185/70R14 needs to use .... well, as Colt pointed out, the 185/70R14 tops out at 1201# at 35 psi.

Further, you say the 185/70R14's are fairly new. How new? Some say that tires more than 6 years old, should be replaced. Some say 10 years. My take is if you live in a hot climate (AZ, CA, NV, TX, and FL) then the limit is six years. If you live in a cold climate (MN, ND, WI, MT, etc), then the limit is 10 years. States in between are ..... ah ........ in between.

And here is how to tell how old your tires are:

http://www.barrystiretech.com/dotcoding.html

Personally, I don't like what I see. You're in California and some parts are high risk areas for tire age.

 

[kr_bitog]

Originally Posted By: Loopie
Thanks fellas! Anyway, the 185's load index is 87 (1201 lbs.) compared to the 90 (1323 lbs.) of the 195s. What do you guys think?


If you seldom drive fast and only drive with 2 passenger, I don't see why not. However if you often drive fast, it is better do not swap it, you can keep the 185 for your Civic though

 

[IndyIan]

Originally Posted By: kr_bitog
Originally Posted By: Loopie
Thanks fellas! Anyway, the 185's load index is 87 (1201 lbs.) compared to the 90 (1323 lbs.) of the 195s. What do you guys think?


If you seldom drive fast and only drive with 2 passenger, I don't see why not. However if you often drive fast, it is better do not swap it, you can keep the 185 for your Civic though

+1 Also don't you still have more tire load capability with the 185 tires than the GVWR for the car?

I've been running undersized snow tires for 6 years now without issue, even my 155/80R13 snow tires still have more load capacity than my Neon GVWR and I so rarely have 4 people in it. If I was doing a highway trip with 3 250lb buddies in my Neon(last car on earth scenario?) I'd make sure the tires were at 35 psi and go without worry.

 

[MK2]

Well, I think I'll just put them on Craigslist then get the OE size.

Another quick question (I don't want to make another thread), my local tire center here is offering me a set of new Doral tires for only $200 out the door with installation and balancing. Go or no go?

 

[Ken2]

Quote:
my local tire center here is offering me a set of new Doral tires for only $200 out the door with installation and balancing. Go or no go?

Look on the sidewall of those tires. Note the country of manufacture and the tire plant identifier--the first two letters or numbers in the DOT code. You can look up the name of the plant that made the tires. Also check the date of manufacture and see if those are already old but unused tires. Let us all know what you find. Don't just accept the tire salesman's word on where the tires came from--look for yourself. I've been told amazing lies by tire salesmen--"TBC owns Goodyear" was one.

Do you really need tires that cheap? Are you willing to use short life tires? Could winter traction be compromised with those tires? Something's gott'a be compromised to have tires that cheap.

 

[MK2]

I'll be using the car mainly for short commutes, about 10-15 miles a day and my average mile per year on our vehicles is 6k miles. My next choice will be the Pirelli P4s, cost: $375 out the door with balancing and alignment.

 

[PandaBear]

I don't think you'll have much problem using it as long as you are driving "safely". You will lose some safety margin in load carry capacity and traction however.

 

[crinkles]

Originally Posted By: Ken2
Quote:
my local tire center here is offering me a set of new Doral tires for only $200 out the door with installation and balancing. Go or no go?

Look on the sidewall of those tires. Note the country of manufacture and the tire plant identifier--the first two letters or numbers in the DOT code. You can look up the name of the plant that made the tires. Also check the date of manufacture and see if those are already old but unused tires. Let us all know what you find. Don't just accept the tire salesman's word on where the tires came from--look for yourself. I've been told amazing lies by tire salesmen--"TBC owns Goodyear" was one.

Do you really need tires that cheap? Are you willing to use short life tires? Could winter traction be compromised with those tires? Something's gott'a be compromised to have tires that cheap.


I just looked up some old tires at http://www.harriger.com/tire2.htm

the DOT code is TOUR 2P42 4205... but the tire says MADE IN AUSTRALIA. the lookup website says "2P" is a plant in Vietnam...

 

[CapriRacer]

Originally Posted By: crinkles
I just looked up some old tires at http://www.harriger.com/tire2.htm

the DOT code is TOUR 2P42 4205... but the tire says MADE IN AUSTRALIA. the lookup website says "2P" is a plant in Vietnam...


First, the DOT code consists of 10 to 12 letters - and the first 2 are the plant code. So you should have been looking at the "T0" - which is South Pacific Tyres, Cambelifield, Canada. Are you sure it says "Made" in Austrailia? Some tires will reference all kinds of locations - the distributor, the home office, etc. - and the pcountry of origin only has to be on one side.

Just so we are on the same page, I recognize the next 2 digits "UR" as a P205/65R15 - right?

 

[crinkles]

Originally Posted By: CapriRacer
Originally Posted By: crinkles
I just looked up some old tires at http://www.harriger.com/tire2.htm

the DOT code is TOUR 2P42 4205... but the tire says MADE IN AUSTRALIA. the lookup website says "2P" is a plant in Vietnam...


First, the DOT code consists of 10 to 12 letters - and the first 2 are the plant code. So you should have been looking at the "T0" - which is South Pacific Tyres, Cambelifield, Canada. Are you sure it says "Made" in Austrailia? Some tires will reference all kinds of locations - the distributor, the home office, etc. - and the pcountry of origin only has to be on one side.

Just so we are on the same page, I recognize the next 2 digits "UR" as a P205/65R15 - right?


Yes - P205/65 R15 is what they are. I mistakenly thought the TOUR ment touring - ha. South Pacific Tyres is the company who likely made them, if you look at U0 int he lookup it is the same company but in australia. So maybe they are referencing the parent company. odd! Definitely says MADE IN AUSTRALIA.

Looked up my current set too - identical brand, size and series but MADE IN INDONESIA. NLUV JADR 3109 - Dunlop tyres made by Goodyear in Bogor Indonesia. Dunlop and Goodyear are one and the same down here.

I was really disappointed when i discovered (too late) that in the 4 years between when the car was built and when i changed the tyres, manfacturing of the same tyre had switched to Indonesia. I think all tyre manufacturing in australia has been shut down recently. The camry is manufactured in Australia though.

there is an interesting pattern -
TO - south pacific Canada
u0 - south pacific Australia
v0 - south pacific new zealand