Did a search and all threads related to the older 14" tire/wheel question. Most discussions appear to be 4-5 years old. What are the current recommendations for the older cars running 14" rims. In particular, the 205/70-14 size? Don't need the true V-speed rating and really don't want to spend almost $500 a piece on Coker's XWX's as much as I like the look of those tires. Will pay that for tires on the 330 but not the 308 daily driver. Sumitomo HRT200 still one of the best choices for performance vs price or are there better options available currently? Thanks for your help.
I put the Sumitomos on my Dino because I don't drive it that hard and when I do it's actually more fun to have the car slide around a bit. They don't corner all that well (but don't squeal much) but the 15 year old Yokohama A008's they replaced had to go because they had gotten so hard they didn't brake worth a darn. One could argue that it would make sense to put the better Michelins on your daily driver because they could help you avoid an accident when some yob pulls in front of you.
I am not aware of any 14" tire available this size that has a side wall remotely as stiff as the XWX. I recommend moving up to the 16" wheels. A one time investment that is recouped on the resale but allows for proper tires at reasonable prices in the meantime. I have driven many (and owned 2) 308s with modern 14" tires and for me the lack of side wall stiffness really changes the character of the car.
I guess it depends on what type of driving you want to do. There is a fair selection of 205/70-14 tires available so for normal city/highway driving these present a safe tire. If you want to go a litle wider then you can still get Goodrich 235-60-14 tires. All of these tires a inexpensive and have good drivability. If you want to track the car then you need to go to 16 or 17's which give you a more high performance tire. Pick your poison.
at tirerack.com the Sumi is the only tire in 205/70-14 called High Performance Summer. Many of the others have wear ratings of 600-700, which means they are rock-hard, low performance tires.
Unfortunately your choice is either the Michelin or the Sumi. And the Sumi feedback on Tirerack is not very good. Back in the day (1999-2002) I owned a 78 308GTS with 14" wheels, and the previous owner had recently installed H rated Michelin MXV4 tires, and suprisingly, they rode and handled quite well. But for fun, I found some oem 16" QV wheels and put some modern Z rated Bridgestones on and wow, what a difference in grip. I put 225's on the front and 255's in the rear. If you want to stick with the 14" wheels then I would just get the Sumitomos...I'm sure they are just fine for normal "spirited" driving. But if you want to really push it, I would upgrade to QV wheels and modern rubber.
Also in 205/70-14 BFG Radial T/A 205/70-14 SR http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=BFGoodrich&tireModel=Radial+T%2FA&partnum=07SR4RADTARWL2 Vredestein Sprint Classic 205/70-14 VR http://www.vredestein.com/Banden_Bandtypes.asp?BandgroepID=5&BandtoepassingID=0&BandtypeID=17&PageID=2&Rimsize=14&UserSessionID=77715266
I had the 14 inch cromodoras on my 308 for a while and really liked the ride quality. The tires are Pirelli P4000 205/70/14. This combination looks period correct for early 308s and the ride and performance is very good for a reasonable price. The wheels have been professional powder coated by LA Wheel and the tires have 500 miles on them - for sale for $800, located in Seattle. Send a pm if interested - thanks! Image Unavailable, Please Login
An S rated tire is not even going to be close to the performance requirements of the car. The minimum should be an H rated tire, and preferably a V rated.
I went for the Sumis on mine. They have Sumitomo's high performance compound with an all season tread pattern. I like the fact they have a max pressure of 51 lbs! I can cruise around town comfortably with pressures in the low 30s, boost it up 10 psi for spirited driving. I'd very much like to hear how the Vredesteins handle.
I run FULDAS out of Goodyear Germany... Proper size, V rated, modern gatorback design,....no worries. Well there IS the freight charges flying them over....LOL!
I really don't think I'd want to have the discussion with my Insurance Carrier after a mishap my reasoning for NOT having the proper speed rating on a Ferrari, but that's "just me".....
No big deal here in NY with speed limits at 65 MPH. I don't know about Tx but I venture to guess that limits might be around 75-80 MPH. So considering the laws the insurance company shouldn't have a problem with tire selection. They again might not pay if it was determined that you were exceeding the limits whether it be on the straights or the twisties. Enjoy the ride.
I NEED SOME HELP HERE GUYS.I HAVE A 308 GTB,WITH PERELLI P4000 SUPER TOURING TIRES ON.THE OTHER DAY I RAN OVER A SCREW ON THE SIDE WALL,IT CANT BE PATCHED AND THEY DONT SELL P4000 TIRES ANYMORE.I NEED TO BUY ONE THATS IN GOOD SHAPE.IF ANYONE HAS ONE OUT THERE PLEASE E-MAIL ME AT [email protected] or call 480-951-3064.this will be greatly appreciated,im allready having withdrawl symtons.thanks robert.the size is 205/70-14.
