412i Michelin TRX Tire replacement

Hello. I haven’t used this company but they do specialize in tires for older cars or unusual sizes. Based on what I have read they are a good company.

https://www.longstone.com/

 

I recently had the same issue, you can switch to 16 inch rims. In my case it was not worth the work and I preferred to keep it original, also you need to get spacers made as the offset will not match.

I ended up buying a set of TRX at a reasonable price from a French online seller. Longstone will surely have them and they are very easy to deal with - they will ship them anywhere you want.

 

Recommend Longstone, I bought a full TRX set last fall and date codes were very fresh. And free shipping to Canada. Great service!

 

Good day,

Longstone is the best, hands down! Secondly, they try to keep on top of the vintage tire market and supply and are very quick and responsive to questions. Thirdly, they are very much car enthusiasts and in particular they race very old vintage racers. I would say do not be concerned about where they are located, as shipping from abroad is painless and can be very inexpensive (even free at times).

Cheers,

Sam

 

Good day,

Sadly, free shipping to Canada is no longer... which one can understand given all the issues going on along with the increases in transport costs. Even so shipping of 4 tires from the UK to Canada cost $80 US total... which is very reasonable.

As for date codes... The XWX's I bought in June were dated the Fall of 2021 and so were just over 6 months old, which is as best as one could expect given that Michelin does not regualrly manufacture vintage tires (is once a year or once every two, I cannot remember).

Cheers,

Sam

 

Why? I ordered on a Friday and they were on my doorstep 7 days later on the dot. Longstone Tyres is fantastic.

 

Set of 4 with free shipping, 1500 GBP, with the current GBP/USD exchange rate, it is a great bargain.

Delivery time only 7 days.

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Exactly.

 

Hi

thak you for the kind words.

Yep we have these on the shelf

https://www.longstonetyres.co.uk/classic-car-tyres/ferrari/400-gt/240-55-vr-415-michelin-trx.html

I have just pulled a couple of tyres out and they had the date code 1322 and 1422 which is pretty good going for a weird obsolete tyre.

Its not a Ferrari:-

 

Most of the 412 I have seen with "old" tires, are over 20 years old - the ones on my car were 26 years old, full thread, just dry rot.

A new set should hold at least 8-10 years.

UV rays do play a major role, but I doubt most of these cars see the light of day anyways.

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Good day,

Just an FYI...in some regions it is against local traffic laws to drive a vehicle with tires older than 10 years. If one got into an accident with such tires, there is a very good chance that the insurance company would deny the claim. Something to consider and/or investigate if one decides to drive with old tires.

Cheers,

Sam

 

It isn't just the UV rays.

When a tyre has been on your car for 10 years it is shot.

 

Yes, but the fact is most of these cars barely get driven, and for being parked up somewhere, 10 year old tires are just fine.



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Good day,

I do not think you can make such a blanket statement. Although the tires may "look" fine, there are other chemical processes that are and have been going on that you cannot see. Rubber, in general, constantly cures with age and there is a point where the overall characteristics change and these are not overly visible. For example there could be micro-fractures occurring inside and outside of the tire that you cannot or cannot easily see. All of which could result in a blow out. I guess the question is "do ya feel lucky" (said with the best Clint Eastwood growl you can muster)? If you are truly lucky the blow out will simply allow you to pull over and await repairs and/or install the spare. If you are not so lucky you could be involved or create an accident or at the least damage your rims. I would ask, why take the chance? However, YMMV...

Cheers,

Sam

 

Yes, but as I said, more than sufficient for cars that are just parked and not driven.

Another misconception is that tires are only "blocks of rubber"...they have plenty of steel as well

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Good day,

My apologies, I misunderstood your earlier comment and interpreted as driven infrequently, as opposed to cars not driven at all. I agree... if the car is not driven or is simply a static display then as long as the tire holds air, old tires would be fine. That said, I would assume that most drive their cars at least once in a while... perhaps I am wrong?

Indeed tires are more than rubber, but it is the rubber compound that keeps it all together . My old tires looked fine (like new) and had no signs of cracks at all. However, they were very hard and when driven even at low speeds I could feel the car "skate" around corners. My new tires simply "stick" to the road. A friend had 11 year old tires and resides in the same city as me (so the same environmental conditions) and when they were removing the tires from his rims (e.g. he was replacing the tires) the tires literally fell apart as they were being removed.

Cheers,

Sam

 

Hi,

I just had a +15y years old TRX let go on the highway (right front). Not a pleasant event, but no damages and I did have a spare.

The tire was totally ruined but the rim seem to be fine.

Most likely a puncture but we could not find any object in the tire when removed. The rapid disintegration may have been accelerated by age. Threads were fine and they probably only covered a few thousand miles. The cars is stored indoors so minimal exposure to sunlight.

Just ordered 2 new ones from Longstone, the rears was exchanged in 2018.

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Just my 25 cents.
//Rob

 

These old tires do spoil the pleasure. When I finally had my car back after a 9 years rebuild, the "used to be new" tires that had sat for 9 years in the garage looked pristine, but my mechanic told me they were so-so.

I only had to perform 250km, to get back to the Alps and have my tires replaced. Lots of vibration, and little to no grip: not a pleasant journey . To tell the truth, once warm they felt much better, but this was nowhere near the dramatic improvement I experienced with the new tires.

Also:

1. Jean-Michel's and Rob's experiences do show that the rubber in these TRXs can easily separate from the metal structure, even if the tire looks "fine".
2. The new TRX-b tires are really nice, and the compound seems much more soft than the original tires. Will probably not last forever at 240km/h, but much more suitable to the way these cars are now used.

 

That seems odd. that isnt a TRX that is a TRX GT. to my knowledge the 240/55R415 has been made in the standard TRX tread pattern since at least the yeaR 2000.

My guess is they were actually quite a bit older than 15 years or it might have been a 240/45R415 TRX GT?

https://www.longstonetyres.co.uk/michelin-classic-tyres/trx.html

 

Aging tires is a real thing. I got a "good deal" a long time ago back on tires which were 6 years old at time of mounting. Car handled horrific. No exaggeration, on track I didn't recognize my car and thought some suspension part failed. After much effort with tire shop, and finally manufacturer stepped in, I got them exchanged for fresh, and my car handling was restored.

 

They weere indeed 240/45 415, the BMW tire. They look better and had a better compound according to Michelin back when.

Does the version impact life of the tire?

kind regards
// Rob

 

2 thumbs wayyy up for Longstone!

 

All the compounds have changed and been kept up to date. manufacturers ar just not allowed to use the same chemicals to make tyres any more, so the modern compounds are new and improved (and greener).

I would expect the TRX GT to be quieter as part of its period development, but they won't make your size in that tread again, they will stick with the one they fitted at the factory gate as it is period, and they have the mould, because it is correct, so in the mean time just rev it more or turn up the sterio so you cant hear the tyres.

No. I wouldnt expect so. when they are 10 years old they are knackered.

The thing about the age of a TRX tyre in the size 240/55R415 like you guys fit, is that i know Michelin have been listing that size as a TRX since 2000. so if it is a TRX GT in that size it will be even older.

One thing has just raised its head. It is apparent that when you look at our web site, if you are outside the EU it should not display the additional 20% VAT that is only applicable to the EU. ( we hope to fix this soon). If you are outside the European Union you don't pay VAT, and as you go through your basket and tell it what country you are from our web site will calculate any shipping if there is any (which has become more obstructive after the epidemic and that Russian crazy guys behavior) but it will also calculate weather you pay VAT or not.

If you just go through the buying process and just add your country (you don't need the rest of your address, contact or payment details at this point, just country) it should calculate your costs.