Technical I found the problem with running 14 inch wheels!

So today I found out one of the "challenges" with 14inch wheels. My 225 70 R14's where worn pretty bad on my 57' 210 so I went to the tire store where I bought the last ones a few years back and I had to order them. Sadly they won't be in for 5 DAYS! Wow! I know they are vintage but I did buy them just a few years ago! They were not cheap either.

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Since I need the car for work the next couple days my solution: go in the back pasture and find a good set of rollers. I turns out my buddy had a pretty good set of tires on his 56 that ended up in my yard. I'm not if I'm crazy about the look but they will get me down the road for a while.

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I just went through the 14" conversation with a buddy building a new ride.

He wanted to run 14's. I told him to check prices and availability before buying anything.

He's not running 14's.

 

gotta do what ya gotta do

 

Its getting hard enough to get affordable 15" tires these days, can't imagine chasing down 14" tires. Gene

 

needed 855x14.coker tires was only place I could find them.

 

Got my 14's at Les Schwab. They were like $65 per tire. Although, that was a couple of years ago.

 

Interesting article: https://www.dunntire.com/blog/Understanding-price-increases-in-the-tire-industry-Part-1 The 195/75/14's on my Avatar bought in 2010 are now almost double that at Pep Boys now.

 

Your tire technician is on the ball. Floor jack, jackstands.
She's teaching good habits!

 

I bought some 14” “pinner whites” a couple years ago on line for about 225.00 delivered to my door...they weren’t the best tires by any means and the white wall turned to a tan wall rather quickly. Cooper was one of the better tires you could get from a normal tire store that still had a white wall if you desired it. I think finding that’s harder than finding a 14” blackwall tire. Yeah I used to be a 14” guy, but now I start to think long term about disc brake upgrades and tire availability.

 

a buddy has an off topic car with 13"
It was cheaper to buy new 15" wheels and tires vs just 13" tires.

 

Hadn't thought about 14's getting hard to find. That's what I have on my 57 also, but they still have a lot of tread.
I like the looks of your 57 with the Americans, cool car!

 

14” was the most common American car wheel size in in the 1960’s.


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sQUOTE="Rand Man, post: 12673973, member: 3315"]14” was the most common American car wheel size in in the 1960’s.


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Not only in the '60's. The '70's too. I worked at a tire store about '76. Most of what we sold were 14'S. And a good bit of L78-15's for pick-ups and full size cars.

 

Every persons Dad said that and we scoffed. Welcome to adulthood.....

 

I think those days are over. I bought my 14 inch BF Goodrich tires from American tires a few yrs back and didn't have a 5 day wait. I would imagine they just don't sell that many. However; I just thought to go from having them in stock to 5 days out in a few short years was interesting..

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13” are basically extinct
14” are basically the same now
15” are kind of getting harder to find for a good deal now as well

Blame new cars where a 16 or 17” wheel is now standard and has been for quite a few years

I know for the wife’s ford she has 20” summer wheels ( oem) and it was cheaper for me to buy 18” winter tires on wheels then anything smaller!!

Maybe those stupid “donk “ wheels will become the new cheap wheels for cheap-skates !!! Lol

 

Another drawback is if you have converted to disc brakes the wheel interferes with the caliper.

I have a nice set of Keystone five spoke wheels that were on my 63 1/2 Falcon Sprint 50 years ago and the are 14",they don't fit anything I own but I keep hanging on to them. HRP

 

The funny thing is its not like my heart was set on the 14's. About 11 years ago I was headed out to famoso when I had a flat and ended up braking one of my 15 inch 5 spokes. Since I had the 14's and wanted 5 spokes all around I went that route until I could get another 15 inch. Well still haven't got the replacement 15. I'm strongly considering digging out a pair of 15inch 55' reversed wheels, a stock pair, paint them white, and just running steel wheels. They would be a little more "Jr stock" looking any way.

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I bought 13" whitewalls at Walmart a couple months ago for something like $55.00 each. Ordered online, shipped to nearest store with a service center in about 5 days.

 

You know, I didn't think about going to "Wal-fart" for tires.

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Yep, Walmart. Get all the 14" tires ya want, cheap. If not in stock, order online w/free shipping to store.

Dave

 

my GMC S-10 has 14's. I'm on my second set. I buy most of my tires at America's Tire, I don't know if they are national, but they have 14's here in sunny California. 205 70 14

 

Walmart, Tractor Supply, Rural King, most have free shipping and delivery to their local store.

 

Tire buyer .com list 4 brands for less than $100

 

Just got some Hankooks 185 75 14 at a local tire store.

 

Interesting. I had no idea there was an issue with the availability of 14" tires. I have them on two 66 OT cars and 15's on a 62. But I have not bought new tires in about 6 years.
I like the fender cover; used to have a couple like that.
And great photo of the cute kid.

 

My daily uses brand name 195/75/14's. $35 each after rebate, with free shipping to my door, from Discount Tire Direct. Last set arrived in 2 days. A bit smaller than the OP needs, but they aren't expensive and they aren't extinct.

 

I had a OT 1973 Honda Civic back in the 80's that had 12" tires on it, they were hard to find a set back then, probably impossible now.

I have 15" on the Linc, they are about 6-7 year old BFG TA Radials, I figure when I get it going again that will be the next thing, replace the tires. Sure won't go with BFG's again, they have gotten outrageous in pricing. Next set will probably be Coopers, they are still priced reasonable.

 

I run 175/70 14 on the front of my '34. Needed new tires three years ago so I figured no big deal. Local tire store had to order them which wasn't a problem. The new tires were already two years old from the warehouse which was a problem. I replace radials at seven years so I was losing two years of use. The store finally found a pair that were only one year old. I now have a pair of 15 inch rims for the front when ever I should need them. I also run old five spokes.