Kinda OT.. Sidecar tyres...

My father is looking for tyres for his vintage car (restoration project).
The tyres are for a 16 inch rim at about 5 - 5.25 inch width.
He had heard that tyres used on some sidecars might fit.

The bike tyre dealers I ask dont deal in such tyres. Car dealers say they
have nothing in those sizes.

Whom does?
I'm in Canberra, the car is in Hobart.

Cheers,
Pete...

 

Try here:

 

Plenty of vintage tyre manufacturers around. OK, most are overseas but
specialist shops will import them in bulk and sell them as needed.

I wouldn't risk using tyres from a totally different application on a
vintage car, particularly one you're restoring. Too many things can go
wrong....

 

A tyre for a sidecar would be almost the hardest thing to find, I used car
tyres as the constant scrubbing of the sidecar tyre while making right hand
turns proved too costly to use ordinary bike tyres, I looked for my tyres at
swap meets in the veteran/vintage car sections

 

Are you sure about that rim width - sounds way too wide - should be
around 3" if it's vintage, and even post war there's only one marque who
were still running 16's that I can think of (and if it's a roller go see
your club, there's no shortage of tyres)

Give us the correct crossply size are you sure it's not 16x 5.00 ?

JL

 

Actually strike that before the pedants jump in - immediately post war
there were plenty who ran 16s but most companys were running 13,14 or at
most 15" by the late 50's

JL

 

I would have thought a MC tyre would be designed with lateral force
being of minimal importance, and since sidecar rigs do experience
lateral forces the tyres would be very different. In fact the tyres on
the cycle itself should really be different in the sidecar
application?

 

Forget bike tyres, they're not suitable for cars (and vice versa).

The system used to be, and probably still is, that various tyre
manufactures would make batches of vintage tyre sizes whenever the
demand arose. It's usually a simple matter of finding out how who
among the various distributors has what in stock. More obliging tyre
outlets can usually track them down if they care to try but probably
won't be the cheapest source (unless he's unable to fit them himself).
Car clubs are also likely to know who has them.

More than likely the size he's looking for will be 5.25 x 16 (5.25
being the tyre width -- not the rim size). It'd also help if we knew
the make and model of car as there's likely to be suitable alternative
sizes in both radial and cross ply. Depending on the level of
authenticity wanted and how the car will be used modern radials might
even be a better choice

You could try googling *5.25 x 16 tyre*. Also try 525 x 16 (which is
another way of expressing the same thing -- with and without the
spaces). 5.25-16 also means the same thing.

 

I have 3 car tyres on my bike.

Boxer

 

It's close. My front is a 5.00x16 Avon SM MKII. It's a rear motorcycle tyre
made for older bikes. It's not flat but not as curved as modern tyres
either. Perfect for a trike especially after it's half worn flat. The
curved edges only get used in low speed tight manoeuvring and dependant of
the rake. It handles side forces well but I reckon it's too curved for a
car.

 

All tyres would suffer with a sidecar rig.
I found that using bike tyres would result in the both tyres scrubbing out
long before time as I would always do a hard right hand turn, thus scrubbing
the tyres when it slid around the corner, so having to pay $150 or so for
tyres which lasted only a few months, was much dearer than a car tyre for
$75 or so and would last longer than the bike tyre .
Maybe I am too harsh but riding a sidecar rig is fun, I like to slide it
around corners and lift the sidecar off the ground when I do a lefty and
scare the shit out of the passenger

 

Like this Tobe?

There's a Vincent or two in there too Vincent.

 

http://www.antiquetyres.com.au/index2.html

have all sorts of tyres for vintage cars, they're based in Melbourne. re
16" sidecar tyres, there are two variations I know of; the Avon like Pete
uses on the front of his trike and you might remember maybe 15-20 years ago
there was a "twin wheel" available for some crappydores and mercs, they used
16" tyres(125 and 135 were available from memory), but tyres are now
virtually unavailable, a guy in the USA bought the lot as they are good for
some sidecar use (early Goldwing is one), if you want to contact him look up
"Dauntless motors", somewhere, USA.

I know some guys with MkVII-MkIX Jags are using RAV4 tyres, they are widish
16s, also I've seen historic racers using sticky 16" bike rubber as it was
cheaper than the real thing, but I dont think thats what your dads after.

In short 16" sidecar tyres arent thick on the ground either.

Al

 

Point 1. I posted a link to antiquetyres on the 22nd.
Have you read the whole thread?

Point 2. Would be nice if we heard from Pete again
even if just to thank us for nothing.

 

Point 1. Of course not, you think I read the whole thread before replying?
Aus.moto would make sense if we all did that.

Point 2. Probably out buying tyres

I've got similar tyre issues with my car, but luckily I can still get the
original sizes even if only in ordinary brands. Suits me though, any of the
oversized more modern tyres people are running make it difficult to get the
rear wheel from under the guards.

Al

'02 Yamaha TDM900
'66 Jaguar 3.4S

 

Fark.
And a mate of Rons.
<plonk>

 

Who?

 

He's just making wildarse assumptions because you have a Jag and so does
Ron (from aus.cars)

JL
(you'd better plonk me as well* Feral, I've actually met Ron face to
face <gasp!> )
*I guess that assumes I'm not already

 

All in jest JL.
I plonk noone.
But then again, I don't often x-post either.
See ya.

 

people use 'em on cars tho

ck