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Re: Tire Question - Dead Horse named Tires

To: rgb@exact.com
Subject: Re: Tire Question - Dead Horse named Tires
From: "Michael D. Porter" <mdporter@rt66.com>
Date: Tue, 27 Jan 1998 03:40:34 -0800
Cc: triumphs@Autox.Team.Net
Organization: Barely Enough
References: <9801251000.AA15267@exact.exact.com>
rgb@exact.com wrote:
> 
> >I take no responsibility for accuracy.
> 
> Good point, I'll accept responsibility for mine.  After seeing this
> argued for years, and friend and myself (both drinking too much beer)
> mentioned we had "some" mounted TR6 wheels with different tires...
> Can you believe we had "five" different brands of almost new 185-15
> tires mounted on stock TR6 rims?  We managed to gather "five" different
> brands of 205/70-15 among the larger collection.

Somehow, my experience relates to this tire business, except with a
Porsche 911.  I worked in a garage with a service manager who had once
been a dealership owner for Porsches, VWs and LBCs (his dealership went
bust because he was out racing his Super Vee while his employees stole
him blind).  So, he had lots of buds with Porsches... and I ended up
tuning up the Porsches of his friends from the business... usually for
little or no money.  One day, a guy brought in a 911 with handling
problems. Didn't make any sense--matched tires, new shocks, etc.
Complained that the car would, at about 110 mph (!), _hop_ on decreasing
radius turns. Huh?

Took the car out, with the owner driving, and the car, on an expressway
off-ramp at speed, leaped about four feet beyond the radius. (Heart
going pitter-patter for a moment. <g>) Brought it back to the shop and
the service manager and I walked around the car about ten times. And
then, the service manager noticed two fabric-belted tires on the
right-hand tires, and two steel-belted tires on the left-hand side, both
radials, both the same size.... Perhaps something to be mindful of when
mixing and matching tires from whatever source is available. (!)

Cheers. 

-- 
My other Triumph runs, but....

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