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Re: Tire Question - Dead Horse named Tires

To: "Michael D. Porter" <mdporter@rt66.com>, <rgb@exact.com>
Subject: Re: Tire Question - Dead Horse named Tires
From: "Bob Kramer" <rgk@flash.net>
Date: Tue, 27 Jan 1998 07:24:43 -0600
Cc: <triumphs@Autox.Team.Net>
I bought my first TR, a 250, as a teenager (mid 70's), and within
months I totaled it when I lost control and slid sideways into a tree.
I had noticed the 4 different brands of tires and 3 different sizes
(not one a redline), but it looked right and I knew nothing about
radials. One cool night, 39 degrees, I hit an icy patch on a culvert
and it twitched to one side.  After struggling back and forth with it
three times, it slid into a rather large tree which still bears the
scar. Needless to say, I always run matched sets.  This accounts for my
very own tire rack of leftover tires.

Bob Kramer, Austin TX
Hill Country Triumph Club
TR6x3, TR250 x3, TR3A vintage race
rgk@flash.net

----------
> From: Michael D. Porter <mdporter@rt66.com>
> To: rgb@exact.com
> Cc: triumphs@autox.team.net
> Subject: Re: Tire Question - Dead Horse named Tires
> Date: Tuesday, January 27, 1998 5:40 AM
> 
> 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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