Spare Tire

oregonian52 · Post by **oregonian52** » Fri Mar 29, 2002 7:04 am

My wife's 70 Ghia still has the original Continental Bias Ply spare (155x15) Not wanting to run a mix of radial and bias ply if she ever had a flat, I bought a new tire (165x15) to match the other four. But it won't fit under the hood. Anyone else solve this or should I go with the smaller 135/145 tires for spare use only?
I did hang on to the original tire. It doesn't look as if it was ever on the ground.

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Ed
72 Super
70 Ghia

RyanSmith · Post by **RyanSmith** » Fri Mar 29, 2002 6:10 pm

I had a similar problem. Make sure that the tabs on the sides are pushed togather. That probably still won't gice you enough room. To fit a 165/15 in there, you will have to let out a good bit of air. If you want to do that. Make sure to keep a bottle of Fix-a-flat in your car. If you keep the original jack in the car, you won't be able to jack it up anyway. The car could tip over. If you have the original tire, you might want to put it back in the car. My personal feelings are, that it just for looks anyway.

andreas5bmw · Post by **andreas5bmw** » Fri Mar 29, 2002 8:45 pm

Get a 145r15 tire so she can get the car off the road in a emergency.

Travis · Post by **Travis** » Sat Mar 30, 2002 8:06 am

Are you sure that the tire is seated fully into the well? I had a 165 on my stock spare wheel and it fit snugly but with no problem.

Travis

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verbeekb · Post by **verbeekb** » Sat Mar 30, 2002 10:38 am

In case of using a spare wheel that is of a different size than the normal road wheels on your car. Make sure you don't use it on the driven wheels. It will make the differential work continually, and heat up the transmission on longer drives. If you would have a flat rear tire on your Ghia, ideally, you could take a front wheel off, put it on the back, and use the odd size spare on the front. If you want to fit the 165 in there, and have to let air out to make things fit, you could carry a small compressor in the car, like the ones that come in a Porsche. I have a new, in original box, one that I would let go for $55.

Brian

[This message has been edited by verbeekb (edited 03-30-2002).]

oregonian52 · Post by **oregonian52** » Sun Mar 31, 2002 9:12 am

I returned the tire yesterday. They (Pep Boys) even refunded the mounting and balancing charges.

The tire was all the way in when I tried to make it fit. It was still about an inch above the hood line. I wasn't about to force the hood down.

I have been getting conflicting information as to what was standard with the original equipment tires. My original spare tire is a Continental 560-15 4PR. I thought that would indicate a radial. I have also read that radials were standard after the 68-69 models. But my VW manual indicates bias ply tires were standard equipment.
Anyone have any ideas?

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Ed
72 Super
70 Ghia

[This message has been edited by oregonian52 (edited 03-31-2002).]

Todd · Post by **Todd** » Tue Apr 02, 2002 12:25 am

Ed,

Have the exact same problem on my own 70 ghia. Have ordered a 135/15 tire to set in the spare well. Meanwhile have let some air out of the tire.

Todd

Bruce2 · Post by **Bruce2** » Thu Apr 04, 2002 12:06 am

I'd just put the original spare back in there. Yes its not that safe to mix radials and bias plys, but it will be safer than those new cars with the toy spare tires. Just tell her to not drive faster than 50mph until you can fix the radial. And fix it right away. You should ask how often this is going to happen. I don't even carry a spare.

Bias ply tires were standard up until the late 70s convertibles. Your 5.60/15 is equivalent to a 155/15. Later 6.00/15s match up to a 165/15.

If you must have a radial, contact btlmex.com Miguel can get a 155/15 that's same size of your 5.60/15.

[This message has been edited by Bruce2 (edited 04-04-2002).]

Todd · Post by **Todd** » Thu Apr 04, 2002 4:25 am

Ed,

my 135 tire arrived and was mouted yesterday. Hood closes with no problems now. It's a Firestone 560 radial - same as my other tires, just a different size. It's about 1/2 " shorter than the 165.

Todd