EdnaDolphin Posted August 6, 2014 Share Posted August 6, 2014 So many of you who have owned your 1980's Toyota MH for awhile probably know sometimes tires for these things are a bit tricky to track down. Yeah you can order them off the web but for those of us who really like our local tire guy that's not the option we want. After I purchased my 1985 Dolphin a few weeks back (Love it) I realized some fresh skins were gonna be required before the fall trip from "getting frigid WI" to much more pleasant AZ, CA and OR. The tires had good tread and all but... were 10-12 years old, just old enough to make me nervous hauling 6,000 lbs for the long haul. So I give the tire guy a call and tell him what I need, some 185R14's in a D load with no aspect ratio. He said. and I quote, "HUH?" Well after I spent some time poking around the interweb I found the tires I wanted and he ordered them up for me, matched the price, and I skipped the shipping costs of ordering them myself, $650.00 for the works. So to make a long story longer any of you newbs like me out there, the tires you want are "Hankook 185R14 RA08's". Man my Edna Dolphin rides like a dream with freshly balanced brand new skins. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linda s Posted August 7, 2014 Share Posted August 7, 2014 And your local tire guy gave you a good price. Most places can find them if you know the exact model cause those models usually don't come in more normal sizes Linda S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JR67 Posted August 7, 2014 Share Posted August 7, 2014 I got these: Sonny SU-810 195R14C 8PR 106/104S D rated 2094lbs single/1984lbs dual @65 PSI for CAN$226 the pair including mounting/balancing/taxes at the local tire guy. The big tire stores could only get the the Yokohama Y370 for more than double that. Worth a try I thought and they are holding up very well so far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zero Posted August 7, 2014 Share Posted August 7, 2014 So many of you who have owned your 1980's Toyota MH for awhile probably know sometimes tires for these things are a bit tricky to track down. Yeah you can order them off the web but for those of us who really like are local tire guy that's not the option we want. After I purchased my 1985 Dolphin a few weeks back(Love it) I realized some fresh skins were gonna be required before the fall trip from "getting frigid WI" to much more pleasant AZ, CA and OR. The tires had good tread and all but... were 10-12 years old, just old enough to make me nervous hauling 6,000 lbs for the long haul. So I give the tire guy a call and tell him what I need, some 185 14's in a D load with no aspect ratio. He said. and I quote, "HUH?" Well after I spent some time poking around the interweb I found the tires I wanted and he ordered them up for me, matched the price, and I skipped the shipping costs of ordering them myself, $650.00 for the works. So to make a long story longer any of you newbs like me out there, the tires you want are "Hancook 185 14 RAO8's" Man my Edna Dolphin rides like a dream with freshly balanced brand new skins. This spring in northern Michigan - I called three tire dealers about 185R-14C D tires. All three told me I was wrong about the size and was missing a number. So I drove down to one place and asked the guy to pull up his tire-dealer database. He had four brands of 185R-14C Ds available night. Same with all the other dealers. They just didn't know it and assumed the cUstumer (me) didn't know what he was talking about. I had my tires the next morning. That 185R-14 size certainly isn't something new (like one of the dealers tried to convince me of). Been around since at least the 1960s. Just happens to be the "European Metric" tire size designation instead of the "P Metric" style. Aspect number is left out if the tire height is 82% or more of the tire width. I think more of a problem is finding the correct tire valves. Seems many shops do not the tire long, high pressure valves made for 11.3 mm (or 7/16") rim holes. Especially if 5" long with a 20 degree bend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vanman Posted August 7, 2014 Share Posted August 7, 2014 I got the Toyota wheel stems from the dealer, not cheap but fit like it was made for it, actually they are Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob C Posted August 7, 2014 Share Posted August 7, 2014 Come on EdnaDolphin, Wisconsin does not get cold. Last winterrrrrrrrr only lasted 6 months and the frost here in Baraboo (WI) only got 5 feet deep according to a grave digger that I know. At least we didn't get 100 inches of snow this time. Our low temp did not even break -40 (f) this time, only got down to -38 (f). I know jdemaris, 100 inches is nothing compared to some areas around the big lake in the UP. If any of you have traveled to the Upper Penninsula of Michigan, you know that some of the houses actually have an exit door on the second floor for when the snow gets U.P. deep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanAatTheCape Posted August 7, 2014 Share Posted August 7, 2014 http://www.walmart.com/ip/Hankook-Radial-RA08-Tire-185R14-8/17792669' $91 they ship to any walmart with auto center. $20 for mount, lifetime balance. You may have to remove the wheels & hand them to them. not a big walmart fan but they are everywhere & they can get new tires if you need them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobBeery Posted August 9, 2014 Share Posted August 9, 2014 Two years ago I put the usual Hankooks on my 87 Dolphin. This summer I moved up to a 90 Dolphin that has Cooper tires size 195 not 185. The ride is nicer than the 87 with Hankook but that might have to do with pressures, springs, shocks, etc. I think the Cooper tires are ten years old. Are 195's okay to use? Does anybody still make a 195? ( I haven't looked yet, just thinking out loud). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linda s Posted August 9, 2014 Share Posted August 9, 2014 Yes 195's are still made by a couple of companies. The V6 toy homes do seem to have a much smoother ride. At least the few I have driven Linda S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek up North Posted August 9, 2014 Share Posted August 9, 2014 Though limited, the selection in 185R14 is much better than 195R14 (or 195/75R14). The 185R14 has more than enough load carrying capacity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whyverne14 Posted August 9, 2014 Share Posted August 9, 2014 Personally I'll be thrilled if I last longer than my new tires. If you need tires, you gotta go get tires. If you're real poor, at least get the front ones. Whatever you buy will probably be better than what you had. Consumer Report is never going to do 14 inch, eight ply tires. Everybody here is going to spend about 25 cents a day on tires. No matter what they do. If saving a hundred bucks over the next five years delights you, I'm with you. We'll do the Happy Dance together. "Shake, shake, shake. Shake, shake, shake. Shake your booty!" But tires and brakes come first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zero Posted August 9, 2014 Share Posted August 9, 2014 Consumer Report is never going to do 14 inch, eight ply tires. I don't think I've ever owned anything that showed up in a Consumer Reports write-up. They act as though any brands I buy do not exist. That goes for TVs, household appliances, lawn motors, tractors. etc. OK with me. I think they are a bunch of corrupt hacks anyway. They already got officially caught once - fabricating test reports. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JUSTABANGER Posted August 12, 2014 Share Posted August 12, 2014 5 inches seems a bit long for the stems is that the right length? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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