Tire - W123 Size
 

Hello,
I have an 83 300D. I just want to make sure of this instead of google,
so thought I'd ask the experts. I need a spare tire. I've read 195/60 14,
and 195/70 14. I do remember getting a tire in the past, and the
shop said it did not see many in this size 14...
Which size should I be looking at? - Thanks

195/70 R14 is the correct size for the W123.

Thanks, Great. All I need to know.
A tire guy here is going to try and
get one for me...

I've had good luck finding tires on ebay, especially if you're just looking for one sometimes you can find a good deal.
Especially if it's just a spare you don't need the best namebrand tire.

Right, Ebay....thanks, I'd have to have free shipping to make it worthwhile.
This guy in town says it'll be about $40 for a used tire, if/when he finds one.
Do you know why these are so rare?...Are they only used for older cars?

They're not ultra rare or anything, it's just that few cars use 14s anymore.

That said, I had no problem finding a set of tires for my Benz.

Wow, shocking, alot of selection on Ebay, And Free Shipping, I would
have never checked....makes things much easier.

lj:

As to size, in the event that there are tires on the car, you may want to match their size with the spare.

tire size
 

Wal Mart. Hankook Optimo whitewalls. 205/70R14.

If possible, avoid buying a used tire which has been repaired. While there nothing wrong with a good patch, the fact that the tire has a patch means that it may have been "run flat."

I have had good luck with Ebay seller "champtires." They will tell you (if you ask) whether a tire has been patched or not.

14 inch tires are a little harder to find but they are out there. I definitely would not run a used tire that has been patched. Often, we take chances with used or worn tires, but when it blows out you are putting not only yourself and your passengers at risk but also others on the road.

a freebie
 

Hey lindajane, I may have a suitable spare for you, mounted and balanced, all you need is drive down to San Mateo and get it. I offered it to a friend a year ago but he never came for it.
Its a 14in tire, I think its a Sumitomo or some Japanese brand.
Its on a OE steel wheel and it came off my wife's 83 300D. Its not a new tire but it didn't see sunlight and isn't worn at all. I wouldn't hesitate to drive with it.
If you want a Bundt wheel for it I have one to sell.

I'll check it and report to you the size if you are still looking for a spare.
Reid

I’m getting 4 brand spanking new 185/70R14’s installed on the 240D tomorrow. All 4 out the door for $210.

Why buy used?

I’d give you one of my take offs if you were nearby, two of them are pretty good.

I buy used because I can get a quality tire with 90% life remaining for 25% of what a new tire costs.

Not to mention that sometimes it's good to match the wear level of existing tires when replacing just one damaged tire.

I’ve junked quality tires with good tread left, but I did baaaad things to them so I had to junk them. Or worse, they were old.

Beware of old tires. There is a date code on used or older new tires to scrutinize. Seven years is the expected lifespan of a tire. I believe Used or not. Depends somewhat on storage conditions as well. So read the date codes.


A good source oddly enough is cars with fairly new 14 inch tires on them may be hitting the auto wreckers now. Plus not selling well as that size is no longer all that common.

Thanks Dieseldiehard, thanks for the offer...but I'd rather avoid driving to San Mateo...
traffic in the bay area, being as it is...and I will avoid any tire with a patch.
There are New tires on Ebay, free shipping, no tax...but strange brands, who knows if they are good. The new walmart tire is $40 plus tax. All I know are the main brands...

A Digression
 

Linda, the problem with limited selection in 14" tires is precisely why I changed my wheels to 15" some years ago.

The next time you need tires and feel flush, I recommend checking out a 15" tire-wheel combo from one of the good suppliers like Tire Rack. The car will ride better and you will have many more tires to choose from.

I purchased some Multi-Mile Matrix tires for my 240D about a month ago. 195-70-R14. I think $70 each. So, I don't know why the lack of availability. I did do a search of reviews for these tires. Basic daily driver type. They replaces some Deans. The Deans had sat for over 5 years. Two were worn on the outside. I had to change ball joints, too.
I do have a '98 Jeep Cherokee. Whenever I went to get tires for it in the R15, it seemed near impossible to get used tires for it.

Make sure the load rating is high enough. The Walmart tires are rated too low, but I ran them for a while. They give a loftier ride, and don't support the car as well in turns.

I believe the factory rating is 91S.

+1

Cheap tires on eBay or elsewhere are often 4-5 years old already. Check those dot codes.

I did this lovely dance a few months ago. 195/70 r14 Michelin defenders from Costco. Done deal.

I just tossed a full set of Michellin Pilots with more than 50% tread left for two reasons; too many heat cycles so they were rock hard and slippery plus they were 20 years old so they were way past their expiration date which probably contributed to the rock hard and slippery issue.

I suspect the junk man that took them from the shop probably put them on ebay since they were a discontinued size of Pilots and they really had a ton of tread left on them.

This stuff is all new to me...load rating, factory rating, dot code....
Wish I had the money to just buy a nice name brand highly rated tire...or
4 new tires.

The worst tire in the market today is probably better than what these cars were equipped with from the factory in 1980.

And the cheap tires are better than risking your life on some junkyard tire that god knows what has happend to it.

Eitherway, my 240D isn't going fast anywhere so I'm not worried about it.

choices...
 

Yes, I should proably just pick a tire...I may have to drive from SF to LA...but
that's it and I don't drive locally alot. Of course, the more I read,
the more complicated it gets, with so many brands, and some say one
brand it great and another saying it's trash, and I don't want to spend
the money on a michelan etc. Just a decent tire. I should probably get
a new tire, as I'll have to replace one of my tires soon, then I can
make that tire a spare...

Go to tirerack.com and get a tire.

Walmart and pepboys have this kind of tire on the cheap. It’s not like a cheap one is going to come apart at the blistering fast speeds of a 300D. You’re just buying one, so don’t worry about it.

It is always best to replace tires in pairs - especially radial tires.

I confess, I bought a couple used Bridgestone simply because the manufacturer decided to discontinue a model that I liked, Potenza Pole Position tires (non Runflat!) and I found a couple with 8/32 tread on ePay. They have been very satisfactory at one quarter the price of the tires when they were still selling them. When the other 2 get worn I guess I will switch to Yokohamas

Ever a blower a discontinued tire that was under extended warranty? The manufacturer will only replace the bad one.

Personally I agree with you, but the folks with the liability disagree us.

@koooop if you still have spare 14” tires I could use them to get myself home(270miles). My uncle gave me his 300d after totaling my personal car. Just need 1 okay tire really. Let me know

Why would you agree with a mindless "rule" like that? Clearly, there are situations in which buying a pair of tires (to fix one bad tire) would be totally ridiculous.

It's also ridiculous to have to buy a set of 4 tires because of one bad tire, but Subaru owners have to.

Not sure why you think that it's a "mindless rule". Tires are the only thing keeping you on the road - skimping on tires is foolish.

Another mindless, factually incorrect claim. The Subaru "similar circumference" requirement is actually a great argument for buying a used tire.

Literally a quote directly from Subaru

Subuaru states that the differential among tread depth should vary no more than 2/32".

I stay away from used tires. I worked at a few tire shops and it is very rare that somebody will get rid of good tires to buy a set of new ones. Most common was Subaru, of course, but even that was rare.

I've found that actual good used tires don't really make sense to buy, since they are only marginally cheaper than brand new tires.

But hey, to each his own.

Marginally cheaper? Like $800 for four new tires versus $60 for one used, matching tire? Or $200 for one new tire shaved to match the existing tread depth? (Being a tire shop veteran, you surely know about shaving.)

Buying four new tires in NOT the only way to match tire size on an AWD vehicle.

You only drive on new tires once. You might be a lot closer to used tires than you think.

Strange. I've heard that 14" tires are being phased out for years but have never had trouble finding them. The Bundts are 14" and I'll keep them until there really is an issue.

I used to sell junk at the fleamarket and discovered that buying used stuff frequently isn't the deal you think it is once you get the item home. I generally buy new tires from Either the local indy but from Discount tire more recently. My reason for switching is that once paid for, there is a national chain with reasonable service in the areas I travel and there is a lifetime balance.

I was recently coming back from FL in a new to me Volvo. My 17 yr old was driving and he said the car felt loose in the rain. I told him to slow down to where it didn't feel loose and proceeded to check my phone for a close Discount tire store. We ended up buying a set of tires and were out the door in under an hour with problem solved - and no wreck.
Now, there will be no tire issues that require my attention for another 40-60,000 mi. That translates to years given how we drive that car.

I generally take my old tires to the local used tire place where they buy them or just take them if they are shot and not worth anything. In either case, it gets them off my hands and builds good will in the event that I do need a used tire.

I wish getting more tasks off my plate were as easy.

I have one, but you'd have to pick it up. With the cost of shipping you'd probably be better off buying a new one at Walmart or Pep Boys.

I just tossed the old tires, all 4 new at Pep Boys out the door for $210.00. They left the best one in my trunk though.

Thank you Koooop for the offer.

SO...This may be a really stupid question to you all. BUT the spare tire I
have now, which is no good, has the rim in the center that the tire is on.
I have noticed some new tires come Only as the tire themselves and Not
with the rims. Should I have my bad Tire removed from the Rim and Save the rim?,
OR buy a new tire that comes with a rim?...I'm looking at cost as well - Thanks

Yes, have your old tire removed from the rim and your new tire installed on your rim. You will also need to purchase a new valve stem and have it installed on your rim and have your new tire with rim balanced. After that you should be set. Normally new valve stems are $1.50 each and tire balance is $10.00 per wheel. New tires do not come with the rim.

Oh Geeze...thanks, Can you suggest where I could get this done?
Taking the rim from the old tire, and putting it on a new tire?
Thanks

So this Tire...from Walmart, Pictured with the Rim...
So if the pictures show the rim, they are for show?...I only
get the tire?
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Douglas-All-Season-Tire-195-70R14-91S-SL/49021603
thx much

Yes for show only. Any tire shop can mount the tire for you on your rim. They will probably charge you around $10 to mount the tire, $1.50 for the valve stem, and $10 to balance. Sometimes it is better to buy a new tire from a local tire shop as they often will mount the tire for free. I should have also mentioned the tire shop may also charge you a disposal fee to get rid of your old tire. If you are buying the new tire at Walmart they are also able to mount and balance your new tire.

A Timely Subject
 

Your life depends on good tires, when I was younger I'd wa$te S on used or cheap tires thinking I couldn't afford to buy those "expensive" Michelins at $23 each.....

Now they're $111 retail price and the reason I'm off to buy two new ones for the front of my 1982 240D is because they're six years old and are beginning to leak through the cracked side walls ~ they still have close to 50 % tread left and handle & grip fine but needing to add air every to weeks is a no - go .

Beware the cheap tire, there's a sticker on every new tire that says how well it handles heat buildup, anything less than an "A" heat rating is TRASH you shouldn't drive from S.F. to L.A. on.....

Better quality tires don't get punctured as easily either .

If it's just for a spare some one here should be willing to set you up with a good mounted spare for under $30 .

I would but my idiot brother runs his tires to the cords and never has a decent spare so I give him any serviceable tires I can spare .

The age thing is important too .

Let us know how you work things out, plenty of good people here who are willing to lend a helping hand .

Thanks!...I wish I was as knowledgeable as you folk on this forum...as in
what to look for. I assume ordering from Ebay is a no go as I cannot see a heat rating sticker, I assume if I call a tire shop and ask this, they'll know what I'm talking about. I read that a Kumho tire is ok, but it depends on where I can find tires and the charge. I think I will put the "spare" on when I need a new tire, so I think I'll get a new one. Just have to find one. The tires stores I called all seem to be in the $80 range including installation, but this is with a not well know tire, (at least not to me).

Helping Hands
 

The good people here have been *very* helpful to me, in both parts and how to correctly repair things .

I understand that co$t is a serious issue, the correct Michelin 'defender' is 175/70R14 91H and it's list price is $107.99 + tax, installation, disposal fee of your old tire and you really should get a new valve stem as they age out and tend to slowly leak air & low inflation pressure is the # 1 killer of tires .

Most tire shops will try to goose you for extra "road hazard insurance" ~ this means you wa$te S I'd never spend .

The mounting, no balancing (balancing is for cheap tires and those who race) including a new tire stem should come in at $35 or _less_ ~

There is a Federal excise (luxury) tax that seems high to me but you'll have to pay it on any new tire .

If you can possibly swing it, I'd shop around and find who can get you in and out for under $150 with a new Michelin Defender, a good all 'round tire that lasts a long while and can be repaired if you get a flat ~ very few Chinese tires can be repaired once they get a flat .

Take this $15.00 =/- price and shop around, it -can- be done, it depends on how honest / greedy the shop is .

GO IN PERSON ~ the telephone / internet jazz is just that : jazz, I use Globe Tires in Los Angeles because they're honest and cheaper than COSTCO .

I help out an 82 year old woman I know from high school long ago, they're always ready to cheat any woman who darkens their door, sad and wrong but that's how it is .

A few of the good people here are honest Mechanics, I'm one but I'm retired and too far away to be of any help .

Khumo tires are O.K., not great, I tried them and they lasted about 30,000 miles and as soon as they ran low on air pressure usually because of a small nail or other tiny puncture, they were ruined beyond any repair before I could get the car off the highway so to me not good dollar value .

Nate -curious where you got the 165/70/r14 number?

The original tire was an aspect ratio free 175 SR14 which had a diameter of 25”.

If you run those numbers through a tire size calculator the closest modern equivalency is 195/70/r14... 24.8

175/70 are around 23.8
165/70 are around 23.1

GAH
 

Thanx for catching my mistake ! .

I meant 175/70R14 ! :( .

What is the tire brand name? Maybe someone can comment. As I posted before, I went with Matrix by Milemaker. They have good reviews. US made, too.

I called around and the tire shops are about $90 for one tire and installation.
The brands are the Nankang CX668, Doral SDL, Westlake, and Goodyear for
a bit more. I see these brands places with free shipping for half the price...
So I'm going to call my mechanic and see what he would charge to put the tire
on. I might save a bit of money if I bought the tire first...I did read that Westlake
tires are not good...maybe none of these....