I punctured the side wall one of the tires mentioned in the title. I called the usual suspects, and none of them were able to get the tire. Is it still available? If so, where? If not, why was it discontinued?

Thanks!

This is one of the things that p#SSed me off about tire manufacturers, they decide to discontinue a tire and deplete stock on it so they (or their distributors) won't get stuck with obsolete inventory. I like the dB S2 tires! They are quiet and although haven't really provided me with the mileage I hoped for, they handle great on the '87 diesel hot rod. I drove over a paper bag that turned out contained a big screwdriver that pierced a tire right at the edge. This was about a year ago and I was lucky I had purchased certs with the tires from discount tire direct so it was covered under warranty but they told me there were no more after this because Yokohama had discontinued them.
So you'll need to find another tire
I was about to order some Falkens Ziex (915?) until I heard someone had problems balancing them on his Benz. The secret is to have them load balanced on a Hunter 9600. Then I found a set of 16 in wheels with Bridgestone Potenzas mounted on them for a good price so I am in the process of swapping over but I am not sure I will like them as well as the dB S2's in the handling category.
For good mileage I recommend Yoko H4's but I couldn't find that in the 16 in size fo rhte 124 chassis. If you want a racing tire Nitto makes a good one. they discontinued the one that I used on my other '87 300D it was a darned good tire.
The last tire I will buy are Michelins. I won't discuss that one here. There are better and cheaper tires available.

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'95 E320 Wagon my favorite road car. '99 E300D wolf in sheeps body, '87 300D Sportline suspension, '79 300TD w/ 617.952 engine at 367,750 and counting!

Any suggestions for a comparable tire so that I won't have to replace a pair? The other three only have about 15K miles on them. This is for an '87 300E.

While I agree with your sentiment, most other manufacturers produce tires for longer than a few years. Feh.

well, Pirelli changes their availabilities too, but the dealer could order from the ware house stock but at a premium price!
If you are using directionals then its more critical that you put a similar tire on and it should definitely also be a directional tire.
You need to look at the tread pattern and if possible find something similar. I had a 300D (123 chassis) with Pirellis on it and had to replace one in a pinch as I was on the road all they had was a Sumitomo that actually was very similar, well I never felt any odd behavior with it but I replaced it and moved it to the spare as soon as I was back.
In the 124 chassis with new suspension bushings shocks, etc. (mine is converted to Sportline) I would have been able to feel the difference. I can feel a 2 psi drop in tire pressure (cold) on that baby with new dB S2 tires. After the tires are 75% worn the handling has deteriorated such that I can't tell the difference a few psi makes.

Try Yokohama H4S if you have 15 in wheels, they are a good directional at a reasonable price but I can't find them in the right 16 in size, if you upgraded your wheels you have to look closely at what is available. Example:
their H4S 205-65-15 is about $85 but the same diameter in 16 would be 205-55-16 and they don't make them in that size. Yoko V4S is V-rated ($107) and its available in the 205-55-16 but not in the 15 in size. go figure, no one with 15 in wheels needs a high perf tire like the V4? I dunno. but note both tires have the same treadwear rating = 500 (good)
Kumho has a good reputation but I've never owned any.
I'll post how I like the Potenzas after I put them on and have a few miles on them. Something tells me I'll be ordering Yokos later on though. They are an excellent tire.
DDH

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'95 E320 Wagon my favorite road car. '99 E300D wolf in sheeps body, '87 300D Sportline suspension, '79 300TD w/ 617.952 engine at 367,750 and counting!

Any issues using an H-rated tire with the V-rated dBs? I am on the standard 15" rims, and don't push the car much. Indeed, its primary use is to head down I-80 from the foothills to your neck of the woods.

what size are your ruinning?

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195/65-r15

I would suggest mating the Ecsta ASX with the AVS DB's you currently have but, do it in pairs and keep the Yok's on one end of the car and the Kumhos on the other

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Thanks for the recommendation. I've realized that keeping them in pairs as you suggest is a good idea. It will also give me a good spare, as the current one is not in particularly good condition.

Do the Kumhos you suggest have any issues with developing flat spots when the car is not driven often? I use it about once a week and no more frequently.

nothing notable

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Please, call me to place orders or for more info
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