Anyone know anything about these tires?

[blykins]

I know they're Goodyears....but does anyone know what size they are? Vintage tires, or modern compounds?

[ALLEN ENGLISH]

Maybe Dave Kirkham will be able to answer to this. That car is what got me to buy my GoodYear Bluestreak Treaded Cobra tires for my car. I got my tires from Roger Kraus and my fronts are 26.5" X 8.0" X 15" and the rears are 26.5 X 10.0" X 15"

[blykins]

So they are bluestreaks? I couldn't find bluestreaks with the lettering that big.....they do have sufficient tread for the street, right?

[ALLEN ENGLISH]

Mine have the large lettering with plenty of tread. These tires are not DOT approved, so they are not street legal.

Look in my picture gallery to see the Bluestreaks on my car.

[PatBuckley]

Allen-

I took my car to a CHP station and asked them about the tires (Billboard Goodyears) - they told me that all they are interested in is the tread depth. If the tread is below minumum then the tires are illegal. I started to tell him that it says "for racing purposes only..etc" and the officer interupted me with "IF THE TREAD DEPTH IS LEGAL THE TIRES ARE LEGAL"....I got his point.

Pat

[Jamo]

And, BTW, they do just fine in the rain...heavy freeking rain...as we found out thisa past weeekend coming back from Redding.

[Robert Duncan]

I thought DOT approval only applied to OEM supplied equipment.

If you build the car for sale as an OEM you must use DOT approved components. Once it is sold the end user can use any components that pass local, or state, ordinances.

So the CHP officer was stating the law as he has to enforce it.

[ALLEN ENGLISH]

Good info guys, but I went ahead and got a second set of the Trigo's and some GoodYear GT II's for the long trips. I will use the Blue Streaks for local stuff.

Jamo all it seems like we get in oregon is rain 80% of the time so it's good to here that these tires will be ok in that too.

[Jamo]

Robert

The cop you talked to is either assolutely full of sh!t or maybe you misunderstood him.

All tires (OEM or after-market) used on public highways (except for farm impliments and other very specific and limited exceptions) must be DOT approved.

Even tires made in Mexico which are identical and made alongside what are sold here are not legal on public highways if they lack DOT stampings. I litigated a case on this when one of my clients bought some trailers made in Mexico and got cited for non-DOT Mexican tires identical to those sold in the US.

Despite this...I luvs my Big Letters.

[CSX 4027]

Simple solution.........

Where the tire says;
"For Racing Purposes Only" "Not For Street Use"

Take you dremel and ever so gently, grind off "NOT"

It always worked for me...

[Robert Duncan]

Jamo,
Did your client get cited for importing a vehicle with non-DOT tires?

I am far form an expert on this, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express once...

My understanding is that the federal government has no control over highways. That is why they could not impose a 55 MPH speed limit years ago. They instead withheld a state’s federal monies until the state adopted the 55 limit.

They can require, via commerce controls, that all vehicles that are sold or imported meet Federal Motor Vehicle Safety standards. Also, any equipment installed for compensation (i.e. you get paid for installing) that is to be used on highways must met safety standards.

So, Discount Tire cannot mount non-DOT tires on your road car. Neither can Midas Muffler install non catalytic exhaust systems nor the Ford dealer install a hot Crower cam. Instead, state laws govern what pollution limits you must meet and what tire standards you use on the highways. So you personally can install any exhaust/engine components you want as long as it passes your state inspection.

States could enact laws that specify DOT approved tires, but as far as I know, my state just stipulates a minimum tread depth. If I mount non-DOT tires myself and they have the required tread depth, I am good to go.

However, like you say, I could be full of it .

cheers,