Noob Tire Question:

[Ruff Ryd@s]

ive got an E36 bmw and it's in need of a tire change...
i saw a used set of firestone 91V tires that was previously on some sort of mazda pickup truck,,, just wondering if there would b any problems with this set on my car? thanks

[wnderinguy]

gonna need more info the 91v is the load rating and V being speed(handling ) rating

the tire should have something like 195/65r15 on the side,inside the drivers door or glove box of your car it will say what the size the manufacture specifies.

[lexluthor09]

also depending on the age of the tire it might not be any good.

[Ruff Ryd@s]

the tire dimensions are correct for my car (225/50/16)

and lex: how can i spot some obvious signs? i've looked at them and at least there are no bubbles or holes

[wnderinguy]

the Dot number will tell you manufacture date

DOT Number

DOT NumberAll tires sold in Canada must have the "DOT" ((Department of Transportation), or tire identification number, moulded into the sidewall. Our tire has a DOT number of GHYT 4501. The first two characters after DOT indicate the manufacturer; the second two characters indicate the plant where the tire was manufactured.

Next you may see an optional string of three to four characters. Our example does not include this code. Most manufacturers use these to record company specific information about the tire, and, if necessary, use them as a guide when issuing product recalls. Because they are company specific, these codes are not standardized and are meaningful only to the manufacturer.

The last three or four digits give the date the tire was made. For all tires built after 1999, this will be a four-digit number with the first two digits giving the week number, and the last two giving the year. For many tires built previous to 2000, the date indicator will consist of three digits, the first two giving the week number and the last giving the last digit of the year. In our example tire, the last four digits of the DOT code are 4501, so our tire was made during the 45th week of 2001.

http://www.coasttire.com/tires/readsidewall.asp
There is a 5yr suggested life of a tire from date of manufacture,depending on how the tires were stored prior to sale to the original owner and currently,the life expectancy may change.

[Ruff Ryd@s]

^ thanks, ill check that too

but im mostly wondering if there are any major differences with tires that were intended for a pickup, and now is being put on a regular sports car?

[racerman88]

might need a tire with a stiffer sidewall

[wnderinguy]

Originally Posted by Ruff Ryd@s

^ thanks, ill check that too

but im mostly wondering if there are any major differences with tires that were intended for a pickup, and now is being put on a regular sports car?

Those tires weren't meant for a truck though,no truck of that description needs a "V" rated tire (240km/hr).The load rating of only 91 seems too low for a truck as well ,I bet the truck owner bought them aftermarket for the look and not for function.

[Ruff Ryd@s]

thanks for all the quick replies...
seems like i'm good to go for buying these tires then... ??