Old, Undamaged Tires Keep On Rolling
Question: I own a 1982 Honda Accord with its original Bridgestone radial tires, which now have 74,000 miles on them. The tires still have a good amount of tread and don’t leak any air. But I wonder if they aren’t getting so old that the cord body may be getting weak. The sidewalls appear somewhat aged, but the cord isn’t showing. Can I get more miles out of them?--J.E.
Answer: There is no reason to replace the tires if they have adequate tread and there does not appear to be any damage to the cords. You should closely inspect the sidewalls, though, to make sure they don’t have any deep cracks.
As a tire ages, ozone and other pollutants tend to attack the rubber, causing it to stiffen and crack. After six or seven years, a tire can be damaged as much by these factors as road wear.
Modern radial tires have completely changed the normal replacement routines on passenger cars. At one time, tires would wear out in as few as 15,000 miles. But nowadays, a good radial should last at least 40,000 miles.
As you may know, radial tires have cords, typically steel wire, embedded in the rubber and running from sidewall to sidewall. This allows the tire to roll with much less resistance and friction, extending wear and increasing gas mileage.
Proper maintenance also helps in extending the service life of your tires. Get a good-quality air gauge and check the pressure frequently. Keep the car’s front end properly aligned, and have the tires balanced when you have alignment service done.
Incidentally, you aren’t the first Bridgestone owner to report such good luck with your tires. Many of the original-equipment tires on Accords are passing 100,000 miles before they wear out. In one case, a set of the tires went 148,000 miles before they were replaced.
Q: I have a 1983 Cutlass Supreme Oldsmobile with the infamous T-200 transmission, which has already been overhauled at 12,000 miles. I understand that GM, in lieu of a recall, has tacitly agreed to replace these transmissions that fail under 50,000 miles. My question concerns the feasibility of replacing the T-200 with a rebuilt GM 350 transmission. I have been told that the T-200 is of poor and meager construction.--M.B.
A: It’s hard to argue with what you say about your hapless transmission. GM has paid out millions of dollars to tens of thousands of customers whose transmissions failed, sometimes more than once.
The long-range solution you are considering, however, is full of potential risks. It’s best to stick with the type of transmission that was designed for your car.
Nevertheless, it is possible that you will be able to find an adapter package that will permit the 350 to be mounted in your car. Certainly, GM doesn’t make such a package, but if you shop around at custom auto-supply houses, you may find such a package.
Before you start, you’ll need to find a top-flight transmission shop. You need one that can not only fix a transmission, but one that has an engineering capability to make any modifications necessary to the calibrations on the torque converter and to possibly regear the differential.
It will be an expensive job and one that I don’t think is economically justified. If your 200 transmission was rebuilt recently, it probably contains modified parts that are stronger than the original equipment.
With proper care, the transmission may certainly last until it’s time to trade in your Olds. In the meantime, you might want to go easy on it up hills and during acceleration.
Ralph Vartabedian cannot answer mail personally but will respond in this column to automotive questions of general interest. Do not telephone. Write to Your Wheels, You section, The Times, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles 90053.
