Current tire shortages (A052) & alternative vendors (Euro)?

[famoroso]

What's the current state of the "post COVID" union as it pertains to tire availability (shortages) / backorders?

The reason I ask is that I purchased a set of 205/55-16 and 245/45-16 Yokohama ADVAN A052s from discounttire.com, or... so I thought. Unfortunately, I got a call from their local store cancelling the order as the fronts are on backorder (apparently, their website doesn't have real-time stock info?!?!). A052 fronts are also backordered on tirerack.com.

I tried the other local vendor suggestions from Yokohama com's "Find A Dealer" section. No luck.

Besides the Big Two (Tire Rack and Discount / America's Tire) are there any other vendors people suggest?

I seem to recall a large tire retailer somewhere in Europe that had good shipping turnaround and delivery to the US, but that was quite a few years ago (and as I think about it, I bet it's prohibitively expensive to ship nowadays).

I know tire availability was tight coming out of lockdown. Are others having trouble finding the tires they want?

If anyone has suggestions (or a line on a set of A052s), I'm trying to get some new shoes for the Hill Country Rally.

[Tony V]

Frank,
Try contacting American Tire Distributors. They’re a wholesale dealer. If they have the tires, a shop can order them for you. They’re based in San Jose
https://www.atd.com/en/product-selection/tires
I have the 052’s installed on my ‘74. Love them for AX and the street.
How about the Bridgestone RE 71 RS. Nearly identical design and a hell of a sticky tire.
Have driven them out to the HCR several time including a track day at Harris Hill raceway that Jamie organized.
Good luck and see you at the YO.
Tony

[famoroso]

Originally Posted by Tony V

Frank,
Try contacting American Tire Distributors. They’re a wholesale dealer. If they have the tires, a shop can order them for you. They’re based in San Jose
https://www.atd.com/en/product-selection/tires
I have the 052’s installed on my ‘74. Love them for AX and the street.
How about the Bridgestone RE 71 RS. Nearly identical design and a hell of a sticky tire.
Have driven them out to the HCR several time including a track day at Harris Hill raceway that Jamie organized.
Good luck and see you at the YO.
Tony

Thanks. I'll try them tomorrow.

I have A052s on my retired track Lotus. I like them a lot, so thought I'd run those as my "sports purpose" tire on either of my 911s as needed.

I'll take a look at RE71 RS. Hadn't seen those yet and they didn't appear to be an option on my Tire Rack search.

See you in TX!

[r_towle]

Michelin makes a 16 inch for our cars F/R

[famoroso]

Couldn't find a set of A052s (ironically, the 245 rears are available, but the 205 fronts are MIA / on backorder), so I went with a set of A-008Ps.

[Tony V]

Frank,
Looks like we’re going to need studded snow tires for the trip to HCR.
Wish they would go back to the later dates like in the past.
I’d hate to have to take I-10 all the way out!
I usually take 40 and drop south into the mountains coming out west of Las Cruces.
Then south through Marfa and heading back up at Del Rio.
Hope things clear up quickly. I’m driving out on Michelin Pilot A/S!

[famoroso]

Tony,

My gang (of two) is cheating. We're trailering my 1987 out the 1,234 miles from North County San Diego.

I'm hoping for sunny and 72 degrees while we're in-country, but that's what I always hope for everywhere (I don't do well with heat). I've never been to Marfa, but have heard great things. Kerrville looks to have been quite variable as of late and in the forecast. Is that normal during the event?...




My car is shod with fresh A-008Ps as they're exemplary in the dry and almost as impressive in the wet. There's room in the trailer for a backup set of wheels / tires, hence why I was ISO a set of A052s, but I haven't been able to find any, so no spare set this trip.

We were slated to attend last year, but work got in the way for both of us and and we had to bail out. I'm very much looking forward to the event...

[almostordinary]

Originally Posted by famoroso

Couldn't find a set of A052s (ironically, the 245 rears are available, but the 205 fronts are MIA / on backorder), so I went with a set of A-008Ps.

Same route I went. Wanted the AO52s since they were closest to my favorite yokohama neova ad08. Really wish Yokohama made he Neova in 16.

The A008P have some great reviews, but man I really love the Neova look and feel in all the conditions I had with my 550hp AMG.

Really wanted to get a feel for them on a Carrera.

[Tony V]

Frank,
Weather looks to be a bit warmer than last year. It was chilly last year. The event has gotten earlier than in the past. Was End of March beginning of April. Lots of water in the spillways that cross the road. Trailering is fine. Saves your paint, windshield and headlights. I’ve hit all three since my first time in 2009. Sure has changed! There were 30 cars in ‘09. Have always traveled the back roads and had a blast. The laminated maps and turn by turn instructions, they provide, and world class. Great event, you’ll have a good time. Leaving from SJ on Sunday. I get in on Wednesday. Have a safe trip.
Tony

[proporsche]

Originally Posted by famoroso

Tony,

My gang (of two) is cheating. We're trailering my 1987 out the 1,234 miles from North County San Diego.

I'm hoping for sunny and 72 degrees while we're in-country, but that's what I always hope for everywhere (I don't do well with heat). I've never been to Marfa, but have heard great things. Kerrville looks to have been quite variable as of late and in the forecast. Is that normal during the event?...




My car is shod with fresh A-008Ps as they're exemplary in the dry and almost as impressive in the wet. There's room in the trailer for a backup set of wheels / tires, hence why I was ISO a set of A052s, but I haven't been able to find any, so no spare set this trip.

We were slated to attend last year, but work got in the way for both of us and and we had to bail out. I'm very much looking forward to the event...

Interesting ..i was stuck in Kerrville TX back in 1990 with my 911 on Xmas days...

here, i tried to find the people online who helped me those days.I stayed at theirs big house on the hills.I think he was a major in this town those days.They use to have a bar the "Gallops"....Long story short..my oil cooler blow up in December this is after i have flown back from NY new years party..one oil cooler sent from LA got lost in mail after the 2nd arrived i replaced it and back to LA..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7e6W-4L5UaI

[jac1976]

Originally Posted by Tony V

Frank,
Weather looks to be a bit warmer than last year. It was chilly last year. The event has gotten earlier than in the past. Was End of March beginning of April. Lots of water in the spillways that cross the road. Trailering is fine. Saves your paint, windshield and headlights. I’ve hit all three since my first time in 2009. Sure has changed! There were 30 cars in ‘09. Have always traveled the back roads and had a blast. The laminated maps and turn by turn instructions, they provide, and world class. Great event, you’ll have a good time. Leaving from SJ on Sunday. I get in on Wednesday. Have a safe trip.
Tony

Please don’t misinterpret this post to indicate your paint, windshield and headlights will be safe once you’ve reached Kerrville. I’d take whatever measures you can (fine example in the post’s photo) for protection of the aforementioned before heading out on your first drive of the weekend. The Hill Country roads are littered with the glass of headlights and fog lights that went before you.

[famoroso]

Originally Posted by almostordinary

Same route I went. Wanted the AO52s since they were closest to my favorite yokohama neova ad08. Really wish Yokohama made he Neova in 16.

The A008P have some great reviews, but man I really love the Neova look and feel in all the conditions I had with my 550hp AMG.

Really wanted to get a feel for them on a Carrera.

I have A052s on my Lotus Elise. I haven't tracked them (but did go through plenty of A048s, R888s and A005 slicks back in the day), but so far, they're serious fun in the canyons.

I have driven A-008Ps on my '89, including 1,400 miles from Seattle > Portland > Corvallis > Bend > Ashland > San Francisco > San Diego. The entire drive between Seattle and Portland was in the pouring rain, and the passes into, and out of, Bend were damp, with near freezing temps (and snow on the road shoulders). I was pleasantly surprised with how well the A-008Ps acquitted themselves in the rain and adjacent to snow.

Originally Posted by jac1976

Please don’t misinterpret this post to indicate your paint, windshield and headlights will be safe once you’ve reached Kerrville. I’d take whatever measures you can (fine example in the post’s photo) for protection of the aforementioned before heading out on your first drive of the weekend. The Hill Country roads are littered with the glass of headlights and fog lights that went before you.

My windshield is essentially toast. I have a 964 windshield (and 964 seal) on order for installation after the event.

The entire front half of the car is PPFd, but I'm thinking about adding 12" of Expel Tracwrap to the leading edge of hood.

I deleted the fog lights and have a set of polycarbonate H4 headlight protectors en route...

[famoroso]

Cocked (tires mounted / balanced)...
Locked (wheels ceramic coated & bolted on), and...
Ready to rock (scrubbed / miled in)!

[almostordinary]

Originally Posted by famoroso

I have A052s on my Lotus Elise. I haven't tracked them (but did go through plenty of A048s, R888s and A005 slicks back in the day), but so far, they're serious fun in the canyons.

I have driven A-008Ps on my '89, including 1,400 miles from Seattle > Portland > Corvallis > Bend > Ashland > San Francisco > San Diego. The entire drive between Seattle and Portland was in the pouring rain, and the passes into, and out of, Bend were damp, with near freezing temps (and snow on the road shoulders). I was pleasantly surprised with how well the A-008Ps acquitted themselves in the rain and adjacent to snow.

Your thread with your review and driving conditions were the driving factor to hold off on going to 17" Fuch replicas and sticking with my 16x7/16x9 setup and taking the leap on the A-008Ps. Will likely do the LA > Vancouver drive this year or next once I get my transplant build on the road.

[Qtrfoil]

For those running Fuchs with the black paint scheme, there are a number of different vendors for black wheel weights.

[proporsche]

i wonder is this legit seller?

https://www.wsaccessaip.com/products/16-inch-tires---new-tires---clearance-prices--over-7-000-in-stock-

[famoroso]

Originally Posted by almostordinary

Your thread with your review and driving conditions were the driving factor to hold off on going to 17" Fuch replicas and sticking with my 16x7/16x9 setup and taking the leap on the A-008Ps. Will likely do the LA > Vancouver drive this year or next once I get my transplant build on the road.

Glad I could help.

I ALMOST pulled the trigger on 8.5" & 10.5" X 17 Fikse Fuchs running Singer tire sizes, but it was going to be mostly downsides (weight, cost, profile view) with limited upside (tires filling out the fenders/ a more aggressive front and rear view).

The A052s are grippier (and obviously have a contemporary tread design), but I'd argue that, at a minimum, you'd want to refresh a stock suspension or, preferably, upgrade your suspension to truly take advantage of them. They offer levels of grip for a street tire that might as well have been science fiction when this suspension was designed.

The A-008Ps check every box. Impressive dry grip, perhaps even more impressive wet handling / hydroplaning resistance and the right look. I'll go with them on my late '80s wide-bodies for the foreseeable future. If I had a late '70s or early '80s 930 I'd still go with the P7 Colleziones to complete the period correct look.

Originally Posted by Qtrfoil

For those running Fuchs with the black paint scheme, there are a number of different vendors for black wheel weights.

Those are nice. I'd still cover them with black foil tape to ensure they stick around for the duration.

Originally Posted by proporsche

i wonder is this legit seller?

https://www.wsaccessaip.com/products/16-inch-tires---new-tires---clearance-prices--over-7-000-in-stock-

I get a type 404 error from that link.

[proporsche]

I get a type 404 error from that link.[/QUOTE]

thanx ..looks like scam

Ivan