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Hey everyone, I need some help with tires for my 83.
I was recommended to go with 60 profile tires as height would not make that much of a difference on 15x7 rims (turbocast). Stock 3.23 rear (I think).
I am looking at
Size - Speed - Price
Cooper Cobra Radial G/Ts:
235/60/15 - T - $74
245/60/15 - T - $74
255/70/15 - T - $81
BF Goodrich Radial T/A:
245/60/15 - S - $79
255/60/15 - S - $83
255/70/15 - S - $82
Dunlop SP Sport A2 Plus
215/65/16 - H - $53
The tires are going on the rear wheels only. The fronts are 215/70/14 S-rated. I drive it daily and would also like to use it on the track. I've been told the BFGs have stiff sidewalls so they are worse for launch. I was thinking big/wide tires because of the look and contact with the road, although I don't know how much better performance tires would be with the better speed ratings.
Any ideas?
I'm not looking for anything expensive, just reasonable. The price of the Dunlop tires is really good, but are they good performers?
The further you go from factory tire size the more your speedo will be out (assuming you don't try to keep the aspect ratio to width ratio close)
Not sure if you know this but I will break down a tire size for illustration purposes.
255--means width in mm
60---is called the ascpect ratio. It is a percentage of the above number, in this case 255. So the tire is 60% of the width in height.
15"--diameter in inches
In the 80's cars started to have lower (shorter) profile tires. A taller side wall will flex in corners, resulting in poor handling.
255/60s will loook very tall and chunky--gives it kinda of a 70's look, IMO--most people are after a contemporary look, with good handling abilities. Few on here run such a tire.
About the speedo thing, mine is pretty off as it is, so tire size wouldn't matter as it has to be recalculated anyway.
I've read about the flex issues and I agree, they're going to make for some poor handling. Like you said, a contemporary look with good handling will do it for me. So I am going with the Dunlop 215/65/15s.
Thanks for your help and input!
Quote:
Originally Posted by 871LEIroc
The further you go from factory tire size the more your speedo will be out (assuming you don't try to keep the aspect ratio to width ratio close)
Not sure if you know this but I will break down a tire size for illustration purposes.
255--means width in mm
60---is called the ascpect ratio. It is a percentage of the above number, in this case 255. So the tire is 60% of the width in height.
15"--diameter in inches
In the 80's cars started to have lower (shorter) profile tires. A taller side wall will flex in corners, resulting in poor handling.
255/60s will loook very tall and chunky--gives it kinda of a 70's look, IMO--most people are after a contemporary look, with good handling abilities. Few on here run such a tire.
As for the stock turbocasts wheels, I had them media blasted, edges polished then clear powder coat... they look sweet, easy to clean & are 3+ years old!
I see in your post, you're asking about 15 & 16 inch tires, but you say your car has 14's???
Damnnn!! Those are some nice looking wheels you got there!
I have 14s on the front and getting 15s on the back, so I was asking which are good tires for the rears.
Just a question with running 245s in the front, do they not rub the insides when making sharp turns?
I am going with 215/65/15s tomorrow for the rear as they are rated for better speed/traction/handling. But I am really missing the beefy looks.
-edit-
just saw that 16 there, that was supposed to be a 15. oops
1st decide on the width you want, then use the tyre calc to get the right profile to match the factory wheel diameters. http://www.tyresave.co.uk/tyresize.html
i always use this one, put your factory settings in the top then play around with the second line.
what i do - especially for track, is get a lower than std profile, this will put less stress on drivetrain, make your car slightly quicker and slightly lower- for conering. all round good ;-) . i prefer 235's on light cars like ours, wont have too much drag but if you get the right rubber will give you plenty of grip - a loose car is a fast car.......
Glad you know how to use the search and welcome to TGO!
I'm running 215/70/14 all around on one of my cars. They look alright. You can go a little wider if you want a beefier look. Just don't go too wide in the front or it might rub. 235/65/14 could work? But it also depends how wide the rims is, which is 7".
assuming 215/65/15 is stock diameter, going with 235/70/14 will result in a 3.6% difference in diameter. That is not good as you want to keep below 3.0%. Farther you go, the more your speedo will be off. 235/65/14 is 0.1% difference. This size will fit 14x7 with the right tire. It will be hard to find size.
Or you can step up to luvofjah's size. Seeing as how his 245s do not rub, you can go with 245/60/14. BFGoodrich Radial T/A is available and will fit 14x7.
hah, yah you're right, wider is better. my brother's 99 has 285s and those look meaty.
just a side question, it looks like you repainted your car. would you happen to remember the paint code of the gold you used?
The gold was a gold paint found in 1982 color chart. There isn't a code for it since it's not considered a two tone car. The gold is considered a accent color and my paint codes are 19U 19L
Stick with the 235/60R15's. I don't know why everybody thinks they need to come up with all these messed up sizes. No one makes 235/65R14's or 235/70R14's
Stick with a size that is common enough that way if you have a blow out you won't have a difficult time finding a replacement.
P215/65R15's are super common and there are plenty of choices to go with if you choose to stay with the stock size (for those who have 3rd Gens with 15" wheels)
Also with tires, don't always go with cheap *** no name tires, you get what you pay for often times. Firestone, BF Goodrich and Goodyear are worth the money compared to the Korean and Chinese brands. The quality is worth the extra few bucks most times.
If some of you guys and girls took a look at the country you live in and the situations people are in with jobs you'd look at spending your money on products like tires that benefit this country and not China and Korea.
I know I got a bit off subject, but the number of tire posts I've read on here with so many different questions and ideas prompted my reply.
You may not all agree but no one ever does, can't satisfy everyone right...
Stick with the 235/60R15's. I don't know why everybody thinks they need to come up with all these messed up sizes. No one makes 235/65R14's or 235/70R14's Stick with a size that is common enough that way if you have a blow out you won't have a difficult time finding a replacement. P215/65R15's are super common and there are plenty of choices to go with if you choose to stay with the stock size (for those who have 3rd Gens with 15" wheels) Also with tires, don't always go with cheap *** no name tires, you get what you pay for often times. Firestone, BF Goodrich and Goodyear are worth the money compared to the Korean and Chinese brands. The quality is worth the extra few bucks most times. If some of you guys and girls took a look at the country you live in and the situations people are in with jobs you'd look at spending your money on products like tires that benefit this country and not China and Korea. I know I got a bit off subject, but the number of tire posts I've read on here with so many different questions and ideas prompted my reply. You may not all agree but no one ever does, can't satisfy everyone right...
I don't have the option to stick with 15" tires. Turbo cast rims are hard to find and 15" sell for upwards of around $2000.00. BF Goodrich makes a 235?/60/14 as well as a 235/70/14. I would love to have 15" wheels but their's a huge difference between $400.00 and $2000.00, and for what I'm doing I have to use those rims.
Stick with the 235/60R15's. I don't know why everybody thinks they need to come up with all these messed up sizes. No one makes 235/65R14's or 235/70R14's Stick with a size that is common enough that way if you have a blow out you won't have a difficult time finding a replacement. P215/65R15's are super common and there are plenty of choices to go with if you choose to stay with the stock size (for those who have 3rd Gens with 15" wheels) Also with tires, don't always go with cheap *** no name tires, you get what you pay for often times. Firestone, BF Goodrich and Goodyear are worth the money compared to the Korean and Chinese brands. The quality is worth the extra few bucks most times. If some of you guys and girls took a look at the country you live in and the situations people are in with jobs you'd look at spending your money on products like tires that benefit this country and not China and Korea. I know I got a bit off subject, but the number of tire posts I've read on here with so many different questions and ideas prompted my reply. You may not all agree but no one ever does, can't satisfy everyone right...
The messed up sizes are from the tire calc I used. He wanted a thick tire for a 14". So I calculated the size. The diameter has to be within +/-3.0% of stock size, if it isn't it can ruin axles and stuff. I also named a size he could find.
As for quality tires, can't disagree with you there. But you say buy tires that benefit the country. Can't say Firestone, they're Japanese. Can't say BFGoodrich, they're run by Michelin who are French. The only one is Goodyear. Or Dunlop who are British, but 75% owned by Goodyear.
Anyone have pics of the 14 inch turbo casts with the hubcaps installed on their car? I was curious to see the visual difference from the 15 inch wheels. Thanks!
Last edited by KARR81; 06-29-2010 at 12:12 AM.
Reason: wrong question
those look great, thanks for taking the time to post the pics my only concern at this point is if the 14s would work with my all wheel disc brakes, i wouldnt think the calipers are an issue.
According to the tire calc, you should be good. It's a 1.5% difference. It'll be slightly taller than stock (26.0" vs 26.4").
They make BFG Radial T/As and Firehawk Indy 500s. Same price, looks are upto you. Can't go wrong with either one!
I don't have the option to stick with 15" tires. Turbo cast rims are hard to find and 15" sell for upwards of around $2000.00. BF Goodrich makes a 235?/60/14 as well as a 235/70/14. I would love to have 15" wheels but their's a huge difference between $400.00 and $2000.00, and for what I'm doing I have to use those rims.
This is an older thread - and I don't think the 15 inch turbocasts are selling for that much any more, although they are still hard to find. It took me a few months, but I found a nice set, and they were nowhere near 2000 dollars.
or is that pushing it? lol 
Drive it like you stole it.
