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Wheels and TiresNeed help with wheels or tires? Got fitment issues? Have questions about tire performance and handling? Ask all of those questions here!
On the rear with 255/60r15s on 8in.wheels. I'm happy with the size. The fronts are slightly older Cobras in 235/60r15s on 7in. wheels.
The rears are a 27" diameter while the fronts are 1" smaller.
Wheels are 7in. wide 15in. diameter AR-23s front with 8in. wide 15in. diameter AR-23s rear with 3.75 BS all the way around.
Last edited by Ron U.S.M.C.; 01-08-2017 at 08:40 PM.
Reason: add info.
The Cooper Cobra is "all season" tire rated at 50,000 miles. They are not one of the real sticky tires but makes for a nice DD. It can be found in a 15in. tire in many different sizes. They are not a inexpensive tire. American tire wanted $130.00 for each of the rears but got them down to $109.00 each. Another thing I like about them is they say made in the U.S.A. right on the side.
Last edited by Ron U.S.M.C.; 03-31-2014 at 07:24 PM.
Reason: add info.
Yeah I have a pair of Grand Prix Performance GT 235/60/15s that I picked up new off of craigslist for 40 bucks, and have been trying to find a decent priced 255s, but like you said they are spendy. Also hard to find on craigslist. If I didn't like the look of my stock Z28 rims I would just get 17s. Easier to find tires for
I don't know if you have a "American Tire" tire center near you but they are affiliated with "Discount Tire" on line. American Tire has to honer the on line price(of any tire) that "Discount Tire" offers. I guess you could just buy them from the on line store but than there's shipping etc. This is how I got them to lower the price for me.
EDIT = Sorry but looks as if even the on line price went up to $120.00 each with that particular tire.( Cooper Cobras )
Last edited by Ron U.S.M.C.; 07-02-2011 at 02:27 AM.
they stopped making them 2 years ago.. but about 5 years ago i picked up 4 of the cooper sport masters. 165 80 15 that match the cooper Cobras.
i use them for front tires on 3.5 x 15 front wheels. good tires!
thank you.
this spring it should roll back out,a bit diff looking
mini tubbed, w/13.5x29x15 Sportsmen pro on weld RTS 10x15 rear and 3.5 up front,
the new 427 w/V1 Ttrim cog drive.and a revamp of all the aftermarket parts.
( mini tubbed, w/13.5x29x15 Sportsmen pro on weld RTS 10x15 rear and 3.5 up front,
the new 427 w/V1 Ttrim cog drive.and a revamp of all the aftermarket parts.)
Do you drive that monster to work and back or what ?
If you look at this site you will find them along with many others Coopers= http://us.coopertire.com/Home.aspx
As far as hooking my car may only have a 5.0 but with some small modifications( 3.42's/Eaton posi./etc.) its pretty quick off the line. It will spin them for a second then grab,it pushes me back nicely and even locks the safety belts so there definitely pulling hard .1st hits 2end with a LOUD "bark" and even chirps them going into 3rd.
There a little slick in the rain.I mean driving not a problem but from a stop on wet road they'll spin unless you ease into it. With the higher ratio gears I think that's pretty common.
Road noise = Flowmaster 80 series cat back. Need I say more ?
And as you can see they have the option of either white letters out or black.
I think there a good looking tire and have a really cool sidewall.You cant see it in the photos but its got a nice looking Cobra in black on the black wall .Aggressive looking.
By the way I'm not trying to sell the Cobra tires here,just answering some questions/etc.
Last edited by Ron U.S.M.C.; 02-01-2013 at 12:04 AM.
Good choice on tire size to wheel fitment. There also is a 275-50-15 that you could have went with in the rear. I wouldn't put cooper cobras on a go-cart.....I ran a new/used wheel & tire shop for 7 1/2 yrs, and EVERY (no BS) cooper cobra that came in had to be replaced due to separation of the tread......I would've gone with BFG's, Firestone, Uniroyal, just name a few.....Im not trying to ginx ya, just wanted to inject my experiences with them. Good luck with them I hope you get your happy and get your money's worth....
Originally Posted by articwhiteZ
think its the nexis brand 165/80 15 that using the old cooper mold. so you can get matching tred.. just pick 2 up $130 shipped.
^^^^I beleive you mean Nexen. Great tire brand. I sold a shitt ton....
Wow,every single tire.
I did my research before buying the Cobras and 99% of the revues and talking to shops about them were positive.
Ive had absolutely no problems with them. (The fronts are over 3 years old ) Ill admit that the BFG Radial T/A looks like a decent tire and gets good reviews and has a 40,000 mile tread rating so probably has a softer compound giving it a better traction rating than the Cobras with a 50,000 mile rating. I might even give the BFG a try, but as far as the Cobras go I like them as you can see.
Last edited by Ron U.S.M.C.; 05-31-2013 at 03:54 PM.
Wow,every single tire.
I did my research before buying the Cobras and 99% of the revues and talking to shops about them were positive.
Ive had absolutely no problems with them. (The fronts are over 3 years old ) Ill admit that the BFG Radial T/A looks like a decent tire and gets good reviews and has a 40,000 mile tread rating so probably has a softer compound giving it a better traction rating than the Cobras with a 50,000 mile rating. I might even give the BFG a try, but as far as the Cobras go I like them as you can see.
Do you have any issues with the front 235/60/R15 as far as tire rubbing inside the wheel well during hard turns?
Maybe I'd go with 235/60r15 in the front and 275/60/r15 in the rear
235/60r15 = 26.1 diameter
255/60r15 = 27.1 diameter
275/60r15 = 28.0 diameter
Not a problem with the tire rubbing during hard turns but I still avoid cranking the wheel all the way if I can.
As far as the 275/60r15 go they are 2”s taller in diameter than my front 235/60r15s. I went with the255/60r15 because they are only 1” taller than my fronts and that's what I wanted. Its a street car /DD and that tall 275 just does not fit the look I'm going for. If you look at the side shot of my car you can see what I'm talking about.1” is enough for me.
The 275/60r15 are 1”wider in tread width though so if you do use the 275s you will gain that.
I really like the 1 inch lift that the 255's give you in the back.... Are you running stock springs?
Yes, stock springs and what looks like Monroe shocks that will be replaced with KYB "Gas -A- Just" shocks.
What I have found is that if I am undecided on what tire brand I like best a large tire chain like American tire will bring in/order one of each for you to look at if there not already in stock. Back when I first bought the car ($ 500.00) I had a shop do that for me.
Last edited by Ron U.S.M.C.; 02-02-2013 at 10:51 PM.
I wonder what effect those tires would have on my car. I would still like to use my stock wheels, really like'em but I love that the back end is slightly higher than the front, but not too much.
I wonder what effect those tires would have on my car. I would still like to use my stock wheels, really like'em but I love that the back end is slightly higher than the front, but not too much.
What size are your rear wheels ?
Last edited by Ron U.S.M.C.; 03-20-2013 at 08:05 PM.
I still hate the Cooper cobras. I bought a pair of them in 235/60R15 for some 8" wheels, on the rear of my '88. I had been running BFG Radial T/As, which don't belong on the front of our strut cars, but work well on the rear. The Cobras did work better in the red clay, especially wet, but way worse on dry pavement. My then best friend tried the Firestones on his '89, those were better fronts than my T/As, and better rears than my Cobras, but my T/As made better rears than his 'stones.
The tire material on the 50,000 mile tire is going to be harder than a 40,000 and so on down the line. I am not a expert here but to me if your looking for something other than a longer lasting street tire than the Cobras (50,000)are not for you.All I'm trying to do is show the new Cobras and the tire sizes that I picked and what that looks like on my set up/stance/rake etc. Thats it. The reason for choosing the Cooper Cobra was mainly because I wanted a tire that will last and I think the black sidewall details looked cool without being tacky and perfect for the look I am going for.
Last edited by Ron U.S.M.C.; 03-31-2014 at 07:13 PM.
With Ron's setup, he had .94 inch difference between front and back...
Since my 91 Formula has no GFX, the back looks great, but the front looks a bit big... plus the size I have, the tire is taller than stock...
If I went 225 / 60 / 15, I would have the same .94 inch difference between front and back, but that tire is .37 inches smaller than the stock 215/65/15 tires... I may go that route... I have stock height springs... I'm not sure I want a 255 on my 15x7...
Currently have Cooper Cobra's... not many kinds to pick from in 15"... I would have to get the Cooper CS4 in 225/60/15, or go the same size as Ron with all Cobras.... I did see in a recent Consumer Reports that the CS4's were in the middle of the pack as far as ratings go, below Dunlap, Michelin, and Pirelli....
I have found that Mickey Thompson has a 15in All Season Radial street tire called the Sportsman S/T.
After doing "a lot" of research it will be my next tire.
Its either white letters out or black wall. It always black wall out for me.
I have a set of the Cooper Cobra GT's, 235/60R15 on my car now that replaced the BFG Radial T/A's I was running. They seem very comparable to each other. The only other tire I ran was Goodyear Triple Tread tires which I actually really liked. The only issue was that they were very pressure sensitive and wore out after only 30K miles.
Nice looking car.
Would you post a few more photos at different angles please or put them in a PM for me.
I don't see many AR-23's and those look great. A staggered set of them just looks REALLY mean to me.
Remember only soap and water on the wheels. They are "clear coated" aluminum alloy and they will stay looking like that for many years to come. No polish or harsh chemicals of any kind.
Last edited by Ron U.S.M.C.; 09-02-2015 at 01:11 AM.
This thread just keeps getting bumped every few years lol.
Ive always thought that the AR23 wheel was a no brainer on a third gen Camaro. It somehow retains a vintage classic look to it, but still hands a compliment to the factory look because of the 5 star design. Just the best looking 15"wheel on a third gen IMHO. I picked up a set and am debating on tire sizes. As of yesterday, I gave a $50 deposit to discount tire to order in a set of of 245/60/15 for the rear. And 235/60/15 for the front. I really like the stance and rake of yours Ron, but one question I have is did you HAVE to have adjustable shocks in the rear in order to get the 255's to work? Will they rub without them?
I tried explaining to the tech on the phone that I wanted 255, but let him talk me down to 245's for the rear as he said they wont work most likely...
The 255's will fit without a problem, unless your Springs are worn and it may hit then. Ron's car looks great! I went with the 245 in the rear with a slight bump, but still looks good. It just depends on how much of a difference you want compared to stock.
The 255's will fit without a problem, unless your Springs are worn and it may hit then. Ron's car looks great! I went with the 245 in the rear with a slight bump, but still looks good. It just depends on how much of a difference you want compared to stock.
I can't help but think of the often times when the car is loaded down with my wife and I and our two little girls in the back seats. The springs are great, but the rear shocks are on the verge of needing replaced. Even with new shocks in the rear, being loaded down scares me. I don't want qtr panel work lol. I may do myself a favor and stick with 245's
Stick with the 235/60/15's up front, that is an actual correct size used by GM...
I got new Moog CC (Cargo Coil Springs) for the rear, so you can put a bit of junk in the trunk, they are progressive...
Here is my car with the springs but car is empty (eventually subs, amps, seats, etc..
1st Pic 245/60/15 Cobras all around...
2nd Pic, 235/60/15's in front, 245/60/15's in rear, Mickey Thompson ST...
Don please post pics when you have them on ...I will probably copy your setup ...thanks John
Will do John. I went ahead and had them order 245/60/15 for the rear and 235/60/15 for the front. We'll see what they look like. He said they should be in today or tomorrow.
Don't forget that the AR 23s are a "CLEAR COATED" Aluminum Alloy wheel.
All you do is wash them with soap and water. Nothing else.
Mine still look as good today as when I bought them 10 years ago.
The AR23 has a 3.75 BS. That's what is on my car with the 235/60r15s front and 255/60r15s rear.
If you look at my car you will see the nice deep dish on the back.
As far as shocks go, I'm using the KYB "Gas A Just" shock. There is nothing special being used to make them fit.
Post #5 and #6 of this thread show the fit.
The outer bulge of the rear tire is flush with the flare of the wheel well, just like I like it.
As long as your rear axle is centered under the car you should have no problem.
The 245/60r15 will also look good on the 8in. rear wheel if you decide to go that way.
Last edited by Ron U.S.M.C.; 05-14-2016 at 04:14 AM.
Well here it is. Couldn't be happier. 245/60/15 on 8" rear wheels and 235/60/15 on 7" front wheels. Gave it a nice stagger. The backspacing of the AR23 wheels also brought the rear tires out to the fender lip. The wider stance makes the car feel much more stable in the curves too! Pretty nice grip with the Cooper Cobras, but I can break the rears loose if I want. Lovin the setup so far!
In this last pic you can see where the tech broke one of my wheel studs and gave me the lugnut to stick in my pocket until I can get that repaired. I guess its been a couple years since the old iroc wheels had been off the front :-/
04-25-2011, 06:02 PM
.... 
...thanks John 
