C3 Tires
Racer
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 379
Likes: 54
I just replaced mine - here's the link to the thread:
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...ire-smell.html
This is the summary of what I discovered when I researched new tires for my 1974:
1. The traditional white letter tire options for the OEM 15" wheels is continuously dropping as demand for tires that fit them drops. Many old corvette owners are switching out wheels to larger sizes (17-18") so they can get more modern rubber.
2. Of the three top tires for OEM wheels in existence 10-20 years ago, only one remains. The two that have dropped out are Goodyear Eagles and Firestone Firehawks. The remaining one is BFGoodrich Radial T/A.
3. There are a list of secondary makers that have fairly solid reputations. Among these are Mickey Thompson Sportsmans and Cooper Cobras, which are slightly less expensive alternatives to the BFGoodrich Radials. They are commonly installed and used on old muscle cars, but don't have the same vintage look to them, since they weren't being used back when the cars were manufactured. There are a tertiary list of manufacturers that very few people recommend. I didn't bother to memorize these names because they weren't options for me.
5. When it comes to performance, you're not going to get modern handling out of tires in these size ranges, because the sidewall is too high and they can't be made to handle like modern tires. You have to accept that they're old technology and will handle as such.
6. Because of the size and construction limitations, there's not a big difference in handling between any of them. Anything you would do that would push them to the limits where you'd really feel the difference probably shouldn't be done with OEM tire sizes. Wear ratings are another area that doesn't matter much for many corvette owners, because our tires age out before wearing out.
7. 225/70/R15s are standard size, 255/60/R15s will fit as well without rubbing in most cases.
8. Just because the manual says to inflate them to somewhere around 20psi doesn't mean you should follow that. Modern radial technology holds together better than in the 70s and you can safely inflate them to where they ride the best for you, as long as you don't exceed the limits of the tire itself. Lower psi gives softer ride, higher psi gives better handling. 20-36 psi is the range I've seen C3 corvette owners use.
9. Everyone has strong opinions on certain tires from experience, but they're not consistent. People both love and hate BFGs, people both respect and dismiss Coopers as being a quality tire, etc.
After everything I learned, I went with Mickey Thompson Sportsman STs. They had a good price, good reviews from what I found, and the lettering looked classier than the Cooper Cobras to me. So far I love them, and have no issues.
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...ire-smell.html
This is the summary of what I discovered when I researched new tires for my 1974:
1. The traditional white letter tire options for the OEM 15" wheels is continuously dropping as demand for tires that fit them drops. Many old corvette owners are switching out wheels to larger sizes (17-18") so they can get more modern rubber.
2. Of the three top tires for OEM wheels in existence 10-20 years ago, only one remains. The two that have dropped out are Goodyear Eagles and Firestone Firehawks. The remaining one is BFGoodrich Radial T/A.
3. There are a list of secondary makers that have fairly solid reputations. Among these are Mickey Thompson Sportsmans and Cooper Cobras, which are slightly less expensive alternatives to the BFGoodrich Radials. They are commonly installed and used on old muscle cars, but don't have the same vintage look to them, since they weren't being used back when the cars were manufactured. There are a tertiary list of manufacturers that very few people recommend. I didn't bother to memorize these names because they weren't options for me.
5. When it comes to performance, you're not going to get modern handling out of tires in these size ranges, because the sidewall is too high and they can't be made to handle like modern tires. You have to accept that they're old technology and will handle as such.
6. Because of the size and construction limitations, there's not a big difference in handling between any of them. Anything you would do that would push them to the limits where you'd really feel the difference probably shouldn't be done with OEM tire sizes. Wear ratings are another area that doesn't matter much for many corvette owners, because our tires age out before wearing out.
7. 225/70/R15s are standard size, 255/60/R15s will fit as well without rubbing in most cases.
8. Just because the manual says to inflate them to somewhere around 20psi doesn't mean you should follow that. Modern radial technology holds together better than in the 70s and you can safely inflate them to where they ride the best for you, as long as you don't exceed the limits of the tire itself. Lower psi gives softer ride, higher psi gives better handling. 20-36 psi is the range I've seen C3 corvette owners use.
9. Everyone has strong opinions on certain tires from experience, but they're not consistent. People both love and hate BFGs, people both respect and dismiss Coopers as being a quality tire, etc.
After everything I learned, I went with Mickey Thompson Sportsman STs. They had a good price, good reviews from what I found, and the lettering looked classier than the Cooper Cobras to me. So far I love them, and have no issues.
