Correct tire size
#21
Race Director
You can get them through Discount Tires or somebody local to you.
I have the longer leaf spring bolts in the rear but the way it's set up they aren't being fully utilized. At this point I'm not sure what the ride height is compared to stock. I do have the E-brake brackets moved to the top of the trailing arms to make room for wider tires. I did that when I had 295/50/15 tires, which are wider than the 275s of course. I'm not !00% sure but I think you'd need to do that to fit the 275s too. Nitto shows that acceptable rim width for those is 7.5-9.5. My front suspension is stock height.
#22
I have been waiting for the Pirelli P600 the ones you are talking about but I am also having a hard time getting into paying 250 plus for them. I actually did purchase the P600s from a company that had some but when I got the tires they were brand new but produced 9 years ago so I sent them back, they cost half of what the new ones cost but like everyone else I am waiting for another batch to be produced. I have actually written a bunch of letters to tire companies and magazines complaining about the lack of 15 inch tires. No one seemed to be interested in helping guys with classic cars. I wont buy the BFGs because S rated just sucks and I wont do it, I also wont spend a grand for reproduction crap for my Vette. Anyway, such is life, I will go with what ever brand comes up with a good tire for 15 inch wheels. I will stick with 255 on the rear and 235 on the front. Still looking around to see what is out there. Have plenty of things to fix on the car before I need tires anyway.
#23
Race Director
I have been waiting for the Pirelli P600 the ones you are talking about but I am also having a hard time getting into paying 250 plus for them. I actually did purchase the P600s from a company that had some but when I got the tires they were brand new but produced 9 years ago so I sent them back, they cost half of what the new ones cost but like everyone else I am waiting for another batch to be produced. I have actually written a bunch of letters to tire companies and magazines complaining about the lack of 15 inch tires. No one seemed to be interested in helping guys with classic cars. I wont buy the BFGs because S rated just sucks and I wont do it, I also wont spend a grand for reproduction crap for my Vette. Anyway, such is life, I will go with what ever brand comes up with a good tire for 15 inch wheels. I will stick with 255 on the rear and 235 on the front. Still looking around to see what is out there. Have plenty of things to fix on the car before I need tires anyway.
#25
Team Owner
Just something to consider.....
Yes, it's a nice safety cushion, to have at least "H" speed rated tires on your car. However, consider that A) an "H" rated tire is good for sustained 130 MPH speeds, and B) your car originally came with non speed rated fiberglass belted tires.
My point...where in the US, are you going to go 130 MPH for any length of time (assuming street use, of course)? Secondly, since the car originally came with tires that were non speed rated, and you today put a high quality radial tire of the car, IMHO you should be just fine.
As a point of comparison, my first brand new car was a '71 Chevelle SS454...a pretty fast car. On a couple of occasions, I had the car in excess of 130 MPH for a brief time, and never had an issue...
Yes, it's a nice safety cushion, to have at least "H" speed rated tires on your car. However, consider that A) an "H" rated tire is good for sustained 130 MPH speeds, and B) your car originally came with non speed rated fiberglass belted tires.
My point...where in the US, are you going to go 130 MPH for any length of time (assuming street use, of course)? Secondly, since the car originally came with tires that were non speed rated, and you today put a high quality radial tire of the car, IMHO you should be just fine.
As a point of comparison, my first brand new car was a '71 Chevelle SS454...a pretty fast car. On a couple of occasions, I had the car in excess of 130 MPH for a brief time, and never had an issue...
#26
Drifting
I have BFG 255/60/15's on my 69 and I am going to put them on my 72. I have not had a problem with them rubbing. I also like how they fill out the wheel well.
Last edited by 69FASTFUN; 02-28-2012 at 06:37 PM. Reason: size
#27
Race Director
Just something to consider.....
Yes, it's a nice safety cushion, to have at least "H" speed rated tires on your car. However, consider that A) an "H" rated tire is good for sustained 130 MPH speeds, and B) your car originally came with non speed rated fiberglass belted tires.
My point...where in the US, are you going to go 130 MPH for any length of time (assuming street use, of course)? Secondly, since the car originally came with tires that were non speed rated, and you today put a high quality radial tire of the car, IMHO you should be just fine.
As a point of comparison, my first brand new car was a '71 Chevelle SS454...a pretty fast car. On a couple of occasions, I had the car in excess of 130 MPH for a brief time, and never had an issue...
Yes, it's a nice safety cushion, to have at least "H" speed rated tires on your car. However, consider that A) an "H" rated tire is good for sustained 130 MPH speeds, and B) your car originally came with non speed rated fiberglass belted tires.
My point...where in the US, are you going to go 130 MPH for any length of time (assuming street use, of course)? Secondly, since the car originally came with tires that were non speed rated, and you today put a high quality radial tire of the car, IMHO you should be just fine.
As a point of comparison, my first brand new car was a '71 Chevelle SS454...a pretty fast car. On a couple of occasions, I had the car in excess of 130 MPH for a brief time, and never had an issue...
#28
LES, my point exactly and for those that say the car came with a worse tire than the BFG S rated tire, maybe so and I also remember tires blowing apart in those days, in other words tires that completely came apart in normal use. I am sorry I do not want to go backwards and put crap on my car and the S rated tire is not a performance tire at all. Do you see any late model cars out there with an S rated tire, in fact I have not found any car company today putting S rated tires on cars at all. My 2006 Honda has H rated tires and it handles like a Go Cart, came that way from the factory. Just an update, DPtires does have an H rated tire in 15 inch sizes and they are lined tires but they are asking $250 each, there is the problem, I can buy very high speed tires for less than that, why is it that these companies think it is okay to make these reproduction tires for classics and then turn around and charge us twice what the tire is worth. Lets rob the classic guys blind and give them crap tires at the same time.
BFG if you want my business bring back the Comp TA H rated. I would rather buy a MT T rated tire before I slap on a S rated BFG. Everyone is hurting and these **** heads want us to fork out $1000 for crappy tires, please
BFG if you want my business bring back the Comp TA H rated. I would rather buy a MT T rated tire before I slap on a S rated BFG. Everyone is hurting and these **** heads want us to fork out $1000 for crappy tires, please
#29
Race Director
LES, my point exactly and for those that say the car came with a worse tire than the BFG S rated tire, maybe so and I also remember tires blowing apart in those days, in other words tires that completely came apart in normal use. I am sorry I do not want to go backwards and put crap on my car and the S rated tire is not a performance tire at all. Do you see any late model cars out there with an S rated tire, in fact I have not found any car company today putting S rated tires on cars at all. My 2006 Honda has H rated tires and it handles like a Go Cart, came that way from the factory. Just an update, DPtires does have an H rated tire in 15 inch sizes and they are lined tires but they are asking $250 each, there is the problem, I can buy very high speed tires for less than that, why is it that these companies think it is okay to make these reproduction tires for classics and then turn around and charge us twice what the tire is worth. Lets rob the classic guys blind and give them crap tires at the same time.
BFG if you want my business bring back the Comp TA H rated. I would rather buy a MT T rated tire before I slap on a S rated BFG. Everyone is hurting and these **** heads want us to fork out $1000 for crappy tires, please
BFG if you want my business bring back the Comp TA H rated. I would rather buy a MT T rated tire before I slap on a S rated BFG. Everyone is hurting and these **** heads want us to fork out $1000 for crappy tires, please
#30
Les check out DPtires, they have a H rated 15 inch tire that looks like the BFG redline or whiteline (even gold), in fact they make the tires in different lines sizes. Have no idea about the tires quality, just found them this week, then again the tire looks much like the BFG redline and it cost as much as the Pirelli. As for waiting for Pirelli I have been told for months now they would be coming out with new ones in the next couple of months, its already been 4 months. Funny they are asking 250 bucks for this one tire and they will not match it with a larger tire for the rear and we have to wait for it. What is up with that, there are millions of Euro cars needing the tire and Muscle cars as well and we have to wait. Wait for what are they waiting for them to hatch? Pour in the Rubber and cool them down and ship them out!
#33
I love the redlines as well, they are not correct on my car but look great with Gold, the white lines just do nothing for me.
69 Fastfun I am wondering if you are good with 255's on the front because the 69 wheel wells do not have the wider flares on them I would like to see how well it goes on your 72.
Just wish DPtires was not asking $250 per tire for an H rated tire, shiiitttt!
69 Fastfun I am wondering if you are good with 255's on the front because the 69 wheel wells do not have the wider flares on them I would like to see how well it goes on your 72.
Just wish DPtires was not asking $250 per tire for an H rated tire, shiiitttt!
Last edited by 2501967; 03-10-2012 at 10:29 PM.
#34
Hi? Did you lower your vehicle? If yes how much did you lower it and how did you lower the vehicle front and rear? Are those oem rims? Thkx
#35
DP Tires HP Tire
Okay I looked into the DPtires H rated radial and they are using Maxxis MA-S1 Marauder tires, they come in all kinds of sizes for 15 inch wheels. Basically DPtires shaves off the Maxxis name and stuff on one side and then vulcanizes the stripes onto that one side, so basically you are getting a Maxxis H rated tires with a simple cosmetic change and then DPtires marks up the price. I am thinking it is cheaper to just buy the Maxxis tire direct, comes in 235, 245 and 255/60/15. Be careful this tire is made in S rated and H rated, different part numbers. Also the unaltered Maxxis one would have a stronger sidewall because it is not worked on, just what I am thinking here.
#36
Safety Car
I just ordered some 225/70/15 outlined white letter Grand Am radial GTs, they are made by Cooper.
We all used to run them back in the day and they never wore out, so im going back to them.
The tires I took off were dated 1994! 1 had a plug in the side wall and it was splitting.
We all used to run them back in the day and they never wore out, so im going back to them.
The tires I took off were dated 1994! 1 had a plug in the side wall and it was splitting.
Last edited by Tim H; 03-17-2012 at 01:33 PM.
#39
Safety Car