1968 / 1969 tire thread.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 2,343
Likes: 4
From: Anderson SC
1968 / 1969 tire thread.
I know there have been a million C3 tire threads... I'm hoping to get one more. 
OK... to catch you all up I got a some 8" Rally Wheels off a forum member. My 7" rims are totally out of play.
So even though I have a 1968, for the sake of this thread it's a 1969-1972 with 8" Rally Wheels. Originality means nothing to this part.
The car currently has BF Goodrich Radial T/A's on it....
Front: P215 / 65 SR15 (26.0 Diamater)
Rear : P235 / 60 SR15 (26.1 Diamater)
I want to stay with Radial TA's. And just wonder what size everyone reccomends. What's the widest that will fit with stock everything without rubbing?
Filling the wheel well... do the 235/60's fill it enough in most peoples opinions?
http://www.bfgoodrichtires.com/tire-...dial-t-a-tires
Click "Specs"
-W
OK... to catch you all up I got a some 8" Rally Wheels off a forum member. My 7" rims are totally out of play.
So even though I have a 1968, for the sake of this thread it's a 1969-1972 with 8" Rally Wheels. Originality means nothing to this part.
The car currently has BF Goodrich Radial T/A's on it....
Front: P215 / 65 SR15 (26.0 Diamater)
Rear : P235 / 60 SR15 (26.1 Diamater)
I want to stay with Radial TA's. And just wonder what size everyone reccomends. What's the widest that will fit with stock everything without rubbing?
Filling the wheel well... do the 235/60's fill it enough in most peoples opinions?
http://www.bfgoodrichtires.com/tire-...dial-t-a-tires
Click "Specs"
-W
Last edited by Clams Canino; Apr 22, 2010 at 12:40 PM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 3,330
Likes: 13
From: Europe , Luxembourg
Hi
On my 68, the 255 are too wide in the front.
Impossible without rubbing to drive them.
I drive 235 front and 275 rear.
Rgds. Günther
Edit: on 8 " rims ( not the original 7 " for the 68 )
On my 68, the 255 are too wide in the front.
Impossible without rubbing to drive them.
I drive 235 front and 275 rear.
Rgds. Günther
Edit: on 8 " rims ( not the original 7 " for the 68 )
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 3,330
Likes: 13
From: Europe , Luxembourg
Hi
I measured the back and 275 is the max that fits in there with 8 " rims without relocating the parking brake cable bracket or using offset trailing arms or different rim backspacing.
Rgds. Günther
I measured the back and 275 is the max that fits in there with 8 " rims without relocating the parking brake cable bracket or using offset trailing arms or different rim backspacing.
Rgds. Günther
Pro
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 561
Likes: 1
From: No longer in Heaven
Gunther--
You gotta fix those exhaust cutouts...maybe in Luxembourg you can get away with that, but not on the Forum!
You must get quite a few looks tooling down the cobblestones in a C3 with side exhaust!
You gotta fix those exhaust cutouts...maybe in Luxembourg you can get away with that, but not on the Forum!
You must get quite a few looks tooling down the cobblestones in a C3 with side exhaust!
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know
Joe Kucinski
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2
Michael S. Palmer
2027 Corvette vs The World: Every C8 vs Its Closest Competitor
Joe Kucinski
10 Most Common Corvette Problems of the Last 20 Years!
Joe Kucinski
5 MOST and 5 LEAST Popular Corvette Model Years in History!
Joe Kucinski
2027 Corvette Buyer's Guide: Everything You Need to Know!
Joe Kucinski
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 4,101
Likes: 10
From: NorCal
I'll give it a shot. I ran 235/70r15 Goodyear 'RSA plus' (stock on all the Crown Vic police cruisers) front and rear for years 'till I wore 'em out. Loved 'em for the handling, not so much the "stock" look. I went with 235/60R15 BFG's on the front and 255/60R15's on the rear when it was time to replace. Looks a lot better, but way softer handling. They just don't feel as solid under the car, like they 'fall off' the bead when I start to push them, and boy are they howlers when they slip or spin!
I do like the way they look and fill up the wheel wells, although I want to lower the rear about an inch. My e-brake cables just clear in the stock location. I'll probably mount up a spare set of Khumo or Hoosier DOT legal race rubber for the real aggressive driving and stay with these for day-to-day cruising.
Hans
I do like the way they look and fill up the wheel wells, although I want to lower the rear about an inch. My e-brake cables just clear in the stock location. I'll probably mount up a spare set of Khumo or Hoosier DOT legal race rubber for the real aggressive driving and stay with these for day-to-day cruising.
Hans
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 1,057
Likes: 4
From: Concord Calif
I know there have been a million C3 tire threads... I'm hoping to get one more.
OK... to catch you all up I got a some 8" Rally Wheels off a forum member. My 7" rims are totally out of play.
So even though I have a 1968, for the sake of this thread it's a 1969-1972 with 8" Rally Wheels. Originality means nothing to this part.
The car currently has BF Goodrich Radial T/A's on it....
Front: P215 / 65 SR15 (26.0 Diamater)
Rear : P235 / 60 SR15 (26.1 Diamater)
I want to stay with Radial TA's. And just wonder what size everyone reccomends. What's the widest that will fit with stock everything without rubbing?
Filling the wheel well... do the 235/60's fill it enough in most peoples opinions?
http://www.bfgoodrichtires.com/tire-...dial-t-a-tires
Click "Specs"
-W
OK... to catch you all up I got a some 8" Rally Wheels off a forum member. My 7" rims are totally out of play.
So even though I have a 1968, for the sake of this thread it's a 1969-1972 with 8" Rally Wheels. Originality means nothing to this part.
The car currently has BF Goodrich Radial T/A's on it....
Front: P215 / 65 SR15 (26.0 Diamater)
Rear : P235 / 60 SR15 (26.1 Diamater)
I want to stay with Radial TA's. And just wonder what size everyone reccomends. What's the widest that will fit with stock everything without rubbing?
Filling the wheel well... do the 235/60's fill it enough in most peoples opinions?
http://www.bfgoodrichtires.com/tire-...dial-t-a-tires
Click "Specs"
-W
I got 245/60's on 8 inch rallys on my 68 and they fit fine on the front and the car is lowered even. But the rear is really tight to the spring and the brake cable, I put a 1/4 inch spacer on the rear and I can just get a finger between the spring and brake cable. not sure how others are getting away with larger. and yes I do have 69 wheels.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 2,343
Likes: 4
From: Anderson SC
Ok... from what I'm gathering... presuming 8" Rally's
255/60's fit all the way around, and up to 275's fit on the back - no spacers required.
Corey Are you saying you have 275's on the front as well?
(And as an editorial comment: I think most "performance driver" 1968's are using 8" rally's or the stock 76 and up 8" aluminum wheels, leaving the 7" wheels for the NCRS types. That whole 68 only 7" wheel thingie might make us "special" - but in this case "special" means "not quite finished yet"
)
-W (just repainted 2 8" rally wheels)
255/60's fit all the way around, and up to 275's fit on the back - no spacers required.
Corey Are you saying you have 275's on the front as well?
(And as an editorial comment: I think most "performance driver" 1968's are using 8" rally's or the stock 76 and up 8" aluminum wheels, leaving the 7" wheels for the NCRS types. That whole 68 only 7" wheel thingie might make us "special" - but in this case "special" means "not quite finished yet"
)-W (just repainted 2 8" rally wheels)
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 3,330
Likes: 13
From: Europe , Luxembourg
Hi
I don't think that 255 fit the front of 68, not on 7 nor on 8 " rims.
I tried them and no way they can be installed without spacers and then they will hit the fender.
My 235 are rubbing in full turn.
Every car is different, so 245 may be, depensing on the car, but 255 , NO.
Rgds. Günther
I don't think that 255 fit the front of 68, not on 7 nor on 8 " rims.
I tried them and no way they can be installed without spacers and then they will hit the fender.
My 235 are rubbing in full turn.
Every car is different, so 245 may be, depensing on the car, but 255 , NO.
Rgds. Günther
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 26,545
Likes: 46
From: Huntersville NC
I think a lot of 68s still have the original style 7" wheels, even if my car has multitudes of not quite original type parts on it. My problem with those BFG T/As is they are only S rated, which is only safe to about 112 mph. I went with BFG T/A's that were H rated, but they only came in blackwall (no raised white letters.. 
). I couldn't find them on the website - I wonder if they make them any more.
). I couldn't find them on the website - I wonder if they make them any more.
Last edited by PRNDL; Apr 24, 2010 at 05:38 PM.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 2,343
Likes: 4
From: Anderson SC
We're getting conflicting data about 255/60/15 - particularly in the front.
Speaking of the 255's, how bad are they for following "road ruts"?
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 1,695
Likes: 64
From: Kissimmee fl
Finalist 2021 C3 of the Year - Modified
2017 C3 of Year Finalist
Cruise-In VIII Veteran
St. Jude Donor '07
As stated above, it depends on the car. I run BFG TA 255 60r 15 on the rear of my 69 with no changes, have not tried 275's. On the front I run the 245's and have a SLIGHT rub of the frame on one side only, at full lock.
I would suggest you buy your tires in pairs. Buy the 255's first. Try them for fit on the front. They should fit the rear with no problem. Based on the trial fit for the front, then buy the next two accordingly.(same size if they clear or the 245's if they did'nt)
I would suggest you buy your tires in pairs. Buy the 255's first. Try them for fit on the front. They should fit the rear with no problem. Based on the trial fit for the front, then buy the next two accordingly.(same size if they clear or the 245's if they did'nt)
