Original Tire question
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SPARTAN
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Re: Original Tire question (Myeye2sky)
Hmmm...the original tire was a G70-15 if memory serves me correctly. That roughly equates to a P215/70R15 which would be 26.85", or thereabouts.
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From: PA
Re: Original Tire question
Does anyone know what is the total diameter of the 15" rims and tires on the 69 Vette?
The original tire/wheel combination for the 1969 Corvettes was an F70-15 tire mounted on a 15"x8" wheel (which carried a broadcast code of "AZ" for Corvette applications). When mounted on the factory wheel, the tire diameter was approximately 26.9" although there was probably some variation between tire manufacturers. Goodyear, Firestone, and Uniroyal were all OEM suppliers of tires for Corvettes in 1969.
The current replacement size tire calls for a 215-70R15 although as with the original tire, tire diameters will differ between manufacturers so it is probably a good idea to check their specifications for the actual tire diameter and get as close to 26.9" as you can.
As Barry noted, the original Corvette bias ply tires of this era (1968-1972) used nylon belts as opposed to the tires used on most other cars which were constructed with fiberglass belts. While there was no official speed rating on tires (as there is today), the nylon belted tires were designed for speeds approaching 140 mph; one of the reasons that they were specified for the Corvette.
Regards,
