Classic Muscle

I'm wanting to try and fit 255/60R15s on my 77 so far I've only found a few choices to chose from in that size. For a set of 4 this is what I've found on line... BF GoodRich $631.00,Micky Thompson $538.24, Cooper Cobra $399.48, Mastercraft Avenger $399.96 and Dunlop Sp Sport GT $640. The Dunlop and BF Goodrich are both S rated tires while all the other cheaper ones have a higher speed rating of T. They all are free shipping and I'll have to pay 50-60 dollars to have them mounted. What would be the best choice for my 77 and why? Is the $231 difference worth it between the BFG and Cooper? Which tire rides and handles better?

ykf7b0

I have Cooper Cobra's with those measurements on my 76 and they do a great job.

carriljc

I'm about to buy some 235 60R15s for my 68 fronts and I'm going to buy whatever is most inexpensive. They really are low performance tires compared to the new 17" and 18" units available nowadays.

'75

I've had good luck with the Coopers, good traction. I need to start doing more burn-outs though, the last ones got outdated with lots of tread left.

ykf7b0

That what most people say but I for one don't like the looks of the gaudy wheels and I like more side wall versus what 17 and 18's offer.

Classic Muscle

+1 for more burn-outs :-)

Syl1953

While the Cooper Cobras may be great tires at a really good price, for myself, for some reason, I will not put them on my car. To me the name shouts out "cheap". Maybe I'm a tire snob or something worse....If running black walls there would not be an issue in my head. OK let me have it. Mark. Go Mickeys, Goodrich or Dunlop.

Street Rat

I had Cooper Cobras on my '81.
I thought they were fairly good tires.
When I purchased new ones I went with the MTs.
They are quieter and ride better imo.

Street Rat

Alan 71

Hi CM,
I think the BF GOODRICH tires have the best appearance.....
both the style and size of the lettering and the sidewall design.
If you decide to run the black side out, that side has a good appearance too.
Regards,
Alan

255-60-15

ykf7b0

[QUOTE=Alan 71;1596277079]Hi CM,
I think the BF GOODRICH tires have the best appearance.....
both the style and size of the lettering and the sidewall design.
If you decide to run the black side out, that side has a good appearance too.
Regards,
Alan



You guys do know that Cooper Cobra's do have nice full white lettering right?

bence13_33

It depends on what kind of performance you are going after? I was able to run 215/70/15 BF Goodrich tires in the 12.30 range at 118ish MPH with a 4 speed down the 1/4 mile. My friend had a Mustang with a 514ci Cobra Jet that had maybe 50-75 more horsepower than I did, was running 335/40/17s or something crazy like that. Even with a sticky tire compound and an automatic he couldn't hook up to save his life. Obviously there are different variables to that equation but my point is a taller side wall is not a bad thing necessarily....it just depends on what you are after. If you do a lot of autocrossing then you likely want something with a shorter side wall.

As far as looks go, I prefer a smaller rim with a taller side wall. I have had success with BF Goodrich radial T/As, that's not to say that other tires aren't comparable just that I haven't tried any of them.

Lord Melbury

Hi,
What modern size is equal to original?

Håkan

GUSTO14

BFG's are definitely old school and have been installed on these cars since your Corvette was new. Our club in Pensacola, Florida (MSCC) back in the late 70's, had a local BFG dealer that sponsored our club. They gave an excellent discount, so half the folks were running the T/A Radials and I can't recall anyone complaining about them

Now if you want to go more original and spend a few more bucks, you can check out Kelsey Tire and go with the P255/60 R-15, Goodyear GT Radial, Aramid fiber belted tire that came standard on the '78 Pace Car, or the P255/60 – R15 Eagle GT, Steel Belted tires. These will run you considerably more, but are as good as it gets in the 255/60 size.

Good luck... GUSTO

7T1vette

If you have a Sam's Club membership, you can order BFG T/A radials in that size on-line and have them shipped to your local store for installation. Sam's also has a lifetime balance and rotation option that is a very good deal. Go to the Sam's Club website for tire prices and availability.

jb78L-82

There are no performance mass market tires available for a c3 in any 15 inch tire. If all you are after is the looks, then stick to 15's. Honestly, 12.3 in the 1/4 with 215/70 bfgs is amazing considering the hardness of the rubber and generally weak traction compared to today's modern ultra high Performance summer only w/y rated tires.

I have owned 255/60/15 S/T rated tires from Goodyear gt, Dunlop gt qualifers, and bfg radial ta's and they are only mass market standard passenger tires with raised white lettering.

I currently have 255/50/17 ZR ultra high Performance summer only tires in the rear and 255/45/17's in front. I cannot spin them in any gear when rolling with my 355 L-82 425+ gross hp engine easily even with a 4 speed and 3.70 gears. Amazing traction! The BFG tas would have zero traction with my engine.

A 255/60/15 is equivalent to my 255/50/17...both 27 inch diameter.

FWIW...I use Cooper ultra high Performance all seasons W rated on 2 of my DD's cars and they are a great tire for the money...I stay away from BFG tires now...after a few bad wear experiences with their modern tires. I also just mounted Cooper RS3-S summer only uhp tires on another car..Y rated...too early to evaluate. For the money, you can't go wrong with Cooper's.

Classic Muscle

How about cornering do you think the MTs corner better?

Classic Muscle

The P225/70R15 is a direct replacement for the original GR70-15.

BLUE1972

Just a few thoughts:
Something I learned when drag racing in the late 60's from an old time racer who was at the top of his game.
Tire with alone does not result in traction. Weight per square inch is important / critical also.
Assume both tires have the same material and hardness.
Put 30# weight on a N50-15 (335-15) and you can drag it across the floor, put the same on a 175-15 and you can't.
It's a delicate balance between tire loading and traction. The correct traction / weight per square inch is a critical balance.
This also plays into cornering and stopping.
Tire deformation also plays a large part in traction, but this is going very deep.

68blvert

Probably the last high performance 15" DOT approved tire your gonna find is the Maxxis Maurauder MA-1. Although this is listed as an SUV tire it specs out pretty close to an HP automobile tire. 2 different versions, one is H speed rated, the other is S speed rated. These seem similar to the old B.F. Goodrich Comp T.A. from about 30 years ago. I had those on my Grand National and they were great. No, I have not used these nor do I know of anyone who has but considering the other 4 options are basically passenger car tires using ancient technology I think these would be worth a try(which I plan to do when mine is ready for the road) If I don't think they live up to my expectations, off they come and I'm going with 17 or 18. If you really like a challenge maybe you can find an unused set of the old Firestone Police Pursuit tires form the late 80's to mid 90's (225-70/15) used on Police Crown Vics and Caprices.
http://www.maxxis.com/catalog/tire-8...er-ma-s1#sizes