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OK going to you guys for some needed advice. I know there are many tire size questions already on the forum, but here’s my story. I’ve owned the 65 for 20 years. Its set up as a driver and the previous tires were Michelin Energy 215/65/R15's. They were mounted to 15x6 Direct Bolt On Knock Off’s. Never had any tire rub before. Although there was tread on the Michelins, they were old and to be safe it was time for some fresh rubber. I went back to my High School days and wanted white lettering so I mounted some BF Goodrich T/A Radials 215/65/R15's on the KO’s. Now I have tire rub primarily on the driver’s side. I should say this rub only happens when I’m going up particular steeper inclines like driveways. My usual old normal way was to enter an incline like this at an angle versus the direct frontal approach. I now have changed when I can to a direct and slower front entry approach to keep the tires in the wells straight on. I don’t like having to remember this and the worry in my head of having someday cracking a fender lip and tires are cheaper than body work. If you guys were in this situation what would you do? The car had a complete body off in the early 90's so the front springs were changed or re-arced. Here’s my thoughts of a fix.
Buy two new T/A Radials in 205/65/R15 for the front. Cheapest way to go and easiest if that “would” solve the problem.
Buy some Michelin’s again all the way around and hope that works again but the tires will be new and the front springs are replaced or freshened up but there’s about 40 years on them.
Just give up on the extra rubber and buy 4 new 205/70/R15’s
Keep the present tires and trim the inner fender lips (but I don’t really care to do this)
Just leave it as is and be extra careful and try to always remember and then avoid hard turn in driveways or entries if possible.
If there is anything else that I could do that would work please give me your thoughts or what option you would possibly choose. Here’s the car with TA’s on it and a pick of the rub mark. I look forward to hearing what you guys that know this tire stuff a lot better than me would do.
Tux Drivers side inside fender lip Side view. Slight tire angle side frontal view with wheels angled more
I've got the same 215-65x15 T/A Radials on my 65 and 66 Coupes for nearly 30 years and never had a rub issue on front wheel well lips. With normal tire pressure, can you give us the height dimension at the center lower edge of the wheel well lip to the ground? Just measured my two coupes and one sits a bit low at 24 3/4 inches from ground to lower edge of center wheel well lip and the other Coupe a bit higher, like 25 1/4. That's with both running around 30 pounds of pressure and stock spring. Just curious if the springs that you have up front were changed to lowered springs. The pic doesn't make it look like the car sits low but can't really tell. In the end, you might not have any other choice but to go to a slightly smaller tire up front...or all around.
Mike T - Prescott AZ
I certainly wouldn’t go with your option 5. You’ll be worrying about that fender lip at every railroad crossing and every bump in the road. And you definitely don’t want to crack that lip. Been there and done that. Cost $3,000 for a proper repair and paint for a 6” crack in my front fender lip.
First thing I’d do is find out the height from ground to top of fender lip of a ‘65 when it rolled off the assembly line and compare that with what you have. If you’re within as-built specs, go to a smaller tire. If not, maybe new springs and shocks.
I just measured per what you guys mentioned. Looks like its short in height. From the garage floor to that center bottom wheel lip its 23 and 1/4 inches with 32 lbs of air in the tire. Car was built on January 29,1965
This sure sounds like the problem. What's the logical and most cost effective easy fix?
TUX
How do your front coils look, do they look like they've collapsed with not much room between the individual coils? Happen to have a pic of the coil spring in place? Coil replacement would be good way to get the front end up off the tires as long as the new coils didn't do the opposite, raise it too high. Understanding that 65 series tires are shorter than 70 or 75's but I've had the 65's on repro KO's for a long time and no rub. I kinda prefer the look of a shorter tire too.
Mike T - Prescott AZ
Regardless of coil rate or ride height, the tire and suspension always travel through the same arc as defined by the a-arm's pivots and alignment. Changing springs will not solve the interference.
Does the passenger side have excess clearance, an indicator the body has shifted?
Has the front end been aligned?
Do you have equal one degree negative camber on left and right sides, and caster to match your desired steering effort and tracking behavior?
You may only need a good alignment.
Can you just increase the negative camber a bit and remain within specs? I suggested this to another with a rear lip rub and it took care of his problem entirely.
I've got the same 215-65x15 T/A Radials on my 65 and 66 Coupes for nearly 30 years and never had a rub issue on front wheel well lips. With normal tire pressure, can you give us the height dimension at the center lower edge of the wheel well lip to the ground? Just measured my two coupes and one sits a bit low at 24 3/4 inches from ground to lower edge of center wheel well lip and the other Coupe a bit higher, like 25 1/4. That's with both running around 30 pounds of pressure and stock spring. Just curious if the springs that you have up front were changed to lowered springs. The pic doesn't make it look like the car sits low but can't really tell. In the end, you might not have any other choice but to go to a slightly smaller tire up front...or all around.
Mike T - Prescott AZ
I have posted on this subject MANY times. IMO for both appearance and fender lip safety with a radial tire in a 15” wheel go with a 205 size tire. There are many people that run lower profile (read shorter side wall) and get away with a wider tire but even though these cars were built in a factory there were slight differences in many of them when new that would effect this situation. Not to mention that a 50+ year old car can have possible collision damage, suspension sag etc. that can effect all of this. In other words what fits on one car may not on another for a like type model. If you want to go bigger than a 205 with a 15” x 6” wheel it will be trial and error fitting to determine safe fit as the OP has learned.
To directly answer the OPs question, personally I would go with 205/70s all around. I can fit that size in my spare tire carrier and they are as close to factory original size you can find in a radial.
215/65 and 205/70 are too short and have too many revs per mile, which will cause the speedo to read several percent higher than it already probably did with the OE tires. 205/75 and 215/70 are close enough to the OE revs per mile that speedo readings will remain about the same as with the OE revs/mile tires.
For road use up to negative one degree camber is perfectly okay, and will actually improve steering response. Lay an inclinometer against the wheel flange or tire on a level surface like a garage slab and you should be able to read camber within a couple tenths of a degree.
A one degree camber change in the negative direction will move the top of the tire inboard about one-half inch.
A lot of guys have to be careful because of wide tires. If you enter a steep angle driveway at an angle remember to straighten the wheel as you cross the angle. If you have memory problems put a post-it note on the dash with a reminder.
215/65 and 205/70 are too short and have too many revs per mile, which will cause the speedo to read several percent higher than it already probably did with the OE tires. 205/75 and 215/70 are close enough to the OE revs per mile that speedo readings will remain about the same as with the OE revs/mile tires.
For road use up to negative one degree camber is perfectly okay, and will actually improve steering response. Lay an inclinometer against the wheel flange or tire on a level surface like a garage slab and you should be able to read camber within a couple tenths of a degree.
A one degree camber change in the negative direction will move the top of the tire inboard about one-half inch.
A lot of guys have to be careful because of wide tires. If you enter a steep angle driveway at an angle remember to straighten the wheel as you cross the angle. If you have memory problems put a post-it note on the dash with a reminder.
Duke
The 205/70s on my car have little effect on the speedo. I check mine all of the time with the stationery radar units they have all over my area and it ALWAYS reads 42 verses my speedo reading 45. That is about 4% difference and I can certainly live with that.
I put 215/65/15s on several Sting Rays during the 1970s-1990s without issue. There must be something out of spec with your car. I would start with alignment.
We did align the wheels. I will attach alignment plate pics. Also pics this afternoon of my 3/8 width pen in between the fender and tire right in and left outs on the left and right side of car. A lot more room over on the passenger side. I believe I remember the car had some left front damage from an accident 30 or 40 years ago years ago.... Body may be off but like I said I had Michelins with the same specs on the there before with what I thought was no rub but now cannot see how as I dig deeper into this. Maybe did not hear the tire rub with the sidepipes then but if so its worse now... May have to try some 205/65/R15's on the front. I see some hairline fractures in the outside glass$$$. Or pony up for 205/70's all the way around. Maybe an alignment adjustment can make it work but there is not much room on the drivers side. At zero caster on the drivers side and -3 on the passenger side. I think the 205 change on the front may get me a 1/4 inch more of space which does not seem like much. I need to remember what Duke says on the drive up those driveways as I am guilty of forgetting about keeping those wheels straight on angle.
Tux
You said you had some previous body damage. I would have the car’s frame checked with laser frame measuring equipment. If the body is off that far from side to side and it was due to how a fender or front end was glued on it I would think it would be seen elsewhere on the body.
06-14-2020, 11:02 AM
Tire Rub with new 215/65/R15's ???
in the outside glass$$$. Or pony up for 205/70's all the way around. Maybe an alignment adjustment can make it work but there is not much room on the drivers side. At zero caster on the drivers side and -3 on the passenger side. I think the 205 change on the front may get me a 1/4 inch more of space which does not seem like much. I need to remember what Duke says on the drive up those driveways as I am guilty of forgetting about keeping those wheels straight on angle. 
