A good 15 inch tire option
#1
Le Mans Master
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A good 15 inch tire option
May have already seen by many of you but I thought I would throw it out there for the rest of you, who like me, have been searching for a good handling tire since I really want to keep 15's on the car but am tired of the poor choices we have. I have been reading on the Cobra site and the Avon tire on the link has been getting terrific feedback for handling, racing and decent street longevity. They are super expensive but with 15's today, I guess you gotta pay to play. The sizes are good for us Corvette guys too. I am thinking this tire with a nice stencil, would look as good as those Goodyear "billboards". I may give it a try. D.O.T. legal and a V speed rating.
http://www.rogerkrausracing.com/Cobra/
http://www.rogerkrausracing.com/Cobra/
Last edited by 69ttop502; 02-12-2008 at 08:31 AM.
#3
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You have also the Michelin TB5R and TB5F, professional rubber for client racers in the 60's and 70's and now back to production for a restraint number of customers, expensive but maybe the best rubber for vintage racers
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then you have also the Hoosiers dot tires, good rubber, lasts relatively long, holds well around bends and is pretty accessible to all pockets...
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then you have also the Hoosiers dot tires, good rubber, lasts relatively long, holds well around bends and is pretty accessible to all pockets...
#4
Team Owner
The handling gains of going with 17 inch fronts and 18 rears make a C-3 fun to drive. When you get into the quality tires with AA A Z-rated. They have traction above what a few heat cycles will do to DOT race tires
#5
Race Director
#6
Team Owner
I really don't believe that there is a logical reason to use 15 inch tires.
The handling gains of going with 17 inch fronts and 18 rears make a C-3 fun to drive. When you get into the quality tires with AA A Z-rated. They have traction above what a few heat cycles will do to DOT race tires
The handling gains of going with 17 inch fronts and 18 rears make a C-3 fun to drive. When you get into the quality tires with AA A Z-rated. They have traction above what a few heat cycles will do to DOT race tires
#7
Team Owner
I just bought two front 17X10 wheels and two 295/35/17 tires for the front just to do my part
#8
Melting Slicks
In my neck of the woods,the roads are horrible. I have a hard time swallowing a set of tires every year or two as it is,and I buy the $90. Kelly Chargers(15 inch rims). Of course if I had deeper pockets,$250 a tire would open up plenty of other options.
#9
Drifting
Personal preferance?
Want to keep the appearance relatively stock?
Cost?
You just love the look of Corvette Aluminum Mags?
60's/70's vettes just look better with some meaty "muscle car" sidewalls?
16"/17"/18"/20"/24" = "BLING"
There are some nice looking C3's on this site that are set up nicely with 16 or larger rims, but a lot of the cars just don't look right.
IMO, unless your competing regularly, I really don't believe that there is a logical reason to use anything but 15 inch tires.
Since bigger is obviously better to some, should we pull the new wheels off the current C6's and install some 24's?
I guess it's personal preferance.
#10
Le Mans Master
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The purpose of the post was really not to get into another debate on the merits of bigger wheels. It was just to say, hey there is another option out there of a speed rated, D.O.T. approved tire. I just really prefer the look of the 15 inch wheels and tires on these cars.
Bill
Bill
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Alex66 (10-22-2018)
#11
Pro
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The purpose of the post was really not to get into another debate on the merits of bigger wheels. It was just to say, hey there is another option out there of a speed rated, D.O.T. approved tire. I just really prefer the look of the 15 inch wheels and tires on these cars.
Bill
Bill
Thanks Bill,
Great thread!
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Pop Chevy (06-20-2018)
#12
Drifting
The purpose of the post was really not to get into another debate on the merits of bigger wheels. It was just to say, hey there is another option out there of a speed rated, D.O.T. approved tire. I just really prefer the look of the 15 inch wheels and tires on these cars.
Bill
Bill
I'm with ya here. I wonder if they are available wider, like in the 325 335 range.
These are in the correct overall diameter too (unlike the TB15's).
#14
Team Owner
years ago when I had 15 X 8.5 wheels with 4.5 B.S. I tried 275/60/15 BFG T/A's on the rear. Really tall tire, but they had pretty good straight line traction. I used BFG comp T/A's or Euro T/A's that were 265/55/15 and 255/50/15 on the front. I don't even know if they are made anymore.
I'd do a search on the www.tirerack.com by size and see what they come up with. You can also choose a vendor and then look at specs to compare all sizes in a product line.
I'd do a search on the www.tirerack.com by size and see what they come up with. You can also choose a vendor and then look at specs to compare all sizes in a product line.
#15
Le Mans Master
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It is very interesting that amongst the Cobra owners, far more of them are running these race type compound tires than we Vette people are. They really complain about our old standby TA's and such. Many of them re running the bias ply Goodyears and actually really like them, even in wet traction depending on the specific tire. The downside seems to be that they pick up alot of rocks, the treadlife is shorter and the bias ply tires flat spot even overnight, although in a mile or so are back to normal. These tires really look great though. The Vintage racing pics thread really got me going here, along with the horrible feel of my tires.
Panic, I am interested to hear what you have to say on these issues as I gather you have been running these tires for awhile. I checked out the Michelin's you posted about but it seemed like they don't have anything wide enough or tall enough.
Bill
Panic, I am interested to hear what you have to say on these issues as I gather you have been running these tires for awhile. I checked out the Michelin's you posted about but it seemed like they don't have anything wide enough or tall enough.
Bill
#16
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It is very interesting that amongst the Cobra owners, far more of them are running these race type compound tires than we Vette people are. They really complain about our old standby TA's and such. Many of them re running the bias ply Goodyears and actually really like them, even in wet traction depending on the specific tire. The downside seems to be that they pick up alot of rocks, the treadlife is shorter and the bias ply tires flat spot even overnight, although in a mile or so are back to normal. These tires really look great though. The Vintage racing pics thread really got me going here, along with the horrible feel of my tires.
Panic, I am interested to hear what you have to say on these issues as I gather you have been running these tires for awhile. I checked out the Michelin's you posted about but it seemed like they don't have anything wide enough or tall enough.
Bill
Panic, I am interested to hear what you have to say on these issues as I gather you have been running these tires for awhile. I checked out the Michelin's you posted about but it seemed like they don't have anything wide enough or tall enough.
Bill
The Michelin TB5 F(ront) and R(ear) are just out, they cost a real fortune (about 500 usd each) and they'd need some extra care on suspension set up, they're wide allright but they're not tall enough on a 15' rim...i dont have personal experience with them.
#17
Lepus-temperamentalus
I really don't believe that there is a logical reason to use 15 inch tires.
The handling gains of going with 17 inch fronts and 18 rears make a C-3 fun to drive. When you get into the quality tires with AA A Z-rated. They have traction above what a few heat cycles will do to DOT race tires
The handling gains of going with 17 inch fronts and 18 rears make a C-3 fun to drive. When you get into the quality tires with AA A Z-rated. They have traction above what a few heat cycles will do to DOT race tires
For the same reason someone drives a 60/70 Corvette in the first place. What's the "logical" reason to drive a C2 or C3 at all? After all, most C5's are faster and handle better, certainly all C6's and C7's. Using your "logic", there's no reason to ever buy any Corvette older than you can possibly buy.
#18
and why post to a 2008 thread?