MudEye

Just purchased the SS1 retro rims. 52 vintage series. 15 x 8

Need tires now. I know there is a few threads out there.
However.... Will 245/60/15 work? (especially in front) And does anyone have this setup? Don't want fat back and skinny front.
235 is a bit more common..But I want to fill up the fenders(without rubbing)
Want to have all tires the same size( front and back) for rotation purposes. I here the Classic T.A. BFG is not nearly as good as the newer tires (unless they have changed compounds) as firehawk , cooper cobra, mickey thompson,etc.
Reviews suggest all others have better wet and handling than T.A.s

Mr Shifty Sidney

I run 15X7 wheels with 245/60/15 BF Goodrich Radial TAs. No problems on my 70 Cutlass conv. This size tire has a slightly larger o.d. than a stock size tire.
Don W.

z11375ss

I am running the 245/60/15. The tires rub on my Hotchkis anti sway bar. The bar is an inch plus something in diameter. So if you have or were planning to add something like this in the future, they rub. Stock bar, no issues.

Nilsson

245/60 will fit nicely front and rear. I have 245/60 front and 255/60 rear.
Check out the MT Sportsman tires. I am running these this time, better than the TA's.

Texas69

I run BFG TA 255/60's on all four corners. No issues at all on fitment.

oldcutlass

That tire should work fine @ 26.57" diameter, anything taller may rub the rear front wheel well with a sagging front end.

oldcutlass

I run P275-60-15 rear and P225-70-15 front.

allyolds68

I have virtually the same set up and same problems

Fun71

I'm another who has 245-60-15s on 15x7 wheel all around with no issues.

1971convertible15x7SSIIIb_zps494506da.jpg

1971convertible15x7SSIIIc_zps66f89e96.jpg

Seff

I'm lowered ½" from stock and can confirm this. Rubs a tiny bit on the inner fender.

BlackGold

But .........

As with any tire, whether or not it will fit depends on the wheel's offset. So you can completely discount the advice anyone gives you unless their wheels have the same offset as yours. Ans since no one in this thread has discussed offset .......

Seff

The man's right.

I'm running 245/60-r15 on a 15x8 with 4" of backspace.

drop top olds

Fun 71.. first time I have seen a full size picture of your car. Looks nice. Like everyone else I am searching for 15" SS II's

Fun71

Hmm. Whatever offset the factory 15x7 SSIII wheels have is what is working well on my car.


I hear ya. I was on the lookout for a while and then tripped across two sets in a year. They're out there; just keep your eyes open.

FYI, you can have the center section of the 14x6 or 14x7 SSII cut out and welded into a 15" wheel in 7, 8, 9, 10 or larger width and whatever offset you desire. This will also give you bolt-on center caps instead of push-on caps.

MudEye

Thanks guys going with 245/60/15's Now My tire choice.
Look I know TA bfg is the most popular. And I'm almost inclined to buy.
I'm just wondering whether they have upgraded the tire ingredients to the latest technology. I read a couple websites that indicated that they have improved wet traction ( Big complaint from many) and cornering capabilities ( Also a big complaint ) Anyone have any personal experience in running older and newer T.A.'s?( cause they've been around forever (like some of us).
Mickey Johnson? ( Summit racing review says they're crap) Cooper Cobra?
Indy 500? This is a ( survivor car ) not a show room car. Great shape. And may be my everyday driver. So safety is my concern ( braking,wet driving,cornering,

Your thoughts? Thanks

oldcutlass

Tires are very opinion oriented, the BFG'd work fine for me and I drive mine daily rain or shine and even had it out in the snow (not very deep in Texas) once or twice.

Fun71

Agreed. What one person sees as a must-have in a tire another may not care about at all.

MudEye

While we are on the tire issue.I hear that BFG T.A's squall (spin) easier because of the tread compound(harder) While Indy 500 has a strong launch with no spin and better corner traction.

I'm curious as the tire You have.....

drop top olds

I had an older set of BFG T/A's on my car. They were "OK". Replaced with a set of Firestone Indy 500 RWL. I liked the 'stones better. Current set is ready for replacement and the 'stones are not available in 14" (that I can find). So I guess I will go back to T/A's. I always liked to be different, that is why I changed to 'stones. Seems like everyone runs T/A's. Good Luck with your search/decision.

BlackGold

For what it's worth, I don't think any of the Raised White Letter tires available, like Goodyear GT II or BF Goodrich Radial T/A (I don't know about Firestone), can be considered a high-performance tire. If you want sticky rubber, speed rating, and advanced construction, you'll have to settle for black sidewalls.

Personally, I can't stand anything but a high-performance tire on a high-performance vehicle, and I consider a 442 a high-performance vehicle.

Macadoo

I'd like to see some pics of that. I'll bet it looks cool as H$#l!

MudEye

So what performance tire are You using then? Mine is not high performance. But the traction,grip,is important. Thanks..

tecar442

I have exactly your setup. 245/60/15 BFGs. 15/8 wheel Vintique wheels. Bought from Summit, mounted and balanced. Check them out. Tires rub a tiny bit in front when I hit a bump while turning, otherwise no problems. like the look.

steverw

I like the Cooper Cobras, I run them on my Vette and also had them on my last truck. Ive been using them for at least 20 years now. I think there every bit as good as T A radials and better. I get good traction and handling, and longer tread wear. And I think their a little cheaper too. Ill put them on my Olds when i get to that point, which isnt happening fast enough! LOL

johnnyjaws

it comes down to money what are u willing to pay I alaways liked the cooper cobras my self I have these on my car now that I just bought not sure what make they are everyone has the ta/s

BlackGold

On my W-30 I run BFG Drag Radials 275/60R15 on the back and Goodyear Eagle RS-A 225/70R15 cop tires on the front. I assume the latter was the size used on the '90s Caprices; I'm not sure you can still get them.

Back when I ran the shorter 50-series drag radials on back, I ran BFG Comp T/A ZR on front, 225/60ZR15. Great tire (I still have a pair), but too short to look good.

On my daily driver G-bodies I prefered to run whatever H-rated Goodyear Eagle tires I could find that year, like GT+4. Currently I'm running Eagle GT II on my '87 442 and don't care for them -- other than the nice raised-white letters.

Sampson

I am running 295/50/15's in the rear and 255/60/15 in front on 15x8 SS. I's. Left front rubbed every once in a while if the car was leaning just right and the wheels were cut hard left. Tweeted the lower front edge just a hair and no more rubbing.

oldsmobiledave

I have seen 255s up front but never driven a car with them. Personally I think that they are too wide & look like crap on the front. If I was going to run one size on all four corners it would be 245 60 15s.


That said why are you against a staggered tire set up? I run 225 70 15s up front with 275 60s out back on 70-72 cars & 235 60 15s up front with 255 60 15s out back on 68-69 cars. The slight rake gives the car a great stance.

MudEye

It's not that I'm against the staggered setup.I personally think it looks way better. Those I'm calling on to buy tires recommend buying all the same size for rotation purposes( front to back) But this is very interesting. How many miles and how even are your tire wearing with your setup? And when if at all are you rotating your tires from left to right? Also.... Mine is 67 Cutlass Supreme. Are the fender clearances the same? Just wondering.... Your cars (68-69) (70-72) Thanks

oldsmobiledave

I own too many cars to ever drive one enough to worry about tire rotations.






Tires have an 8 year shelf life & are expired long before I ever need to replace them.

Magna86

I run 255/60R15 on all 4 corners and I like being able to rotate my tires. I haven't noticed any rubbing issues but I havent driven it much since I rebuilt/upgraded the suspension. Plus the tires are old and need replaced so I don't drive far.
IMG_20140621_180840224_HDR_zps2tnqinms.jpg

oldsmobiledave

Tire rotations are done to maximize tread wear. If the tires are expired long before they are tread bare then what is the point of rotating the tires?

Dave Siltman

Mudeye: Did you get chrome or aluminum? As others have said, many factors to consider; offset, condition of suspension (springs), diameter of sway bar, etc. I have F-stone Indy 500 and I

70wcar

I am running 295-50-15's on the back and 265-50-15's on the front. All are on 15 x 8 rims with what Wheel Vintiques calls their "stock" offset (but it is slightly different, maybe off by 1/4" or so if I recall correctly). I am running a 1 1/4" front bar with no rubbing problems.


I enjoy "spirited" driving, especially on some of the back roads here in Connecticut and the BFG's do just fine. I have also had Coopers and think they are good tires, they just didn't offer them in the sizes I was looking for.


If you are really worried about traction you need to look into a tire that is specific for your intended use. With the BFG's I have run the 1/4 in just over 13 sec. Add a set of slicks and my 60 foot times dropped by almost 1/2 sec.


If you want a corner carver I would look into something in the 17" diameter range with short sidewalls and better tread pattern. There are a LOT of good tire choices on the market today.


Jim

dfire25

Jim can I bug you for a side pic of your setup, specifically the rear? I want to go with the 295-50-15's BFG's on my setup, mostly for a little better traction. They say that the minimum wheel width is 8" and a max of 11" for these tires. I don't know if I need a 15X8 or go with a 15X10 for the rear. Beutiful car by the way. Thanks, Dave

MudEye

Dave Steel and chrome are what the ss1 rims are made of. And they are heavy... My back space is 4.75 Summit Racing said that was the norm for 67 Cutlass, so that's why I bought the 15 x 8 with 4.75 backspace.

What I'm finding out is that it's so hard to find 245 60 15 performance tires.
235 60 15 seem to offer more options. However Hoosier offers a 245 60 15....
Anyone have any experience with this radial?

Qwik71442

Here's a 245/60/15 on a 15x8 SSI

oldsmobiledave

Look no further, This is a great looking & performing tire @ a fair price.


They hook better than the BFG radial TA & they are T speed rated (118mph) as opposed to S speed rated (112mph) like the TA.


http://www.mickeythompsontires.com/s...em=SportsmanST

MudEye

Ok...... The only review on this tire on Summit Racing is not positive. 245 60 15

That totally discouraged me. Would You lead Me to your reference.... As I was for sure considering that tire. Thanks

MudEye

Eric Always wondered if the staggered wheel setup causes any performance issues at higher speeds.... 125--45 mph.

Having a difficult time finding performance tires for 245 60 15. Looking for options here that will fill out my fenders yet give ultimate performance ( traction,cornering at higher speeds) Your setup looks great. Better Options at those sizes? One other thought..... Firehawk is offered at 235 60 15 (not 245) As far as looks... any significant difference? Want to fill up those fender wells and have positive height. Thanks