BF Goodrich Radial TA

[clayfoushee]

One possible reason some have no issues with BFG R TAs is that it is possible to get 4 round ones on the car. A high performance tire guy told me "you just need to buy 10 to find 4 that are round."

[turnpike boy]

.........just begs the question: so what IS the best replacement for BFG's?

I've heard lots about Yoko Avids, which are no longer manufactured. I've heard that Dunlops are great, but only once or twice. My experience with Goodyears in the past was far less than happy. Has anybody used Hoosiers or Mickey Thompson's with success? - in the rain too? As to the BFG's I can agree with much of what's written above - they have lasted well, they're reasonably comfortable and quiet, they suck on any kind of wet road, their traction is a laughable suggestion, but they have worked reasonably for the past 12,000 miles.

Maybe we're just looking for a 15" tire that just plain doesn't exist any longer. Maybe we need to go to 17" on a standard basis, just for the availability of truly decent tires. Still, I would really prefer to be able to find an all-around, great-in-the-dry-and-decent-in-the-wet 15" that rode well, balanced like they were meant to, and can go 8 to 10K miles before replacement. Guess I want it all. Oh, well.

[SPF1061]

Turnpike Boy, you CAN have it all. You just have to be willing to pay for it.
(Well, almost. I'm estimating @ 5000 miles on a set with a lot of road race and drag strip strack time mixed in.)

Avon CR6ZZ

front - 245/60/15 @ $302 ea.
rear - 295/50/51 @ $355 ea.

http://www.sascosports.com/products/...php?type_id=39

[jwd]

Originally Posted by clayfoushee

One possible reason some have no issues with BFG R TAs is that it is possible to get 4 round ones on the car. A high performance tire guy told me "you just need to buy 10 to find 4 that are round."

I should have bought a lottery ticket the day I bought the tires. I got 4 out of 4 that were round and they balanced perfectly.

[RallySnake]

I've run through lots of tires in the 20 years I've been driving my Arntz. The Goodrich TA's are undoubtedly the worst followed closely by the "Gatorback" tires they used to make. The rubber compound is very hard and is really well suited for heavy vehicles like pickup trucks.

Yes, they're cheap and yes, they're easy to get in the right sizes. But, if you value your Cobra, please get something better. The first time someone pulls out in front of you and you can't stop, the value of the tires will be very apparent. I shop for wrecked cars to rebuild and have seen lots of smashed up replica Cobras and they usually have TA's on them.

Tires-easy.com still have Yokohama Avid S/Ts in stock and so does Summitracing.com. I suggest 255/60/15 in the front and 275/60/15 in the rear. Get them quick before they're gone. I just ordered mine. These are the best, "affordable" tire I have ever used on the Cobra. The Hoosiers give much better grip (in the dry) but wear out in a few thousand miles. The Yokohama's rubber compound is about perfect for maximum grip in dry or wet conditions and long wear. Toyo Proxy S/T tires are good too for very long wear and stopping, but the lateral grip is not in the same ball park.

If you need a better reason to get the Yoko's, Dennis Altoff and Doug Reed took first place in class and fourth place overall on the One Lap of America with these tires on their Cobra. Some of those tracks were wet. That's good enough for me.

Paul

[RallySnake]

What's this noise about Avon tires? I just check their website and they don't make a 15" tire that will fit.

Paul

[Stentor]

Originally Posted by RallySnake

What's this noise about Avon tires? I just check their website and they don't make a 15" tire that will fit.

Paul

The 15" Avons are highlighted on the following site, as well as another site mentioned earlier in this thread.

http://www.rogerkrausracing.com/Cobra/

The Avons are really good--finally a nice high-performance 15" radial tire for Cobras.

Incidentally, Dennis Olthoff now uses/recommends the Avons.