Club Cobra

Club Cobra (http://www.clubcobra.com/forums/)
-   Cobra Build Logs (http://www.clubcobra.com/forums/cobra-build-logs/)
-   -   Need Help Identifying wheels/tires (http://www.clubcobra.com/forums/cobra-build-logs/147051-need-help-identifying-wheels-tires.html)

DGRacing56 07-09-2023 02:09 PM

Need Help Identifying wheels/tires
 
Hey everyone,
New user here. I was thinking of buying a backdraft cobra and wanted to replace the wheels and tires with the set seen in this photo but need some help identifying the wheel and tire sizes. I assume 15".
Legendary HB45's? I couldn't find a deep well size for the rears in this pic. Looks like maybe 11"?

https://journal.classiccars.com/medi..._largesize.jpg

mrmustang 07-09-2023 05:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DGRacing56 (Post 1518413)
Hey everyone,
New user here. I was thinking of buying a backdraft cobra and wanted to replace the wheels and tires with the set seen in this photo but need some help identifying the wheel and tire sizes. I assume 15".
Legendary HB45's? I couldn't find a deep well size for the rears in this pic. Looks like maybe 11"?

https://journal.classiccars.com/medi..._largesize.jpg



Each manufacturer has their own back spacing, offsets, and adapters for their specific suspension set up. So, for specifically the Backdraft setup, see the attached URL: https://vintagewheelsus.com/index.ph...ex&cPath=59_66

Trigo also makes a nice set of knock off wheels, but you'll need to call them for their specific Backdraft setup:
https://www.trigowheels.com/Wheels.html


Bill S.

eschaider 07-09-2023 07:35 PM

Notwithstanding the Billboard lettering in that picture, those are not Billboards. They used glued-on lettering to recreate the image of billboards. The giveaway is the tread pattern.

The rear tire sizes frequently used on these cars are;

295 x 50 x R15 rear — 26.6 inch diameter
295 x 55 x R15 rear — 28.0 inch diameter
295 x 65 x R15 rear — 30.3 inch diameter
325 x 50 x R15 rear — 27.8 inch diameter

Different manufacturers will bounce back and forth between the 50, the 55, and the 65 series rear tires. Some will offer multiple series for the same tire. Mickey offers the 65 series version of the tire only in their drag radial offerings.

The car will look more aesthetically pleasing/correct if you use a front tire of approximately the same diameter but a narrower width. Your candidates, in terms of size, look like this;

275 x 60 x R15 — 28.1 inch diameter (M/T & Cooper Cobra)
275 x 65 x R15 — 29.1 inch diameter (pretty much unobtanium these days)
265 x 75 x R15 — 30.6 inch diameter (General and Firestone, good size match for 295 x 55 rears)

The Cooper Cobra tires and the M/T 275 x 60 x R15 are essentially the same tires. Mickey is owned and manufactured by Cooper these days.

The no excuses, anywhere, any time, go to tires are Avons. The Cobra Avon sizes are;

245 x 60 x VR15 — 26.7 inch diameter fronts
295 x 50 x VR15 — 26.9 inch diameter rears.

The Avons will cost you about $2,000, which is the high watermark for pricing on this list. They are also the highwater mark for traction (other than Drag Radials used in a straight line). In the FWIW bucket, Avon has been purchased by Goodyear.

Be cautious in your tire choices. These cars are extremely traction limited. The quickest way to get dead is to pick the wrong tires. Good tires / the right tires will be soft and wear out quickly. The wrong tires will be hard and last a long time or until you crash, which will be sooner rather than later. You want something with a UTOQ wear index of 100 or 200.

You can run harder tires, and a lot of people do. When you do, you are betting on the old Russian Roulette admonition that says, "Every trigger pull does not necessarily find a primer ..."


PostScript:

Some 235 x 75 and 245 x 75 tires will appear to have the "right" diameters. More often than not, they will be for SUVs or light trucks. Notwithstanding their "right-sizing," diameter-wise, these tires are wrong for our cars because their construction is engineered for a much heavier vehicle and a different type of use. They will put you into unintended skids, slides, and crashes.

Another thing I overlooked mentioning is that you want to keep in mind the tire load rating. I'll pick on the 295 tires because they are painfully obvious. A 295 tire inflated to its recommended 35 psi has a load-carrying capacity of 2061 lbs per tire. A 2500 lb Cobra only has 625 lbs on each tire with good balance and a 50/50 weight distribution. Many of us have 48% on the front and 52% on the back. A tire with a 2000 lb (or more) load-carrying capacity will never put a full footprint on the ground. Sooo, now you could have a poor traction rubber compound and a smaller than intended footprint if the tire were inflated to manufacturer specs — just a couple more worry beads to rub together.

Tom Wells 07-10-2023 04:25 AM

DG,

Don't forget brake disk diameter. Above a certain OD, 17" wheels are required. 15" wheels may not fit. Just another thing to check...

Tom

eschaider 07-10-2023 09:52 AM

Good point, Tom!

From my own SPF brake research, I have discovered they do not use rotors larger than 12 inches in diameter with the 15-inch wheels on their cars. While I suspect you might be able to fit a bit more rotor in a 15-inch rim, I am not persuaded it is worth the effort. A step up to a larger diameter rim is the shorter, smarter braking solution — and that opens up a whole new vista in tires ...

DGRacing56 07-12-2023 02:26 PM

Thanks for the info everyone. I will digest it and see what I can find.


All times are GMT -7. The time now is 08:32 AM.

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.0
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Search Engine Friendly URLs by vBSEO 3.6.0
The representations expressed are the representations and opinions of the clubcobra.com forum members and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and viewpoints of the site owners, moderators, Shelby American, any other replica manufacturer, Ford Motor Company. This website has been planned and developed by clubcobra.com and its forum members and should not be construed as being endorsed by Ford Motor Company, or Shelby American or any other manufacturer unless expressly noted by that entity. "Cobra" and the Cobra logo are registered trademarks for Ford Motor Co., Inc. clubcobra.com forum members agree not to post any copyrighted material unless the copyrighted material is owned by you. Although we do not and cannot review the messages posted and are not responsible for the content of any of these messages, we reserve the right to delete any message for any reason whatsoever. You remain solely responsible for the content of your messages, and you agree to indemnify and hold us harmless with respect to any claim based upon transmission of your message(s). Thank you for visiting clubcobra.com. For full policy documentation refer to the following link: