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17's on FIA
Hi Bob,
I'm thinking of going to pin drives and 17's on the FIA. Is anyone running this size wheel successfully on the FIA? I want to make sure the tires will fill up the wheel wells with the lower profile tires and still have enough ground clearance. Also, does PSE make the FIA wheels in 17? Thanks, DC |
We've never seen any 17" pin drive wheels. Phil's 17" bolt-ons have 10 spokes, not 12, so they wouldn't be adaptable. You might call him to see whether he's got enough meat on his 427-style wheels to change to an FIA offset.
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A 17" tire will have the same (or pretty close to) diameter as the 15" tire it replaces. A 235/45ZR17, and a 235/60HR15 will both have a diameter of 25.2". You can check the manufacturers charts on-line for this.
What the 17" does not have is the sidewall bulge that is prevalent in the 15" sizes. So the 17" will provide more clearance in fenderwells. After exhaustive research, side by side comparisons, and discussions with manufacturers and major dealerships; the 17's get the major marks in traction, cornering, and braking on wet and dry roads. Was quoted by all manufacturers contacted, 17's are the way to go for any performance car. Sprung for the 17's, and my gawd, it's not the same car!!! Didn't believe the difference. It goes, it stops, it turns corners. No squealing, no spinning, no sliding. Anybody need a set of 15" BFG T/A radials? |
Dave,
The BFG TAs are dogs! Those are referred to by the manufacturer as "cosmetic" performance tires: in name only. I stayed with the 15" wheels cuz I liked the look. In order to get the performance I run the Goodyear, treaded Cobra tires from Roger Kraus racing http://www.rogerkrausracing.com/. I use the slicks for the track and the treaded tires are damn near as good, but they are not DOT. B 26.5X8.0-15 GOODYEAR N 26.3 8.00 10.4 on 7.0 7 8 7.0 - 9.5 196.00 B 26.5X10.5-15 GOODYEAR N 27.1 10.20 12.2 on 9.0 7 8 8.5 - 11.0 203.00 Original height Cobra tires. Made for the original car today. Treaded; Not DOT. Tall front tire! These are the tires that Shelby uses on his cars in order to get performance. He went with larger wheels early on and concluded that the look is all wrong and I agree with him on this. Let’s face it we are drawn to these cars for both look and performance! The tires above will give you both, Cheers, Pete |
Pete.
I agree, the TA's are dogs. I have euros on mine but they are no good either. 0 wet traction and not much dry traction after being heat cycled a few times. How are the Goodyears DOT or not with wet and dry traction, and how do they ride. I assume they are bias belted, not radials. The problem with 17's on an FIA is ground clearance due to the side pipes. DC |
BFG T/A's were great tires from when they were introduced in the late '60's, early '70's. Used them on everything from grocery getters to musclecars, and they were King of traction, cornering, braking, and mileage. So, natch, I should put them on Cobra.
17" tires on a Cobra!? They look like fork lift truck tires. Old habits and beliefs die hard. All I can say is, tried the trusty old T/A's that have been de' rigeur on everything performance oriented since '71. Then tried the highly recommended 17's. Like trying to compare an 8088 based PC to a contemporary Pentium IV. There is no comparison. But I'm one of those types that likes to stick Pentium IV innards into a vintage '81 IBM PC for originality. |
DC, I love my GoodYear Eagle GTIIs. Both wet and dry. Not track tires, but very predictable on the street. Good all-rounders.
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Why not 17's. Now I see why people are crashing their cobras. These cars have more hp than even the 60's comp cars had. And these guys are running crap for tires(15"). Have you every heard of anybody crashing a croba with 17" wheels and a set of good tires. (Not because of poor traction anyway). I have a SPF with Michilem's Pilot Sports 315x35x17 front and 275x40x17 rears. I have had 4 open track days on them since new, and I haven't even broken it loose yet. They stick like glue.
I just can't understand why some one would take their life in the hands just to look like the 60's. Plus! These car a replica's not real one's. Sorry for butting in. Lew |
Lew, and Jack
I hear what you are saying, believe me. The problem with 17's on an FIA car is that the car will look more jacked up (I think). With the sidepipes so close to the ground there is not much room to lower the car. I'd like to hear from someone who has put 17's on one. All the cars I have seen with 17's are 427 body styles. TC. I'm also looking into the Goodyears. |
Dave,
The treaded Goodyears ride great, once they are warm. Out of the garage on a cold day and the first few miles make you want to stop to make sure the spinners aren’t coming off of the wheels! After that they are fine and while bias ply they don’t seem to nibble as much as you might expect but you do feel the road. As for wet, I don't know. I live in California and there are so many nice days I never feel compelled to drive in the rain. I did it one time and one time only on the BFGs and at 70 mph I could stay dry or at 50 I could keep the car from hydroplaning. Pretty much no win! Lew, The look is right http://www.clubcobra.com/photopost/s...sort=1&thecat= and the traction/control is excellent. There is no compromise as I see it. Cheers, Pete |
The trick is low profile tires. 275-40-17 and 315-35-17
http://www.erareplicas.com/cars/rushin/front.jpg |
Bob,
Thanks for the pic. What is the make of the wheels (and size)? |
Bob,
Ah, yes :rolleyes: The new "standard" tire size ? :LOL: What wheel widths is he using? I use 9-1/2 & 11 on my E-M. :cool: Tom |
Those are PSE wheels, 9" and 11" wide.
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Heh Pete C
I LOVE the look of the Goodyears from Krause. Since they are not DOT tires, what is the possible issues with insurance or law enforcement?
Thanks Rick |
17" FIA wheels
I am going to use 17" on my FIA. Spoke to Phil at PSE - he makes bolt ons to fit w/ FIA offset - 8" front, 9.5" rear. I was driven more by wanting good rubber than wheel looks.
Tires: Michelin Pilot Sport 245/40 YR 17 24.7" diam 275/40 YR 17 25.7" diam Bob - will these fit OK? TIA Jim |
rdorman,
I suspect that, If I had an accident, I could have trouble with the law and insurance, but I don’t know for sure. On the other hand, the traction on the treaded Goodyears is so damn good, I figure that I’m a lot less likely to lose traction and have an accident with them so it is a calculated risk. I also figure that, if pulled over for some other reason, the cops may give me a ticket but then again I’ve never seen em check for anything but tire tread and the ticket would probably just be a "fix it". All in all my personal risk reward analysis leads me to conclude that I should run the nonDOT Goodyears. Cheers, Pete C |
Jim,
Those tires should fit fine. |
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