Tire size
 

I'm having some difficulty in tire selection. 15' wheels are a given. I'm looking for (r) 295/50/15 - (f) 245/60/15. Goodyear doesn't have them; BF Goodrich does but hasn't received rave reviews, same with Dunlop. Yokohama and Firestone both have these tire sizes and are rated very high. My issue is, I would like to have the raised letters running on the outside (black car), however, advertising Yokohama and Firestone don't really float my boat, although they seem to be the best tire (traction, speed rating, wear, etc). My reference is www.tirerack.com

Comments
Thanks, Phil

Phil,

Goodyear has 295/50/15 and 235/60/15 in their Eagle GT II tire. I now have the BF Goodrich on my car but I have the 245/60/15 on the front and they stick out slightly, so I'm going with the 235 next time. Here is the link to the Goodyear 295's.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/Compar...turer=Goodyear

Hope this helps, Jerry

Got it. Thanks much!

Phil

Phil,
The tire debate/quest rages on! The BFGs, Dunlaps etc are not true performance tires. They are what the manufacturers refer to as "cosmetic" performance tires; replicas if you will. The traction is just not there and the car can get away from you especially if you try to manhandle it, which you should not do in the first place. On the up side, they are not bad to have on the car while learning to drive it. They will teach you that the old racers adage "slow is fast", referring to driver input, is absolutely correct. I had the benefit of input from experienced friends when I began driving and racing the cobra. They advised me to learn the car with the sub par BFGs. They will warn you before they break lose. Early on, I even open tracked the car with those tires. Believe me you have to be spot on the race line and very subtle with your input. In many ways they were a great learning tool. Having said that, I now use and love the Goodyear Cobra tires from Kraus. They are damn near as sticky as my slicks! There is however a down side. They are not DOT and are so sticky they will blast the paint on your rear fenders but I figure I lose less paint from tire thrown rocks than would be the case if I went off the road. My two cents.

Good luck with your choice, Pete C

This may help if anyone want's to know what a tire size would be if you go from a 15" rim to a 17".

http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html

If you're looking for originality, stick with your 15"s. The cornering, handling, braking, and traction sucks; but originality of your 40 year old tire technology is preserved.

If you're looking for performance, go with 17"ers. There is a reason that all the factory hot dogs do not come with 15" tires anymore. Once you switch, you'll never look back. Like night and day. And, you can drive it in the rain.

just a thought
 

pgermond,

for what it's worth to ya, get a better 15" or 17" tire for handling and performance first on a Cobra - not just for the particular letters. If you don't like the letters, just remove them, or turn them inwards. The Yoks are a little better than the BFGs if you must go the DOT approved 15" route. The Big-Letter Goodyears are way stickier, but they pick up and throw rocks, so beware.

Keep in mind that the Yoko, BFG, and GT II tires will break away smoothly and progressively in the corners. You get a lot more warning that things are about to go bad than the sticky high performance tires. My next set are coming from RKR, but it will also include class time.

Thanks again, all. I've figured it out.

all 15" tires suck.. (or they are not street legal) If they are they are all greasy, slippery and squishy.. I never could get even euro t/a's to hook up.. 17's solve this problem. 275's and 315's..:LOL:

Oh.. you mean you want to go faster than 112? Forgettaboutit...

What about the 15" DOT Mc Creary tires, are they still available????

Rick

Hey, how bout Hoosier Street TD's? They come in 15 inch sizes and make my Butler pop wheelies! No bleach box necessary. And for cornering G's they hold their own, man.

Hoosier doesn't make them anymore. Dunno about Mc Creary...