anybody using 16 inch wheels?

[got snake?]

I figured I can have my cake and eat it too if I go 16. What size tires and rim width do you have?

GS

[JRoss]

GS,

I went with 16 rims and feel it was a mistake. There is very little performance tire selection from 275-315. it is almost impossible to find a z rated tire in a 295 or 315 and 275 are getting harder to find.

go with 15 for original styling
go with 17 for performance.

Just my $.02

if you really want 16 buy some 17 and I'll trade with you.

John

[Homewrecker]

I agree. About your only choice for the rear is the BFG 295. I don't believe that the 275's are available anymore. I do like the look of 16's better than 17's on the car though.

[dalola]

John is right, 16" seems to be the bastard size now. Very little tire selection. 15" & 17" offer way more selection, with 17" offering more performance oriented tires.

I'll make you the same deal, you buy the 17's, and I'll trade you my 16's! (btw, my Cobra came with them, I wouldn't have picked them)

Dave

[got snake?]

Back to the drawing board! Yeah I noticed that when looking on tirerack.com also. I love the orignal look. But I am the type of person that loves those tight turn onramps. And I can't seem to be able to get the best of both worlds. Am I wrong? can I get the same or close to same performance with 15's as I get with 17's?

GS

[bran3b]

Snake,

So far I have not been disappointed with my 15"s, and I like those on ramps too. That bieng said, I plan to go to 17" for better grip. I hope to autocross, and maybe road race next year and think that the new wheels will help then.

[got snake?]

Hey Brandon,

what size are your 15's are they 15x10 in the rear and 15x7 in front? Bob was recommending 235 60 15 and 295 50 15. What do you have?

Prashanth

[bran3b]

15x10 rear with 275 60 15, 15x8 front with 235 60 15. My tires are too tall in back, and the fronts rub a little on tight turns (I have the suspension set pretty low). Bob did mention that my tires are a little big in back.

Still on track for your Nov. order?

Bran

[got snake?]

Yeah...for now! Man i hope it all works out. All I need to do is order the darn thing. How is your cobra doing? You must be having a blast with that BB. Did you get the interior finished? The last pic you sent had the gray dash and no glove box door. Oh and did you go with the leather seats or vinyl? I'll be going with the vinyl on fiber seats. I will be at DVSFIII with a cobra! I refuse to go to another one until I have one there.

Prashanth

[bran3b]

The car is ok, having carb troubles. I have discovered that Edelbrock 750 cfm carbs frequently have a lean problem. The dash is covered, still no glove box door, I don't plan to have one though. I might redo the dash with aluminum this winter.

I have the vinyl seats. I couldn't justify the leather for now.

I hope to go to DVSFIII. I have never been, but I would like to go. I know what you mean about not having a car, Stacie and I went to Aspen with the Mile Hi Cobra Club and were drooling over the cars, and I couldn't stop thinking about my car sitting in the garage without a body.

I drove the car to work today, and now I am watching the rain clouds roll in . This could be a fun drive home.

Bran

[Blake Olson]

My B&B T/K Minus is coming w/

285/50/16 rear
235/60/16 front

[renaissance man]

I have to agree with this assessment. I went with 17" and there are lots of choices. Fills up the wheel well just fine. Just look at my pics under "View my photo gallery".

[justa6]

I had exactly the same problem that you have when I was trying to figure out which way to go with wheel and sizes.

I ended up waiting for TEAM III to make their 17" wheels and I couldn't be happier. The wheels and tires look really good and the car handles very well.

I have photo's in my photo gallery if you want to see what they look like.

Regards,

[jwheel55]

Guys! I'm using 255-60x15 on the rear of my Cobra. BF Goodrich Comp. T/A VR speed rating. I cannot buy them over here in the UK anymore. So I'm possibly into new wheels and an expense I don't want. Are these sizes available in the USA still?If so I will import them . Any make will do so long as it meets the specification. I need new tyres very soon as I hope to go to Le Mans in France in Sept. Regards Jonny.

[Jack21]

Agonizing, isn't it?

16" are limited in width to 255's.

Although you can get just about any size you want in 15", the tire compounding is obsolete as far as street tires go. 15" tires go on sedans, and grocery getters today. 30 years ago, the BFG T/A was the tire to put on your musclecar.

Like you, I went against contemporary Cobra 15" thinking. The tire guys all said, want performance, go 17". So I rolled the big one. $1,200 worth of TeamIII wheels, and $500 worth of tires. From the first spin around the block, I never looked back. I'm still astounded by how these things behave.

"I don't want my Cobra looking like it has fork lift truck tires on it", were my thoughts. Well, it doesn't.

Honestly wouldn't put anything but a 17" on any performance car, even a '66 Mustang resto. The wheels are a jab in the pocketbook, although there are less expensive ones out there. The tires, if you shop around, aren't a bunch more than the 15's.

My $.02 (actually, my $1,700 for wheels & tires) Only regret, not putting bigger brakes in those 17" openings.

[Jack21]

jwheel55,

Got a pair of 235/60x15, & a pair of 245/60x15 BFG T/A's. Need 'em?

[got snake?]

Ok guys I am going with Cobra R 17 (17x9) or these WS70 style wheels in 15s (15x8 front and 15x10 rear) from http://www.custombuiltsteelwheels.com/
Car color is gonna be Silver with black stripes(90% for sure )
I have priced both out with tires and they both look good price wise. This is a bad thing because $$$ would have made this an easy decision!
I guess I should look at what I plan on doing with this car. Cruise nights, poker runs and ON/OFF RAMPS!!!!

GS

[justa6]

Your comments on the brake sizes that 17" wheels can handle brings up a point that I was thinking about.

I need bigger brakes. I was thinking about a set of 13 Wilwood's in the front. However, since I like to go to Run & Gun and want to do some local club racing I MAY want to use Hoosier Road Race slicks and they are 15". So I couldn't use them with the 13" rotors. I believe 12 1/2" will work with 15 so I'm going to go to them just in case. Something to think about...

Regards,

[Jack21]

Before TeamIII came out with their 17"er, was pretty set on a set of Centerline Style 13, then adding the Image spinners for a period correct look. Think vintage wheels now makes a Torque Thrust D style wheel in a 17" now. They had them in 16" for the longest time, but 16" tire availability is getting worse. Howcomeizit wheel manufacturers are so slow to pick up on tire trends? Now everybody, even Edelbrock, is making 17"ers.

Have Stainless Steel Brakes 4 piston caliper w/ 11" (Grenada) rotor in front, and SVO Mustang rear disk brake conversion kit w/ 10" ('87 -'89 T-bird turbo coupe) rears. This is about as much brake as can be stuffed into a 15" wheel, and the car does stop well. Brakes just look a little diminutive inside the 17" wheels.

Baer has a 13" front setup for MII front spindles, and 12" rear w/parking brake that I'm eyeballing for an upgrade. Think they also have an 11" or 11 1/2" rear rotor that would work with both 15" and 17" wheels.

[justa6]

I seem to remember reading somewhere that 12 1/2" rotors would fit inside 15" wheels. Do you, or anyone else, know for sure how much rotor a 15" wheel will take? Maybe I'll give Wilwood a call they should know.

Also, is anyone else having problems with "View my Photo gallery". Mine is showing that my car has been repainted blue and now "lives in Florida"...

Regards,