295/50 15 vs. 275/60 15? Which is better?

[Bob In Ct]

OK, so who is the source for the 15 inch Avons? Do I have to convert the sizes? I'm running Yoko 245/60-15 in front and 275/60-15 in the rear.

Bob

[Tom Kirkham]

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

[FUNFER2]

I like the wider tire in the back, it looks like how all "muscle cars" should look.
And I personally don't like 17" wheels because it fills the wheel well with the wheel, not with tire. The problem is there is not much for a selection of tires in 15's. Even the Good Year Eagle II's are hard to find. That's why I had the "Group buy" for the Billboards.

If we all want to have another of my group buy for the Billboards, I can call the company I dealt with and see what we can do.

Someday, I'll have to get 17" I suppose, and I won't like it.

Here's my 15x8 and 15x10 wheels.
Tires-
Front-235/60
Back- 295/50

[JCoop]

Just so you can see the steroid-silly look with Nitto drag radials 335s rear and 275s front on my older SPF:


Loved the grip both on a straight line and in the twisties, so when I got my next SPF, I thought 15s were really the way to go so opted for for a set of handcut GY slicks from Roger Straus, mounted on Vintage Wheels' BRM 15s for track work:


However, I really think 17s offer the best choice in rubber, IMHO. I just mounted a set of Nitto 555s 315s rear and 275s front onto PS Engineering wheels. Almost as good as the drag radials but don't pick up stones as badly. Everybody gives me hard time with having tires other than GY or BFG but these offer the best value. Great performance for a very reasonable cost.

[FUNFER2]

I like the GY's better, for pure looks anyway but you're correct, the 17's have more tires available. In a hand full of years, we won't have any 15's to use, and that's too bad. I like the wheel wells to be filled with tire, not wheels. It makes the Cobra look like a hot rod, and I love hot rods.

The popular look today is the "Pro Touring" with old muscle cars like the Camaro, birds, Vetts,..ect... and the 17-20" with a real low stance looks cool, just not on a Cobra. It may be that it's such a small & short wheelbase and lots of tough looking bulges ?

Someday, I'll have no choice but to buy the 17's.

[Gunner]

Originally Posted by FUNFER2

In a hand full of years, we won't have any 15's to use...

Not necessarily. There is a big enough body of cars that use these sizes that someone will keep them in production, the way you can still get correct tires for most 1920s-30s vehicles. (Check out Dunlop's classic offerings sometime!)

Hell, you can still get TRX tires, and they only fit about four vehicles for two or three years, thirty years ago.

[Voyager]

I’m still struggling with this one. Focusing strictly on sizes (not brands), it appears the consensus is either 255/60-15 front & 275/60-15 rear or 295/50-15 rear & 235/60-15 front.

What I don’t see is an agreement on which is better for a mixture of in town cruising & semi-spirited back county road driving (no track time).

Does a 255 meander/tramline when cruising?

Does a 235 under steer when pushed around a corner?

Does a 275 induce over steer too easy?

Does a 295 increase NVH?

Or is it all a wash and end up being a “whatever looks best to you” thing?

The tires will go on a Superformance with about 450-500 hp.