rims and tires

[Detroit Bill]

Originally Posted by zrayr

There are many more original Cobras being tracked on the 15's, and doing very well.

I

What I have said IS accurate because I have witnessed it firsthand, not just at one SAAC race, but several CVAR events as well. I never said the Avons matched up well against "cheap" 17" tires. Those are your words. I personally have seen Cobras (and a lowly Mustang as well) wearing the 15" Avon's completely embarrass Cobras that had very high quality 17" rubber, and good drivers too. The Avon Cobra's were nicely motoring and occasionally drifting around the corners. The Cobras with the 17" wheels were going off the course and spinning out trying to keep up.

If You can't wrap your mind around that happening, so be it. The Avons are that much better than 99% of what is available in the 17" size. There's a lot to learned on the forums, but only if one keeps an open mind and is willing to benefit from the direct experiences of others

As a matter of fact, you do see the 15" Avon CR6ZZ tires on many vintage Porsches, as well As the GT40's and of course the Cobras.

Are there better race tires ? Sure, but they are usually slicks, and none of them are DOT street legal as is the CR6ZZ. But the Avons do have better traction than most race tires you will see on a vintage Cobra, including the GoodYear billboards and the Hoosier's

Z

Have you driven the same car with both sets of tires? If not you do not know, you surmise. There is no doubt that the Avons are good. But there appears to be no doubt in your mind that the larger diameter tires are not good.

Avons are an 80 tread wear. They are a race tire that got DOT approved. Most of the 17's and 18's are 200. You have to get to a DOT approved race tire to have a fair comparison. Like a Nitto NT01. BUT those tread wear ratings come with compromise. Like not lasting long, perhaps not great in the rain, cracking when driven in the cold, heat cycling out, throwing stones up on the fender lips....

So what have we learned, the Avons are great except for the compromises you accept when you get them.

The larger diameter tires are great except for the compromises you accept when you get them.

I think one could say that a larger diameter tire with equal traction would be superior due to the smaller sidewall. But am sure that would cause a debate also.

There is no one answer it depends on what the end user desires.