1st Gen tire size, need help.

[StoveBolts]

Ok, so a day late and a dollar short... Should have been asking this a week ago but I didn't know what to ask for.

I'm going in to get new tires this afternoon and I'd like to know what the biggest tire I can shove beneath that wheel well

I've got a set of 15 inch WELD rims. The back, I believe, are 10 inch rims with a 3 1/5 backs space. Currently I've got a set of 235 / 15 / 60.

The front are 195 / 15 / 70.

The car has a custom set of springs both front and back with a 2" drop in the rear and a 2 1/2 drop in the front.

thanks!

[StoveBolts]

Ok, so what a nightmare trying to get 15 inch tires and of course I'm under the gun trying to get the car road ready by Saturday.

This is what has dry rotted on the car over the decade I've been tinkering.

Front: 195/60/15 (24.2 inches dia)
Rear: 235/60/15 (26.1 inches dia)

Rims are 15 inch WELD. I think the back is 8 - 8.5??? and the fronts are skinnier, probably 7? The tireshop said they had to take the tires off the rims to measure them?.... so hopefully I'll have an answer by the end of the day?...

Ok, so... What's the biggest tire I can fit that can still be purchased with raised white lettering?

BFGoodrich Radial T/A's covers the full range of sizes with raised white lettering, but all of their 15 inch tires are on back order.

The tire shop wants me to get into a 245/60/15 (26.6 inches dia) , but Tire Rack tells me that's too big of a wheel. Another tire shop agrees and wants to get me into a set of Cooper Cobra's. Here is what they want to get me into.

Front: 235/60/15 (26.1 inches dia, which I'm currently running in back)
Back: 255/60/15 (27.1 inches dia)

I could actually order the tires today and have them tomorrow, but I'm a bit concerned about having that big of a tire on the front of the car (though I think the 195 is too small and kinda looks stupid [see Avatar]), and I don't know what it will look like with the WELD rims I have.

If I go with a smaller tire in front, I loose the raised white lettering, unless I go back to the BF Goodrich tire, in which case, good luck trying to get the rear tires...

It shouldn't be this complicated... Is there anyone who knows about tires anymore or is it a dying art? So, that's it for my venting.

If your running 15's, mind sharing what size rubber your running so maybe I can get an idea?

[bri2203]

They is a measuring tool to measure the width of a wheel without removing the tire.

If you have to have white letters you are limited to BF Goodrich Radial TAs, Cooper Cobras, and goodyear GTIIs(if they are still made).
They are all decent tires but not a performance tire.

What are you doing with the car?
Do you like the racked look? Do you want to have bigger tires in back?
Since you have narrower tires in front....
If it were me I would do 235/60s and 255/60 in a cooper cobra brand. or a 225/245 combination.

195 tires will be all over the road.

[StoveBolts]

Thanks for the reply.

I just got off the phone with the tire shop, and after taking the tires off the rims and measuring, he told me that my front was 15x5 and that the rear was 15x7. Those seem like pretty shallow numbers... but I'm not going to go there. Think I'll take it to a store that has a set of calipers to measure it with...

Anyway, I'm just gonna drive the car around town. I had planned on taking it to the track, but I've got too much time and money into it to go out and tear out my weakest link, which is the rear end.

Yes, I like the rack look and would actually like a bit more rake.

Anyway, if they are right about the rim sizes (which I don't think they are), I can't go 235's in the front cause 235's need a 6.5 rim.

Suppose I need to go to square one and find out what size rims I have. That being said, I do have a pair of stock Rally sport 10" rims. Wonder how hard it would be to find a couple for the front and just paint them?

[Gregs_gsxr]

get some 17's and/or 18's and go with a little lower profile, some new shoes and rubber would def set off your car

[bri2203]

You could still do 245 60 15 on the badck with 15x7s, Up front your kinda limited to 195 60 15s with a 5 inch wide wheel.
You might have trouble getting a 10 inch rim to fit in the back without modification.

[StoveBolts]

Thanks everyone.

Well, here's my delima. I'm on a limited budget (I'm a cash as you go guy and don't believe in credit cards). I've got $650 to work with, and that includes a front end alignment. That isn't going to get me a new rim and tires.

I do have two 8 x 15 inch stock GM rims at home that currently I have some M/T slicks mounted on them. (26/8.5/15) I could go to the junk yard and see if can find two more stock rims for the front, sand blast them and have them painted silver.... I don't know.

I can't begin to express how frustrating this is. I have a father son banquet this Saturday and was hoping to take my son in the Camaro... Hey, anyone got a set of rims with good tires they want to let go of for around $600...

[StoveBolts]

this is a picture off the web of the two rear rims I have.

wheel-t1.jpg

[bri2203]

I have some white lettered Goodyear tires two are 245 60 15s and two are 225 70 15. two are Eagle ST and othe other two are GTs. I would sell them all for $100.00

They are currently on 15x7 rally wheels - If you like the rally wheel I could ask my dad and see if he is willing to sell the wheels.

[StoveBolts]

Hi Bri,
How much tread is left, and if you don't mind, ask your dad about the rally wheels. Also, are they the same style wheels as I posted above?

Thanks!

[bri2203]

Two have 8/32 and two have 10/32 of tread left.
They are rally wheels like you would see on a corvette/monte carlo or camaro.

I had them on my chevelle until I purchased my new wheels. he will sell the wheels and tires for $270 with no center caps or trim rings.

[StoveBolts]

Thanks Bri, it's a viable option at this point. Let me look around a bit more and I'll get back with you tomorrow.

[bri2203]

Thanks Bri, it's a viable option at this point. Let me look around a bit more and I'll get back with you tomorrow.

sounds good, They are in Madison Heights so that will save you a few miles as well.

[StoveBolts]

Thanks everyone!

I decided to go with a 15" and hopefully 255 60 15. It's pretty cool, the tire shop is somewhere by 94 ??... I've only talked to the guy on the phone. Anyway, his cousin works at Warhoops and talk about customer service!

Since I can't get the car down to him, he's mounting a 255 60 15 on an old 8 inch rim and he's getting it to Warhoops today so I can pick it up, bring it home and see if it will fit. Unbelievable customer service, and he actually knew right away what tires would fit. I was beginning to think the art of fitting new shoes for a 1st gen was dead!

Majestic 787 Wheel.jpg

[bri2203]

Yeap you will be fine with a 15x8 rally wheel.