Anyone running LT tires (eg. 31x10.5 RR15) on the back of their hot rod? How was the ride? Handling? Would you do it again? Since BFG quit making Sport Truck T/A's, i've been looking for an alternative and saw a set of Michelin LTX M/S 32x11.5 RR15 tires and am wondering if they'd look too "4x4-ish"....
My only gripe is the giant M/S on the side. I've got 275-70-16 Michelin M/S on the rear of my ch***is. I actually like the look and sidewall (minus the molded in lettering etc.) of the tire. Definitely not traditional in the strictest sense of the word, but they have a square cut slash rolling slightly onto the sidewall, at a glance and if your drunk, they look like Firestone Dirt-trackers! Grinding off the lettering would help...
Put s set of Mich. LTX 235-75x15s on a 94 GMC. Wore like iron, slippery in the snow and made the truck ride like a TRUCK from the softer ride with the original equipment tires. Just my .02. Canuck
I am researching this tall tire availibility too. I am trying to fill the rear fender on an A coupe. I rolled a 235/85 16 in the opening and its perfect. 31 inches tall and about an 8 inch wide sidewall on a 7 inch wide wheel. I have been looking for a few days for a 31 inch tall 15 incher. Tire gurus tell me 29 1/2 is tops for height in a 15. I can get over the bulge on the radial, its the wrap around tread that I don't like the looks of. I am old fashioned but on a hot rod that gets driven a lot the radial is the only way to go in my book. Bias for show-radials for go. STEVE
Gary, I am going to post a thread from 2003. These tires look the part to me. Go about half way down the page and read Zonkola's response. I don't know if he still posts here. I haven't seen him in a while. You might ask him how it rode. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3308&&showall=1
You can always go to this site http://www.tirerack.com/tires/SearchTires.jsp and compare sizes, just punch in what you think you want and read the specs. I found it interesting different manfgs. have differents tread and blowout sizes for the same size rated tire.
I have light truck tires on my roadster. The ride is as good as expected in a roadster. I think they are 265/75 X 16
those 23585r16's will ride like ****. that tire is made for 3/4 and 1 ton trucks, not 2300lb hot rods. i would find a tire that is not a 8 or 10ply load rating. go for a p-metric tire you'll be much happier.
I'm sure no one wants to get into the radial vs. bias debate for the 1000th time, but I just don't understand how a stiff as a board truck tire on the back a 2500lb roadster is better for "go" than a soft new set of repro bias plies.
Im running, BFGoodrich Commercial T/A 's on my bucket. 215/85/16. I think they don't look to bad for a radial, but they ride rough. First i had them at the recommended psi, but then i lowered it alot. Rode better but still pretty rough. There also really heavy. They have a super tough sidewall but there is no real bulge. They weren't too bad a priced. And they will wear for ever. (until the next burnout contest). I had some 235/75/15 on for a while for a burnout contest and though ugly looking, they rode a ton better. Im looking to switch to something else, possibly bias.
Moses was running a truck tire on the rear of his A roadster last summer. Not sure if he still is or not. I do know you couldn't wipe the smile off his face when he was driving that thing, so couldn't be too bad!
Original rear tires on my 32 roadster were BFG light truck tires. They were about the only decent looking large tire at the time - 1985. 31.50R x 15. 7 ply tread and 3 ply sidewall. They were stiff, didn't ride too bad at 12# - 16# pressure, but the rubber durometer (hardness) was a little higher than I wanted and traction was sometimes limited. A ways down the road they were replaced with BFG 285/70R-15. 3 ply tread and 1 ply sidewall. Rode a lot better at 20# pressure. Both sets of tires were on the same 10" x 15" slot mags. They measured equally in all areas. The 285's have very good traction and I didn't feel too limited at the recent drags at the airport. Much softer durometer rubber. They acted much like a good ol' daze slick with soft rubber. This was prior to the introduction of wrinkle walls. Trouble is, the 285's are no longer being made so if you find a set, better grab em....
My experience is a parallel to C9 above. The 10.50-31R15 Sport Truck Radials worked ok, and went for over 50,000 miles before they wore out. The replacement P285/70R15 Radial T/A's seemed to have a little better traction and ride, were quieter, and were nearly as durable. The difference in size is indetectable. After a set (or maybe two) of these, I changed to a 16 inch rear wheel and a P245/75R16 tire by Continental. Not quite as wide, but about the same height as the previous tires. Quiet, good traction, and very durable. I am just beyond the break-in stage on the second set. You can see what they look like from the side in the avatar pic. When the tires on my coupe and pickup wear out (they both have P285/70R15 Radial T/A), they will get new wheels and the 16 inch tires. It looks like the current size is available again, but only from specialty vendors whose low volume drives the price up. When you can replace the wheels and tires for less than replacement tires, it might be time to switch.
A 265-70-15 comes in at 29.6 and there are several to choose from.If you want something taller you can you a 265-75-15 at 30.6 but you do not have as many to pick from.
I don't know what the availability is for a 305, but its only about 3/4" wider than a 285, and probably not too much larger diameter wise. Figure with tires the larger number is the width of the tread in millimeters, and there are 254 millimeters in an inch. A 305 width tire is right at 12" wide, as there are 30.5cm on a regular 12" ruler. By my calculations, a 285/70/15 is 11.25" wide and has just over 7.75" between the rim and ground. At the same time, a 305/70/15 (if such a critter is made) would be 12" wide and have a rim to ground clearance of 8.5". Dunno if that makes and sense... or any difference... but thought I'd offer.
I’m digging up this old thread. Here in Europe, we don’t have those tire size like 215/85/16. I’m building a prewar style ‘32 (lowered about 1’’) and felt in love with the Firestone roadster and I choose his tire size. To me 6.00 and 7.50 are to tall. I like the 5.5 and 7.0 Because 7.0-16 are out of stock at Coker and very expensive to buy were I live (double price), I only found the Tornel LT highway. They are 6 ply like the 7.00 Firestone but tall as the 7.50 Did somebody ever run them ?
I put a pair of 235/85 16's mounted on repop 6" wide 40 ford style steelies on the rear of my roadster. They are the same height as 7:50 bias plies and just a little wider at the tread. I run 165/80 15's on the front. I keep a set of Firestones on real 40 wheels for shows or events when needed. They ride just as good as the bias plies. The obvious advantages are lower cost and much longer wear. They don't look to bad and would look even better if you ground off the lettering.
I found these 7-16 Fortune Fs112 tires. They are 12 pr. The challenge is now to fit them on my 1935 wire wheels
Whoops, ya forgot a decimal point. Hope the rest of your calculus wasn't affected. Your 254 mm inch is Tex*** sized. Coming in at almost 10 inches. It's okay, we've had the forced metric for almost 50 years.
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