C1 tire help
- Thread starter 2X4's 60
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- 2016 C7.R Z06 "ROSA" - black 'Vert w/yellow accent
I have Michelin 215-65-15's on my 1963 Z06
bradfordsvettes
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I have 215/ 70 /15 on my 61 with no problems 
Steve
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bradfordsvettes
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they are 5.5 inch if i am not mistaking they came off a 65 vette steel wheels I weled nubs on for the hub caps 
steve
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Verle
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Jim,
Your car will handle better if you mount the radials on wider wheels. The wider tire, the wider the wheel, up to the limit of what will fit in your wheel wells.
I am running 215/75/15 on the back of my 57 on 7 inch wheels (zero offset) and they rub on the upper wheel well lip on hard bumps. I have 205/75/15 on the same 7 inch wheels on the front and they do not rub. They ride and handle well.
Verle
Your car will handle better if you mount the radials on wider wheels. The wider tire, the wider the wheel, up to the limit of what will fit in your wheel wells.
I am running 215/75/15 on the back of my 57 on 7 inch wheels (zero offset) and they rub on the upper wheel well lip on hard bumps. I have 205/75/15 on the same 7 inch wheels on the front and they do not rub. They ride and handle well.
Verle
magicv8
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Actually, a 185/75r15 is the 6.70/15 replacement size. The wider tires require wider wheels.
critchie
Well-known member
1. If you go to the major tire manufacturers' web sites, you'll find that a 205/75 is the widest tire they recommend with your stock 5" rims. And that's pushing it. If you want to go wider, you'll need wider rims. Wider rims means you can't use your full size wheel covers unless you weld some "nubs" on them. Or, you can go with the "poverty" or "dog dish" caps. Figure this added expense into your budget.
2. Or, aftermarket wheels. If you do go with wider rims, you need to figure out offsets. Some of the classic "mags" do look cool. Halibrand "kidney beans" are very cool. There are others. Look for the old style classic mags. More expense.
3. If you go to any size other than 205/75, you'll need to change the speedometer gear in your transmission to make the speedometer read correctly.
4. Finally, you may not like the looks of a lower aspect ratio tire in the C1 wheel well. The 75 series aspect ration is taller and fills the wheel well better. The 205 size is plenty wide, compared to the stock tire. So you don't really need wider for looks. You need tall to fill the size of the well. Wider means "squatter." That looks a little funny on a C1.
5. You won't get a high performance tire in the 205/75 size. That was OK with me. The worst 205/75 radial is light years ahead of the best bias ply ever made. I also don't need the utmost in cornering. I do want the tire to perform; to respond well; and, track well. The radial does that. But I don't need the utmost in stickiness to corner at high "G" rates.
6. The best rating you'll get with a 205/75 is "S" or "T." Stay under 100 mph.
7. Consider what the tread looks like. You don't want something that looks like it belongs on an SUV.
8. You can easily get a (thin) whitewall in the 205/75 size. You may not find whitewalls for the other sizes from the usual tire manufacturers. But look at Diamondback and Coker.
9. The 205/75 will fit in the spare tire well, but the cover will be raised about an inch. Anything wider will be worse. If you have a positraction rear, you should put the same size tires on each side. So if you get a flat in one of the rear tires, and you have a different size spare, you'll need to put the spare on the front and put the front on the rear. You'll need to change 2 wheels. You can buy a smaller size spare to fit in the well. But there are advantages to having the spare the same size as the other tires.
2. Or, aftermarket wheels. If you do go with wider rims, you need to figure out offsets. Some of the classic "mags" do look cool. Halibrand "kidney beans" are very cool. There are others. Look for the old style classic mags. More expense.
3. If you go to any size other than 205/75, you'll need to change the speedometer gear in your transmission to make the speedometer read correctly.
4. Finally, you may not like the looks of a lower aspect ratio tire in the C1 wheel well. The 75 series aspect ration is taller and fills the wheel well better. The 205 size is plenty wide, compared to the stock tire. So you don't really need wider for looks. You need tall to fill the size of the well. Wider means "squatter." That looks a little funny on a C1.
5. You won't get a high performance tire in the 205/75 size. That was OK with me. The worst 205/75 radial is light years ahead of the best bias ply ever made. I also don't need the utmost in cornering. I do want the tire to perform; to respond well; and, track well. The radial does that. But I don't need the utmost in stickiness to corner at high "G" rates.
6. The best rating you'll get with a 205/75 is "S" or "T." Stay under 100 mph.
7. Consider what the tread looks like. You don't want something that looks like it belongs on an SUV.
8. You can easily get a (thin) whitewall in the 205/75 size. You may not find whitewalls for the other sizes from the usual tire manufacturers. But look at Diamondback and Coker.
9. The 205/75 will fit in the spare tire well, but the cover will be raised about an inch. Anything wider will be worse. If you have a positraction rear, you should put the same size tires on each side. So if you get a flat in one of the rear tires, and you have a different size spare, you'll need to put the spare on the front and put the front on the rear. You'll need to change 2 wheels. You can buy a smaller size spare to fit in the well. But there are advantages to having the spare the same size as the other tires.
- Thread starter
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Thanks for all the info. I went to the local Costco and got some BFGoodrich 205/75/15 whitewall radials. Mounted balanced and out the door, $270. Diamondbacks would have been over $800. Since neither are correct, I went the cheaper route. Now all I have to do is to get used to the look of narrow whitewalls. I still have my BFGoodrich Silvertowns if I decide looks are more important the performance.
Verle
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Jim,
What wheels did you mount the 205s on?
If they are 5" you may experience a handling feature that you may not like. Radial sidewalls are more flexible than bias ply so the tire will roll sideways with a narrow rim. The sensation will be of the car "wallowing". It will feel like it is slipping/sliding slightly. Or, it may feel like you have something loose in the steering. If you can get accustomed to this behavior it will be ok. If not, you need wider wheels. Six inch wide will be a lot better, seven inch will be very good. The wider wheels will not cause it to ride worse but will handle better.
S10 Chevy pickups have a six inch fifteen wheel that will fit your car. If you want to run stock hubcaps, weld four small "nubs" to hold them on.
Verle
What wheels did you mount the 205s on?
If they are 5" you may experience a handling feature that you may not like. Radial sidewalls are more flexible than bias ply so the tire will roll sideways with a narrow rim. The sensation will be of the car "wallowing". It will feel like it is slipping/sliding slightly. Or, it may feel like you have something loose in the steering. If you can get accustomed to this behavior it will be ok. If not, you need wider wheels. Six inch wide will be a lot better, seven inch will be very good. The wider wheels will not cause it to ride worse but will handle better.
S10 Chevy pickups have a six inch fifteen wheel that will fit your car. If you want to run stock hubcaps, weld four small "nubs" to hold them on.
Verle
- Thread starter
- #12
Verle
I'm using the original wheels. Prior to doing a body off restoration (which is why I put the bias ply tires on) I was running either FR or GR70-15's (I can't remember which) on the same wheels with no problems and it handled great. I had them on the car for 10 years. The 205/75/15's I just put on, ride and handle awesome, but compared to bias ply tires, anything would.
Jim
I'm using the original wheels. Prior to doing a body off restoration (which is why I put the bias ply tires on) I was running either FR or GR70-15's (I can't remember which) on the same wheels with no problems and it handled great. I had them on the car for 10 years. The 205/75/15's I just put on, ride and handle awesome, but compared to bias ply tires, anything would.
Jim
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