Tires AGAIN!!

[pws69]

I know this topic gets thrashed regularly,but now it has hit home!

I have picked up a set of 15X8 Rallye's for my '69 vert and I need to purchase a new set of tires for them.

I have seen conflicting stories as to what wil fit and what will rub and it can be quite dizzying trying to figure it out!

I plan on purchasing a set of BFG Radial T/A's. I would like to get 4 ea. 255/60R15, but I am not sure about the front.

Would those of you with '69's please share what you have discovered to be FACT?

Thanks,
Paul

 

[yakatak76]

pws69,

on my 76 when i got it, it had aftermarket rally wheels with the BFG TA's on it. with 245/60-15 on the front and 255/60-15 on the back. i took them off as the rear tires rubbed on the parking brake cable stop, and the mechanic for the previous owner thought they were too wide for the front. plus, with those wide tires on there and the way the roads are so grooved up out here in seattle and with the amount of free play i have in my steering which i plan to get fixed, i found the car hard to control. i went back to the stock width of 225 but with a 60 series tire and the car handles much better and i don't have to worry about hitting the brake cable stops.

 

[Ala75Vette]

I have 235/60R15 BFG Radial T/As all around, as they came with the car, on original 15x8 rally rims. I intend to put 255/60R15s on the rear when they need to be replaced, and all around eventually, to fill the wheel wells a little better (it'll be a 'taller' tire). There are many vette owners that like to go even bigger on the rally rims, giving that "beefy" look.

 

[68Roadster]

My 68 has 15 x 8's, BFG RT/A's, 255/60R15's and the front only rub when I turn all the way left or right, and I think that is because the rocker panel is bent in a bit.

 

[69autoXr]

Assuming that your Corvette has stock suspension, i.e. the stock ride height, you could probably get away with 255/60-15 all the way around. However, these tires would probably rub during full lock cornering, and if you do any driving on rather bumpy surfaces, like on Michigan roads, they may rub the fender lips under suspension jounce. I would personally recommend the 255 for the rear only, and I would suggest you go with the 245/60-15 up front. The 255 is wider and taller.

If your Corvette is lowered at all, you will definitely have a problem with the 255's. My dad's 70 is lowered, and I can get his 245/60-15's to rub if I try hard enough. Needless to say, the inner fender lips on his car are cracked. I am putting L-88 wheel flares on my own car, so I will run 275/60-15 race tires on 12" wide wheels on the rear, and do not anticipate a problem.

 

[mmvette80]

Ive used BFG 255/60/15 for 7yrs and haven't had a problem.

 

[68Roadster]

Drove my 68 tonite, first time in awhile and the 255's do rub when at extreme right/left.
I plan to try 245's at some time in the future. I love the look of all the meat under the frt end but I hate hearing that rub sound.....just like fingernails on a chalkboard.....

Cee

 

[rpounds]

I had the same problem as a previous post. When I bought my vette, I yanked a number of things apart to check condition. When I pulled the rear wheels off (stock rally wheels mounted with almost new 245-60 R15 TA Radials), I discovered that someone had installed 5/16" wheel spacers!! I don't know how ya'll feel about wheel spacers, but from my point of view, they're a real no-no. So I reinstalled the wheels without the spacers. I checked clearances and did not see a problem. I drove it for a few miles this way and discovered that a groove had formed on the inside of the tire about 1" up from the edge of the rim. Turns out that the emergency brake cable mount, which is mounted on the outside of the trailing arm was contacting the tire and cutting a groove as the tire turned. The problem was on both sides, but because of manufacturing tolerances, it was more pronounced on the left side of the car. I was able to take a die grinder and shave down the corners and end of the mount. I took a little off at a time and then coated the mount with Dy-chem, remounted the wheel and spun it by hand. Then I would take the wheel back off to see if the Dy-chem had been rubbed off. After I had removed enough material so that the tire no longer rubbed, I went a little further, just to be on the safe side.

Sorry about the long post, but if anyone is running this size tire on stock rally wheels, check to see if the tire is being contacted. This is a potentially very unsafe condition that needs to be rectified as soon as possible.

At some point, I'm going to a different tire size . . .

 

[chuck]

I had 255/60/15 on my 77 and they rubbed on full turn to the left and right.

 

[c4ever]

I run BFG 255/60/15 on all four corners with no problems.

Carlo