TIRE SIZE

[Rick Allen]

Are 225/70/15 a good size for a slightly wider tire for my '64 R2?,,,

[Gunslinger]

Front or rear?  I think a P215/70R15 is about optimum for the front…the rear can take more.

Also…are you using the standard 5” wide rims?  70 series are a bit too wide for them…6” width would be fine.  Plus…factory rims may be problematic with radial tires.

[aardvark]

Can someone tell me what the difference is from '70' series to '60' series?

I'm assuming it's just the height of the tire. 

I'm wanting to very slightly drop the stance on my R2.

[Gunslinger]

It’s called the “aspect ratio”…the height of the tire’s sidewall expressed as a percentage of its tread width.  

[aardvark]

Thanks..Gun....

That sorta sez it. Now i need to find what 60 series will squeeze in there.

 

[Dwight FitzSimons]

3 hours ago, aardvark said:

Thanks..Gun....

That sorta sez it. Now i need to find what 60 series will squeeze in there.

 

A 60 aspect ratio tire will drop your Avanti an appreciable amount versus a 70 aspect ratio.  You might consider a 65 aspect ratio tire.  Better yet, go to a tire store and compare the three side by side and make your choice.

--Dwight

[aardvark]

 

 

Thanks Dwight. 

Right now the car is sitting with a good 6" clearance. I want it down some.

 

[Gunslinger]

The wider the tire…the wider the rim you might need.

[aardvark]

Gun... Yup, but I'm not so much talking width as I am height.

[billsr2]

15X6s on mine & a 215 70 tyre. Ideal :)

[RoyG]

Sorry to keep this thread going, but it seemed like the best place for this.  I'm looking to order tires for my '63 Avanti.  I recently got the new Real Rodder wheels, so they are wider than the stock wheels.  I'm going with an R-3 clone engine 4.09 TT rear end and Tremec five speed tranny and looking for the widest wheels I can put on the rear to improve traction on launch.  I understand the front wheel size is somewhat limited by clearance issues, so if I go as wide as I can in the rear the fronts will be a little more narrow.  Looking for suggestions as well as "Pros & Cons", of various choices.  What have others used, and are you happy with the result?

 

[billsr2]

215/70/15s on 6 inch wheels on mine. Nary a prob, and they fill the fenders nicely. I have always believed that this is about as much tire as a circa 1953 suspension & wimpy sway bars can really utilize anyhow? Additionally, try to find a "performance" tire in 15" today!

[Gunslinger]

A potential issue to keep in mind is the front coil springs.  It’s not uncommon for the springs to sag with age.  That can create a clearance problem where the tires might contact the fiberglass wheel arch.  

[Dwight FitzSimons]

On 4/2/2024 at 7:43 PM, billsr2 said:

215/70/15s on 6 inch wheels on mine. Nary a prob, and they fill the fenders nicely. I have always believed that this is about as much tire as a circa 1953 suspension & wimpy sway bars can really utilize anyhow? Additionally, try to find a "performance" tire in 15" today!

The BF Goodrich Radial T/A is an excellent high performance tire.  I have them on both of my '64 Avantis and am very pleased with them (and I am a big fan of handling).  One car has the stock anti-roll bars, the other has the much larger anti-roll bars.  As one would expect the car with large bars makes better use of the handling potential of the tires.  Both cars benefit greatly from the BFG tires, though. 

Many muscle cars of the 1960s used 15" tires, and it appears that half of the restored ones I see or read about have BFG Radial T/A tires on them.  So, there is still a sizeable market for 15" BFG Radial T/A tires.

--Dwight

Edited April 4 by Dwight FitzSimons