BF Goodrich tyres

Andy Sheldon

Tornado Sports Cars
GT40s Sponsor
BF Goodrich tyres are now available again in 15" diameter in the UK.
We have the full range for GT40s and Cobras available.
A more economical road car alternative to the Avon CR6ZZ

Thanks

Andy bfg.jpg
 

Doug Dyar

Supporter
With all due respect to Mr. Sheldon, I would advise against these BFG tires for a Cobra or GT40 application.

I had a set of these on my Cobra, and they were downright dangerous! Dry weather traction was abysmal. I can't even imagine how they would perform in the wet.

These do not belong on a powerful automobile. Period.

Economical, yes. A good choice? No.

I realize there are a limited number of choices in 15" tires. That's no excuse.

Spend the money for something else. I can't stress this enough. We're driving very high performance automobiles here. Buy a suitable tire! These can kill you. They're that bad!
 

Andy Sheldon

Tornado Sports Cars
GT40s Sponsor
Doug

Thanks for your comments but there are more GT40 and Cobra replicas running on BFG tyres than anything else.

Back in the 80's and 90's that's what everybody used until they became unavailable and we were forced to switch to 17" wheels due to tyre availablity.

Then recently Avon realized there was a gap in the market and introduced the CR6ZZ range which is not really a road tyre at an expensive price.

We have had a few issues with the CR6ZZ tyres and Avon have changed the recommended rim widths on some sizes due to fitting problems.

I have personally covered 1000's of miles on BFG tyres and not had an issue.

Thanks

Andy
 

Andy Sheldon

Tornado Sports Cars
GT40s Sponsor
Mark

The largest is the 295/50/15 for 12" wide.

That's what we use on the rear of Gulf cars.

Thanks

Andy
 
I AGREE TO BUY THE BEST TIRE YOU CAN AFFORD ..... HOWEVER I KNOW SEVERAL GUYS RUNNING TA'S ON THEIR 40 AND THEY ARE VERY HAPPY WITH THEM. I CAN'T IMAGINE THAT BFG HAS NOT CHANGED THEIR COMPOUND OVER THE LAST 50 YEARS????
I MIGHT TRY THEM WHEN I NEED TIRES...
THEY ARE PROBABLY SAFER THAN THE BIAS PLY TIRES THEY USED ON THE 40'S IN THE 60'S

ANT THOUGHTS???
 

Randy V

Moderator-Admin
Staff member
Admin
Lifetime Supporter
The Radial T/A tires do not deserve the reputation that they have. More often than not, I suspect the tires people are so ready to call trash, really should be in the trash because they are more than 5 years old. 6 years should be absolute tops before tires should be recycled..
It wasn’t too long ago during the HotRod Power Tour that the drag record was set on a car running the T/A and it was not on the Drag Radial variant.
Speaking of Drag Radials, there were a number of people using them in the Cobra and GT40 worlds. DOT approved, they should provide that straight line acceleration people crave - although I have no idea what lateral traction would be like, I suspect it would be quite good. They were also available in the 15” wheel size.
 

Ian Anderson

Lifetime Supporter
The Radial T/A tires do not deserve the reputation that they have. More often than not, I suspect the tires people are so ready to call trash, really should be in the trash because they are more than 5 years old. 6 years should be absolute tops before tires should be recycled..
It wasn’t too long ago during the HotRod Power Tour that the drag record was set on a car running the T/A and it was not on the Drag Radial variant.
Speaking of Drag Radials, there were a number of people using them in the Cobra and GT40 worlds. DOT approved, they should provide that straight line acceleration people crave - although I have no idea what lateral traction would be like, I suspect it would be quite good. They were also available in the 15” wheel size.

I hear you Randy, bought my project in Dec2004 as a part built stalled build from 1990.
it had BFG tyres on it and they were dated 1986 so 4 years old when sold with the kit!
i can confirm in 2006 when my car got on the road it was like driving on plastic pucks, they spun slid etc and by the time I changed them at 3000 miles they looked like new but were lethal if you needed to brake or if you got damp roads I could not tell which end would loose traction!

I swapped for Khumo tyres that were available when I needed them and 4 tyres cost the same as one Avon. But I could not get Avon’s as they were out of stock! I would have paid the extra.

but as you say the compound etc will have changed in30 years and no doubt they will work on a budget.

Ian
 

Doug Dyar

Supporter
Well, I expected some pushback on my OPINION that these tires are less than desirable. I don't have a dog in the hunt here. I don't sell tires. But I do have real life experience that I feel is significant enough to risk ruffling a few feathers.

I would like to add some additional information due to the comments made.

The BFG tires I had were new, not old hardened ones.

It would seem obvious that there are a lot of these being used since they're cheap to buy and one of only a handful of options to fit our cars available in 15". That doesn't mean they're the best choice.

My experience is first hand. I actually owned the tires and experienced the positive transformation in replacing them, before and after.

I wasn't referring to the Drag Radial variant. I have no experience with them. I used the Radial T/A version.

Owners who have cars with less powerful engines and who drive their cars like a Camry will likely be fine with their performance. I, on the other hand, drive my GT aggressively, both on the street and at weekend track events, and expect a high level of traction and control. It's common for engines in many of the cars on this forum to approach or exceed 500 horsepower. These cars need a better tire.

Tires represent a very important aspect of the car's ability to accelerate, brake and corner properly. All things being equal, a good set of tires are considered by some to be the single most important factor in maximizing a car's performance.

I don't waste my money if I can help it. Spending 3-4 times as much on a set of tires SHOULD cause you to take a long, hard look at doing so. The old adage applies here. You get what you pay for.
 

Andy Sheldon

Tornado Sports Cars
GT40s Sponsor
Doug

This is the vendors and manufacturers announcements section of the Forum and as such we pay to promote the items we offer here.

I do not think its the place for you to give your OPINION on items we list here that are available from our Company.

If you do not like BFG tyres do not buy them. Its your choice.

Please take your OPINIONS else where.

Thanks

Andy
 

Doug Dyar

Supporter
Doug

This is the vendors and manufacturers announcements section of the Forum and as such we pay to promote the items we offer here.

I do not think its the place for you to give your OPINION on items we list here that are available from our Company.

If you do not like BFG tyres do not buy them. Its your choice.

Please take your OPINIONS else where.

Thanks

Andy

My apologies, sir.

I did not realize this thread was from that part of the forum.

Doug
 

Pat

Supporter
Hopefully an endorsement is acceptable here. I've owned several sets of T/A radials and been very happy with all of them. When I was researching them I spoke to their rep at SEMA and she indicated they are intended to balance wear (they are warrantied for six years) and durability with performance. She mentioned a couple of tips at are probably applicable across the board. Long term storage (especially in hot climates) ages tires. Don't let them "flat spot" in winter storage. Jack the car or move it regularly. She mentioned to always demand "fresh tires" when you buy new. A new tire bought that has been in a warehouse for three years, is a three year old tire. The manufacture date of almost all tires can be found on the sidewall of the tire. Usually along the inner edge. Some tire manufacturers code the manufacture date and for these you will have to visit the manufacturers web site to decipher the code. She also indicated that under no circumstances should one continue to operate tires that are more than 10 years old. I also use nitrogen in the tires and it's amazing how little pressure they lose and how little weight they take to adjust the balance.
 

Glenn M

Supporter
Then recently Avon realized there was a gap in the market and introduced the CR6ZZ range which is not really a road tyre


I'm sure the bods at Avon would take issue with that Andy, You make them sound like something bought from Del boy.
They are produced by one of the leading tyre manufacturers, they have all the correct markings to prove they are a certified road tyre and furthermore they give fantastic grip in the dry AND more importantly, the wet. And I do mean on the road. I have covered many, many road miles using these tyres, as well as many on track and can thoroughly recommend them.
Yes, they are expensive, but which part of our pride and joy isn't?
What is the point of building these fantastic cars, of which, even those with the most basic engines are hugely powerful, and then buying budget tyres? Tyres which have the arduous task of steering, braking and putting down all that power through tiny contact areas even when the road is wet and greasy.

Incidentally, Avon only "realised" the gap due to persistent and prolonged pestering by Malcolm Macadam to whom we should all be truly grateful for badgering them into producing these brilliant tyres.
 
Just had a dig into the BF Goodrich UK website.
They only tyre they list at 295/50x15 is the Radial T/A with a speed rating of 'S' or 112 mph.

I always thought that the vehicle had to have tyres fitted in line with its speed capability when originally registered.

and ...

The Motor Vehicles (Approval) Regulations 2001 state "The speed capability of all tyres fitted shall be not less than the maximum design speed of the vehicle".

With a thumping great 5.0 V8 (or bigger) in the back of the car then a 112 mph maximum speed is a tough limit to NOT be able to exceed!

Are there other BF Goodrich 295/50x15 tyres available with a higher rating?
 

Dwight

RCR GT 40 Gulf Livery 347 Eight Stack injection
I agreed with Doug.
I owned two sets of T/As. One on a 67 Mustang and the other on a S10 pickup truck. They were bad tires on dry pavement and even worst on wet pavement.
I watch Barrett-Jackson Auction and half of the cars have T/As on them. Great looking tire but bad, bad street performance. I would never put them on a Cobra!
 

Andy Sheldon

Tornado Sports Cars
GT40s Sponsor
I thought this was the Vendor and Manufacturer announcements section of the Forum.

I did not realize there were so many of you!
 
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