performance tires for street/track

[Mike Blair]

I will be building an XJ13 with 15 inch wheels. The car will be basically similar to a GT40 with a different body and a mild race type V12 engine of about 475 HP and 450 lb-ft torque. The car is primarily for the street but may see some track time. I have searched most of the archives concerning tires. It looks like having a second set of wheels/tires for the track is the best bet which I may do. My real issue is with tires for the street. It seems all the suitably wide tires are either sport/suv tires or general all season car tires with S and maybe a few with H or T speed ratings. I know I will not likely be exceeding these speeds on the road but that is not the point. I hate the idea of being short changed on high performance high quality tires on a car with this level of performance. I am looking a a power to weight ratio similar to a carrara GT or ZR1 and who would ever consider putting a set of eagle GT II or BFG T/A's on one of those cars. I want to use tires of 295 or wider on the back and on the front 235-245 with close to a 26 inch diameter. I know that I can use DOT competitiion tires on the road but even these are limited. Anyone come up with a reasonale solution? 17" wheels are out as they will alter the appearance to drastically and do not look correct plus the replica wheels are only available in 15"

 

[EGLITOM]

Hi Mike

Check the excel spreadsheet attached.
I would go either for AVON CR6ZZ Here are the AVON sizes:
Avon CR6ZZ Radials

Another option would be the Pirellis ( check my build log) or the Michelin TB´s
Google-Ergebnis für http://europeantechnique.com.au/michelin/Tyres/tb-15.jpg

TOM

 

[Al Jones]

Pirelli's or Mich's may not be available on this side of the pond, can anyone confirm?

 

[EGLITOM]

They are

ask Fran

TOM

 

[Jack]

You can try www.tirerack.com

I believe they have both.

 

[Mike Blair]

Thanks for the replies. It looks like the Avon's are a good choice as are the Michelins but still race type tires and I suspect these could be less desirable in cold weather. Naturally they will also not be as durable as street tires but that may not matter as the car will not see that many miles. BTW The tire rack does not list either of these tires. They can be found on this side of the pond but I have only found them at specialty racing tire shopes and they will be quite expensive. The price is not what concerns me as much as they really seem to me to be over priced for what you get. The absolute very best most modern road tires (in larger diameters of course) generally cost less and are more appropriate the street.
Has any one had any experience with Mickey Thompson tires. The Sportsman S/R street radial comes in appropriate sizes and at least looks good. It is only H speed rated and for all I know it could suck or maybe it could be an acceptable alternative for street use. It is not outragously priced but also not super cheap. They also have the ET street radial in the right sizes which is more of a street legal drag radial but might alos work.
Any feed back on the Sportsman S/R or ET street??

 

[Eric Johnson]

Here is an option. S rated, but cheap and the right size. I saw them on a vendor's GT40 at Carlisle last year and they LOOKED good. Don't know how they stick:

Firestone Firehawk? Indy 500®

 

[Eric Johnson]

Thanks for the replies. It looks like the Avon's are a good choice as are the Michelins but still race type tires and I suspect these could be less desirable in cold weather. Naturally they will also not be as durable as street tires but that may not matter as the car will not see that many miles. BTW The tire rack does not list either of these tires. They can be found on this side of the pond but I have only found them at specialty racing tire shopes and they will be quite expensive. The price is not what concerns me as much as they really seem to me to be over priced for what you get. The absolute very best most modern road tires (in larger diameters of course) generally cost less and are more appropriate the street.
Has any one had any experience with Mickey Thompson tires. The Sportsman S/R street radial comes in appropriate sizes and at least looks good. It is only H speed rated and for all I know it could suck or maybe it could be an acceptable alternative for street use. It is not outragously priced but also not super cheap. They also have the ET street radial in the right sizes which is more of a street legal drag radial but might alos work.
Any feed back on the Sportsman S/R or ET street??

Mike,
Some of the cobra guys run them. You may want to do a search over at Clubcobra

Welcome to Club Cobra...The world's largest non-biased Cobra site! - Club Cobra

 

[Julian]

The Michelin TB5's or TB15's are reproduced by Coker Tire and available for $516 ea. in the 26/61-15 (equivalent to 295/40-15) and $443 ea. in 18/60-15 (equivalent to 215/55-15)

Find them at Coker Tire under bias ply's

 

[Jim Rosenthal]

We've had a number of discussions over the years on the small number of choices in high-performance tires for 15" rims. Kirkham Cobras also run 15" rims and they come with either Yokohamas or Avons, I think. You might take a look on their web site. There are a few folks here who have used the Avon ZZs and like them. There are also supposed to be some street-legal Hoosiers available for 15" rims. You are not, however, going to find a lot of dealers for hi-pro tires in 15" diameter and when you do, the prices will be high. My GT40 is on BF Goodrich Radial TAs which serve fine to hold it up off the ground until it is running and we can sort this all out. FWIW, as far as I can tell, Safir Mark V cars seem to have come with BFG Radial TAs when they were new, but I am not certain on that. Radial TAs are available in the biggest variety of sizes and aspect ratios for 15" rims, from the looking around I've done, which may be why you see them on so many GT40s with 15" wheels. They certainly aren't race tires, nor are they particularly good fast road tires either.

Finally, I don't know who makes Mickey Thompson tires. I'd find out who makes them for him; I suspect they are made by another company to a spec that MT Inc writes up. There are not that many actual tire manufacturers in the world. I don't know if Coker even make their own tires; I know they find vintage molds and all, but I wonder if they subcontract the actual tire manufacturing out to someone else.

Good luck on this, and post what you find, if you don't mind. We're always looking for information on this topic- the choices are too few, IMHO.

 

[Randy V]

Be careful of running competition tires on the street. Aside from not being legal for street use in many areas (if non-DOT approved) - Once they warm up they pick up every grain of sand and stone - then hurl it at your paint-job.... They are also generally quite noisey..

If you really want to buy Billboard tires (Avon or otherwise) post yourself some wanted ads here, Club Cobra and ffcobra. You will undoubtedly get responjses from someone who wants to bail out of theirs for the very reasons stated above..

 

[Ian Anderson]

Not quite as wide as you suggested originally but perhaps Kumho Tyres
I have 255-60-15 at V speed rating on the rear - certainly grip a lot more than BFGoodrich

The set of 4 for my car cost the same as a single Avon

Ian

 

[Tim Kay]

Drag radial was mentioned. FWIW, further inquiry will reveal they are designed for straight line driving. Not recommended for road cars such as these.

I've gone through several sets of Hoosiers and am totally satisfied. As mentioned above, even though DOT they don't appear to be street legal (never been cited though) and yes they pick up everything so I sprayed a light bed liner material in the wheel wells.

 

[Bill Musarra]

There are some threads on the forum for the 15s. Check out some of these and the associated spreadsheets or links within them. I am sure you will find more to talk about. I have the Nitto 325s and 245(?) on mine but I haven't gotten it to the street yet.

http://www.gt40s.com/forum/gt40-tec...s-wheels/24267-gt40-tirelist-mainly-15-a.html

http://www.gt40s.com/forum/superformance-gt40s/21837-nitto-555r-extreme-gt40p2117.html

http://www.gt40s.com/forum/gt40-tec...s/29855-gt-40-tires-wheels-superformance.html

There are more out there, but the threads are pretty old.

Bill

 

[Mike Blair]

Okay here is what I have found out the Micky Thompsone radial S/R are apparently make by Cooper tire for them. What I could find on other foums was limited but in general they have very good feed back.
I have read most of the threads on this forum and viewed the tire chart on this 15" issue. There is apparently a dichotomy. One is good DOT track tires and the other is old school all season street tires. Both have plus and minuses and one is expensive the other is cheap.
Unless someone talks me out of it I am leaning toward the MT S/R and here is my rational.
This is a new modern tire design and from what I can tell it is NOT an all season tire and it is a blackwall. It is H speed rated which is not great but better than S. It is claimed to have good wet fraction. Sizes are good with a 26" overall diameter it is available in 8" 10" & 12 " section width. If one want to go up to a 29"diameter they had 15" wide.
Do not confuse this tire with the MT radial S/T which is an all season S-speed rated OWL tire that to me looks suspisiously familiar (possibly BFT TA or Goodyear).

 

[David Sturch]

Here's a few more places to check. I've been looking for 13" DOT rated. Look's like Toyo or Kumo for me.
Dave
Hoosier, Toyo, Hankook, Goodyear Tires, 949, D-Force and Enkei Wheels from Phils Tire Service


http://www.dunloptires.com/catalog/performance.html

 

[EGLITOM]

Mike

I would recommand to look deeper into the Pirelli alternative. Its the closest you can get to current hi performance street tires and the 345 on a 12" rim looks period correct ( not that high but ok)

http://www.gt40s.com/forum/gt40-build-logs/24525-toms-rcr-40-trackracer-2.html#post225661


TOM

 

[Mike Blair]

Thanks Tom
The Pirellis are available here and You have changed my direction. I think this is the way to go. I have been fretting the tire situation and now I am feeling good.

 

[J. Salmon]

Mike, glad you found an option. The lack of choices in 15s are why I went with 17s.

Looks like we are almost neighbors. Cheers!

 

[EGLITOM]

Mike

you´re welcome. saw the xj13 at my last visit at RCR , It is a great car. Waiting for your build log
TOM