Quest for the Holy Tire

[tucsonjwt]

Last Memorial Day I bought a set of tires for the old Cavalier with $100 back (via debit card). Those were 14" tires, so I bought 4 Fisk tires for about $272, so after -$100 rebate = $43 per tire. I don't know if they will have that sale again this year, or if they have Fisk tires for trucks, but I like those Fisk tires so far.

[mopar346]

That's pretty good. I did a buy 3 get one free from Pepboys for the Comet, they were 14 in as well $308ish out the door installed. Discount has a 225/70/15 Faulken for $55, fixing to buy 2 and 235/70 Kumhos for $82.

[meatwagon83]

you think 15s are hard to find, i switched my truck over to 16s from 16.5s because i couldnt find the damn things at any price!!

[74 stepside]

Pepboys sell Futura Super Sport tires. 295/50r15 and 275/60r15. I bought my 295s last year for $125 each. Dont fall for that buy 3, get the 4th tire free scam. Thats only if they mount and balance. It came out to $150 just to mount/balance. I bought the tires outright, took them to a little mom and pop tire shop and they mounted and balance them for $10 each.

[tucsonjwt]

Discount Tire deal I mentioned above was with mounting, balancing, etc., - out the door with tax. Might not see that deal ever again though. Actual price of the tire was something like $55 per without mounting, balancing, etc. A very inexpensive tire but looks good to me. Walmart has the same tire for a few $$ less, but no rebate at Walmart so I went to Discount Tire.

[mopar346]

The buy 3 thing isn't the point, it's sitting on the ground ready to roll price is what matters, any way they want to come up with it.

[76C10Stepside]

Good info, thanks! I looked up the diameter, circumference and width for a number of these sizes. Looks like a pair 235/70R15 might be a good choice for the FRONT (if I can find them), keep the 275/60-15s on the back with one extra for the future. Just wondering if a 70 or 75 series tire is going to look right with the shorter 60 series.

Current Tires (all four):
275/60R15: Diameter=27.992", Circumference=87.939", 275mm=10-53/64"

Original Tire Size:
235/75R15: Diameter=28.878", Circumference=90.723", 235mm=9-1/4"

Other Sizes:
225/75R15: Diameter=28.287", Circumference=88.866", 225mm=8.86"

225/70R15: Diameter=27.402, Circumference=86.086"

235/70R15: Diameter=27.953", Circumference=87.817", 235mm=9.25"

255/60R15: Diameter=27.047", Circumference=84.971", 255mm=10.04"

[mopar346]

Go with the 225 or 235 70s you wont see a half inch, not to mention depending on the rims they may balloon out more making them shorter.

I picked up 2 of the 225s from Discount today and will mount them first part of the week and let up know what the actual installed heigth is. I am gonna put them on 8 inch rims (not ideal but what I got), so they will lay out. I'm betting you have at least 8s with 275s, if you got 10s probably have to go 245 or 255 to get them to work.

[76C10Stepside]

Originally Posted by mopar346

Go with the 225 or 235 70s you wont see a half inch, not to mention depending on the rims they may balloon out more making them shorter.

I picked up 2 of the 225s from Discount today and will mount them first part of the week and let up know what the actual installed heigth is. I am gonna put them on 8 inch rims (not ideal but what I got), so they will lay out. I'm betting you have at least 8s with 275s, if you got 10s probably have to go 245 or 255 to get them to work.

Thanks for mentioning the wheel width! Yes, I have 10s, will need 255 or wider. The 215/60-15 spare I picked up looks tiny on this truck.

[jitteryguy]

check with your local tractor/farm supply store's or Farmers Co-op, some times they have decent deal's on tire's.

[mopar346]

For what it's worth, I tried to mount the 225s today on 8 inch rims, they wouldn't spread out far enough to grab a bead. I am gonna try to spread them in the sun for a few todays to see if I can get it to work.

[76C10Stepside]

Originally Posted by mopar346

For what it's worth, I tried to mount the 225s today on 8 inch rims, they wouldn't spread out far enough to grab a bead. I am gonna try to spread them in the sun for a few todays to see if I can get it to work.

Yikes!

[mopar346]

Ok din, after a few days in the sun with bricks edgeways (8 in side) to keep them spread (I did flip then halfway through) and help from a Cheetha we got the 225s mounted ont he 8 inch rims. They actually mounted up well, filled out good on the rim, ended up 27.25 tall without weight. I also picked up a set of Ansen slots 15 X 8.5 today with 245/60s on them, they are 26.25-.50 without weight, they are also probably 25% worn, 75% tread left. You can see them in the back ground.

I know you said you were running 10s but I figured I would add this to the thread just for future reference.

Good luck!

[Tx Firefighter]

Dang, what a trip to take to get those things seated and aired up. Ether sure is faster.
Posted via Mobile Device

[mopar346]

Yep, but we're cultured now, besides I didn't have any on hand.

Where's the exploding smiley when you need it.

[mopar346]

Close as I could come.

[76C10Stepside]

They look great. I'd like to see a side view of your truck with those wheels and tires. Are you going to run the same size on all four? Here's a pic of my old Corvair with 14-inch slots, Ansen in front, American Racing in back.

[mopar346]

Time out, the tires on SSs are for my 69 R/T and the slots are just extras that will probalby find there way to my 71 500. My truck is just the work horse.

Neat Corvair, Spyder by chance?

[76C10Stepside]

Originally Posted by mopar346

Time out, the tires on SSs are for my 69 R/T and the slots are just extras that will probalby find there way to my 71 500. My truck is just the work horse.

Neat Corvair, Spyder by chance?

Would love to see pics of your '69 R/T!

Thanks! No, this one is a '68 500, with 164ci 110 BHP (2-carb) engine and 4-speed manual. This is a "Late Model" Corvair with the "Coke Bottle" body styling that heavily influence the first generation Camaro, even down to the thin bumpers.

The Spyder was specific to the Early Model Corvairs, which were produced 1960-1964 (5 years). Spyders were only made 1962-1964 (3 years). The Spyder featured a 150 BHP, 145ci turbocharged engine (the first turbocharged production car made).

The Late Model Corvair was produced 1965-1969 (also 5 years). The "Corsa" offered starting in 1965 was the replacement for the Spyder. Corsas were available with either 140 BHP 164ci engine (4 carbs, nitrided crank and special heads with big valves) OR 180 BHP turbocharged engine, both with 4-speed manual trans. Corsa was available 1965-1966 only. For 1967-69, the Monza was available with the 140 BHP engine, to carry on where the Corsa left off.

By 1965, GM was already planning to retired the Corvair by 1965 due to the wild popularity of the "Muscle Car" and lack of interest from dealers in selling/servicing Corvairs, and started ramping down production. All this despite the fact that over 1.5 MILLION Corvairs were sold. Believe it or not, during the 1960s, 1.5 million was not considered a high production number. Corvairs were also expensive to build compared to more conventional models, resulting it a low profit margin. Too bad, as the 6-cylinder air-cooled boxer engine in the Corvair beat Porsche to market with their 6-banger by 4 years. Porsche's 911 engine has some improvements over the Corvair, starting with more main bearings for higher revs and longevity (in theory, anyway). Corvair engines seem to darn near last forever. Many Corvairs are still on the road running the original (largely) unmolested drivetrain. More often than not, a Corvair engine "rebuild" consists of replacing broken parts and slapping it back together, LOL. New Corvair cases (not a "block", but two halves) and crankshafts have not been produced for many, many years, so we have to make due with recycled ones.

[mopar346]

Good lesson on Corvair history, thank you.

Here is the R/T in all her glory. I went to move it about 2 months ago and it didn't fire right up so in the shop it went. I went through the fuel system and got it running well and then I thought what a shame not to blast it so I went through the brakes and then I thought might as well be legal so I tagged it for the first time in 10 years. The first picture is from a few years ago, the secind is when I was working on it a few months ago and the third is from a cruise I went to right after I tagged, many did it to shame my son.

By the way the tires rub the fenders when turning (due to the bazard back space of the rims, 8 in with 2 in back spaces ?!?!?!) so I jacked the torsion bars up, it has a cool old school look right now, I will take a picture and post it in a few days. Gotta find different rims.

[76C10Stepside]

That's what I call a Muscle Car. Always liked the fuel filler on those, like the race cars have. Didn't realize those had the torsion bar front suspension. Have had a few Mopars over the years. My favorite was the '65 Fury. So easy to lower the front end with those adjustable torsion bars!

[mopar346]

Yep, most all your muscle car era Mopars were torsion bar, good for adjustability, good for ride comfort, not good for cornering, but they weren't real concerned with that back then.

[mopar346]

Here is with the 8 inch rims, I actually picked up some 7s and put them on it today with old tires after the picture, never took another one. Kinda has a old school Super Stock stance, I like it.

[sqrlnts]

For what its worth Pep boys has 255/70/15s for $100.
http://www.pepboys.com/tires/details...t/9083330/735/