Worried about future 15" tire availability

[lippy]

I've ordered my ERA 427 and am in the process of planning my build. Initially I didn't think twice about going with 15" pin drive wheels, but after reading several posts (like this good one: Which 15-inch radials should I install on my Superformance MkIII?) it is becoming clear that the number of 15" options continues to dwindle. I don't plan to put a lot of miles on the car, but should I worry that in 5 or 10 years there will be few if any options? I'm not hardcore on authenticity, so I could consider the 17" wheels.

[B.M.B.C]

Try the Avons. People seem to be switching to this brand recently.

[Clois Harlan]

Actually, the selection in 17" wheels isnt' that great. 18" seem to be the way to go these days. Maybe as long as NASCAR uses 15" wheels there will be a supply.

Avons are great but imo not any better than Goodyear or Hoosier.

Clois Harlan

[209]

For all of us that have 15" wheels, we're all worried about the future. Hoard tires? I don't think so they'll get old sitting in garage. BUT, when I hear that M/T SRs are scarce, I'll buy a pair of rears. So much for not hoarding.

[vatdevil]

18 inch wheels give you the best tire choices. A slew of high performance tires are available and prices are way lower than Avon. For me the Nitto NT01s are awesome. Ordered my wheels with black centers. Polished centers on 18 inch wheels seem to overwhelm the rest of the car. Still have the 15s if I want the period correct look.

[Don]

Current availability of 15" tires from Coker Tire, which may or may not indicate the future for 15" performance tires. Coker probably known best for serving the antique car market

15" Tire Sizes

[*13*]

I like my Hoosiers, but they are Bias.

[lippy]

Originally Posted by Don

Current availability of 15" tires from Coker Tire, which may or may not indicate the future for 15" performance tires. Coker probably known best for serving the antique car market

15" Tire Sizes

The only radials shown on the Coker website are the BFGs. They may have some bias plys, but I don't know the correct size translation to that system. I want radials anyway.

[RICK LAKE]

Lippy 15" tires will be around for the next 50 years or until your cobra becomes an antique. BB tires are being made in batches. Like anything else, it's about supply and demand. Avon are a better tire than BFG's. I started with BFG's On street OK, on the track they are poor. The only good thing is they are great for smokin burn outs, and they give good warning when they loose grip of the track. Easy to power slide them. 2 notes
15" wheels look correct with BB tires. Bad thing with BB tires is they get flat spots and they go out of round from this. IF car is off the ground when not driving, these tires are great, also as vacuum cleaners for the road. They pickup every thing that is not tarred and oiled down.
17" or 18" what can you say, better handling, higher "G" turns and control, stops faster, and some combo's look cool on a cobra. Your top cobra owners are running 18" wires like Cobra #3170 and Morris. Both of these cars are silly fast and handle.
As long as Nascar stays with 15" wheels, tires will be around for our cars. Someone said Cocker tire is making 15" old style tires with new style engineering of radials.
If you are that worried about tires, buy a couple of sets, build a vacuum storage vault with climate control and you have a time capsale for your tires. good for 30+ years if we still have gas and a free country. Rick L.

[xb-60]

Lippy - I am an ERA fan. If you have ordered an ERA car, 15" wheels/tyres are the only way to go (IMO). As has been stated if there is demand, there will be supply. There may be less choice, but you will be able to get them.
Again, IMO, don't go 17" or 18" unless it's for track use. These cars need to look period correct for road use, so they need 15" wheels and tyres.
My very best wishes with your ERA build.
Cheers,
Glen

[Silverback51]

So all of us with 15 inch tire/wheel combos need to drive our cars more to keep up the tire demand.

I'm trying to do my part.

[DanEC]

Mickey Thompson 15 inch radials. Very good value. Very good performance reports. Or if you like the idea of Cobra on the sidewalls - go with Cooper tire who I understand makes the Mickey Thompson S/T radials.

[Steve Cassani]

Another option...

Michelin TB15 - 26/61-15

I have not read of a Cobra owners experience with the tb15 series.

[tirod]

There is an assumption that the 17-18" rims and tires have better grip, etc. It's measurable, and can't be disputed.

But it's not all that it seems to be - there's a lot of marketing being repeated in the comment. What you are also getting is a low profile tire, which in and of itself is the cause of much of the performance increase.

Short sidewalls and wider rubber does that, not the diameter. What is supposed to be happening is a rim diameter increase because the brake rotors are oversized.

Well, that's incremental - you can increase braking power quite nicely with more pistons, and having balance - it's getting to be known the rear brakes on these cars need to be four piston, too, and do more work than the (inadequate) Lincoln or Mustang setups deliver.

On the track, cars raced with tire rules move to low profile rubber and get much of the same improvement. And when rim size goes up, there are offsets of a negative character - mounted wheel weight goes up, there's more rotational inertia, and handling in other areas actually suffers. It's not all sunshine and roses. And, it's measurable.

Since street tire 17" tech isn't nearly in the 15" race tire league, the major component of this current fad - there, I'm saying it - is entirely based on looks. The performance is there in an incremental degree, but it is not that substantial.

Which brings up, How much does it cost for the difference? Are you getting your money's worth? Again, if you spent that difference on better brakes, would the overall increase in performance be superior?

Here's the comparison to think about - will fitting 17's on a factory donor equipped power brake set up be better than a dual master fitted four piston setup with 15" race tires?

Dollar for dollar, all parts bought new, I hazard they cost the same . . .

Rim size is just one small part of the overall tire/brake package that meets the road, and the focus on plus oversizing seems myopic. It's not all about rim size in the big picture, it's about what delivers the best performance with the available assortments. We're jumping forward to choosing the rim size when in fact it should be a natural result of the size brakes and overall performance goals.

If 15's look like they might be fading away, I put it as simply that part of the overall marketing cycle, and as soon as the consumers become more educated, then rim sizes based on overall factors will be the choice - not what is a current fashion.

[Cobra #3170]

Originally Posted by tirod

There is an assumption that the 17-18" rims and tires have better grip, etc. It's measurable, and can't be disputed.

But it's not all that it seems to be - there's a lot of marketing being repeated in the comment. What you are also getting is a low profile tire, which in and of itself is the cause of much of the performance increase.

Short sidewalls and wider rubber does that, not the diameter. What is supposed to be happening is a rim diameter increase because the brake rotors are oversized.

Well, that's incremental - you can increase braking power quite nicely with more pistons, and having balance - it's getting to be known the rear brakes on these cars need to be four piston, too, and do more work than the (inadequate) Lincoln or Mustang setups deliver.

On the track, cars raced with tire rules move to low profile rubber and get much of the same improvement. And when rim size goes up, there are offsets of a negative character - mounted wheel weight goes up, there's more rotational inertia, and handling in other areas actually suffers. It's not all sunshine and roses. And, it's measurable.

Since street tire 17" tech isn't nearly in the 15" race tire league, the major component of this current fad - there, I'm saying it - is entirely based on looks. The performance is there in an incremental degree, but it is not that substantial.

Which brings up, How much does it cost for the difference? Are you getting your money's worth? Again, if you spent that difference on better brakes, would the overall increase in performance be superior?

Here's the comparison to think about - will fitting 17's on a factory donor equipped power brake set up be better than a dual master fitted four piston setup with 15" race tires?

Dollar for dollar, all parts bought new, I hazard they cost the same . . .

Rim size is just one small part of the overall tire/brake package that meets the road, and the focus on plus oversizing seems myopic. It's not all about rim size in the big picture, it's about what delivers the best performance with the available assortments. We're jumping forward to choosing the rim size when in fact it should be a natural result of the size brakes and overall performance goals.

If 15's look like they might be fading away, I put it as simply that part of the overall marketing cycle, and as soon as the consumers become more educated, then rim sizes based on overall factors will be the choice - not what is a current fashion.

Unfortunately none of the manufacturers are doing any R&D on wide 15" street tires because of the low demand for these sizes. A vintage race tire
(Good Year Bill Board) is no match for a modern high performance street radial of comparable width and diameter. A really good 15" wide radial could be produced but how many would they sell, it is still has to make a profit.

[carmine]

Im sure if enough people emailed Coker tire and asked him to come up with a tire for our cobras that had the look of a billboard but made as a radial.
He if anyone would have the ability to tool up such a project.

[lippy]

Originally Posted by carmine

Im sure if enough people emailed Coker tire and asked him to come up with a tire for our cobras that had the look of a billboard but made as a radial.
He if anyone would have the ability to tool up such a project.

It would be great if that happened.

For now I'm leaning toward Avons (possibly stenciled), but as I mentioned, I'm worried about future availability

[Silverback51]

Originally Posted by Steve Cassani

Another option...

Michelin TB15 - 26/61-15

I have not read of a Cobra owners experience with the tb15 series.

Well that tire makes the Avon's look affordable.

[Voyager]

I’m trying to do my part, but these damn BFGs will not wear out. On the fence for the replacement set…will be BBs or Avons

[Steve Cassani]

"Well that tire makes the Avon's look affordable."

I swallowed hard on that, too. As much as I would appreciate finding out how well these tires work, I'm not willing to pony up. If you're not willing to pay the tuition, you can't complain you don't know...