Interest in "Group Buy" for Billboards Tires ?

[Got the Bug]

I saw a Shelby at a car show this weekend that had billboards with the black side out. Looked great and no painting and maintenance required.

[RodKnock]

Originally Posted by Got the Bug

I saw a Shelby at a car show this weekend that had billboards with the black side out. Looked great and no painting and maintenance required.

That's just plain dumb. You buy Billboards and leave the black side out?

[Got the Bug]

Originally Posted by RodKnock

That's just plain dumb. You buy Billboards and leave the black side out?

Some people buy the billboards because they like they way they perform.

I personally don't like any white lettering on tires period...Billboards, BFG, anything. That's just me though.

[sideoiler10]

Has anyone had a chance to run their new treads yet? Would like a little feedback on how you like them.

While the group buy was being put together I was away from the internet and missed out on the buy. So, I called Jerry Maxwell who graciously agreed to sell me a set for the same price. He called yesterday am to tell me he had shipped them. Based on members earlier suggestions I already have the Ranger paint, although I may leave the tires the way they come. I too sort of like the scruffy look of the billboards.

Curious about the balancing experience you have had...any problems? Did most of you use a Road Force balancer? Were the tires hard to balance?

Appreciate any comments. Bob

[FUNFER2]

I started the buy and I still, don't have mine on yet. I also started the group buy for the MaxJax two post car lift and I'm drilling and bolting them down now and hopefully, I'll be done in the next few days. I will then mount them and get drivin'. !

[noblec5]

Put mine on over the weekend, they look awesome . Still at the shop though, getting the stone guard for the rad and oil cooler installed plus the "tri-lites headlights put in so i can see at night finally, and the GTP sway bars, all from performance unlimited.

I'll let you know how the balancing works out...and of course pics!

Chris

[sideoiler10]

Originally Posted by FUNFER2

I started the buy and I still, don't have mine on yet. I also started the group buy for the MaxJax two post car lift and I'm drilling and bolting them down now and hopefully, I'll be done in the next few days. I will then mount them and get drivin'. !

Surprised to hear you still haven't received the tires! Have you heard anything as to what the holdup is?

I had thought mine might be here by the end of this week since it is such a short run from Oklahoma City to central MO.


NOBLEC5: You said yours look awesome. Was the lettering pretty messed up as per other posts? Did you notice much difference in width compared to what you were running before?

Thanks guys for the input. Bob

[Got the Bug]

Originally Posted by sideoiler10

Surprised to hear you still haven't received the tires! Have you heard anything as to what the holdup is?

I think FUNFER2 received his tires, but hasn't installed them yet.

[sideoiler10]

The new billboards were delivered last thursday. Had them mounted and balanced friday afternoon. Quite an experience getting them balanced. Both rear tires are quite a bit out of round. Guess I'll have to scrape off some of the high spots. We used a Hunter 9700 road force system but the tires are so poor they could not be brought into road force specs. The worst rear came in a best of 60, the other rear was 41. One front was 26 and the other 38. Radial tires usually balance out about 6 - 8 pounds of road force. All 4 tires required from 0.5 to 2.5 oz. of weight each.

Of course these tires are bias, so there is no way they would compare with the radial tire numbers. I am old enough to remember using the old bias tires on the big muscle cars in the early to mid sixties. I had forgotton though, how hard it was to get a good balance on them. Back then no one had ever heard of "road force" balancing so none of us knew any better.

I have been cleaning up the lettering a little the past couple days. Hope to get the tires on the car in a day or two. It has been raining every day since friday so there is no hurry.

I did call Jerry Maxwell and asked him about the balancing problems we had and the run-out on the rear tires. He said generally they have a customer run the tires through a 2 or 3 heat cycles to get them "round" again and then check the balance again. He mentioned the tendacy for flat-spotting and said the same principle applies while the tires are stored on a rack not mounted. I guess it makes sense.

By the way, the tires LOOK GREAT!

Still would like to hear feedback on driving and any balancing issues?

[cobra de capell]

Originally Posted by Got the Bug

I saw a Shelby at a car show this weekend that had billboards with the black side out. Looked great and no painting and maintenance required.

Actually, one can only have one specific side out covering each tire, e.g. they are directional tires requiring that each one be mounted with the serial number out (in two cases) and not out (in two cases). Therefore, it's not that he had the 'black side out' he simply don't paint the side that is out.

I've mounted my new Billboards - without painting the letters. I eliminated all the "fine" painting work from the factory, of course. I may paint the letters later, but it's a huge hassle and I don't want to end up with something that looks like it's been painted.

[FUNFER2]

Sorry, been busy trying to get my mother's house ready to sell after she passed away.

I was planing on getting them mounted today since I finally,.....got my two post lift mounted in the garage but, I'm tired today after racing sprints last night and it's frickin raining again !

How are these tires, directional ? Bias tire, block pattern and old school technology ?

[cobra de capell]

Originally Posted by FUNFER2

Sorry, been busy trying to get my mother's house ready to sell after she passed away.

I was planing on getting them mounted today since I finally,.....got my two post lift mounted in the garage but, I'm tired today after racing sprints last night and it's frickin raining again !

How are these tires, directional ? Bias tire, block pattern and old school technology ?

from the paint thread in this section......

Quote:
posted by silverback51
I'm at work right now and don't have time to find the post, but these tires are directional.

Do a search before you mount them.
_____
Quote:
Originally Posted by cobra de capell
Thanks for the heads up - I'll defer to the tire mounting guy on which side is which - he should know, hopefully.
_____
Quote:
posted by silverback51
I'm going to guess that unless he mounts a lot of these tires, he will not know.

Here is a link to the site that explains it.

http://www.rogerkrausracing.net/files/34011210.pdf
_____

Why or how they are directional, I've no idea - but, thanks to Siverback51 that's the way they are now mounting on my Cobra.

The interesting thing is that the source of our tires never mentioned a thing, but probably would have known if asked. I'm an owner, not a builder so thank God for members posting here.

With that said, it's more than passingly strange that this site has more than likely all the information one needs, but that information is easily missed sense it's buried in threads with a lot of useless posts in between. That's life.

[HI Cobra]

CDC,
Thanks for the link - I just printed it for future reference, since I have
the billboards on my Kirkham.

[cobra de capell]

Originally Posted by HI Cobra

CDC,
Thanks for the link - I just printed it for future reference, since I have
the billboards on my Kirkham.

Question: Are your billboards mounted based on the reference diagram?

Seemed strange to mount them with the serial number showing in two cases, but that's the way it is. I may be wrong, but the tires themselves seem to indicate how to mount them with the outer side appearing to have a little more "roundness" to it - actually, an even better look.

My billboards raised the height of the Cobra by 1 inch all around, versus the tires replaced, but it still looks good to me. I just drove it for the first time with my first impression - OMGWTF as they were bouncing me and the car all over the place, but it all was OK after 15 miles or so. It must be a settling in period.

One impression - the tires are Wide and HUGE looking on the Cobra, to me a really good look.

I'm satisfied; another project that turned out right - except for the lettering (painting) fiasco. That's a real accomplishment for me, given that I really don't know what I'm doing most of the time when cars are involved.

[FUNFER2]

For what ever reason, I can not open the file. Can someone email me the page ? A link won't work for me.

[Silverback51]

Originally Posted by cobra de capell

Question: Are your billboards mounted based on the reference diagram?

Seemed strange to mount them with the serial number showing in two cases, but that's the way it is. I may be wrong, but the tires themselves seem to indicate how to mount them with the outer side appearing to have a little more "roundness" to it - actually, an even better look.

My billboards raised the height of the Cobra by 1 inch all around, versus the tires replaced, but it still looks good to me. I just drove it for the first time with my first impression - OMGWTF as they were bouncing me and the car all over the place, but it all was OK after 15 miles or so. It must be a settling in period.

One impression - the tires are Wide and HUGE looking on the Cobra, to me a really good look.

I'm satisfied; another project that turned out right - except for the lettering (painting) fiasco. That's a real accomplishment for me, given that I really don't know what I'm doing most of the time when cars are involved.

They do flat spot, but to me that is a small price to pay for the traction and looks.

[cobra de capell]

Originally Posted by FUNFER2

For what ever reason, I can not open the file. Can someone email me the page ? A link won't work for me.

Try opening this - placed it in my imageshack account....

http://img150.imageshack.us/img150/8724/34011210.pdf

If you still cannot open it, PM your email address.

[FUNFER2]

Thanks cobra de capell.

With the sprint car, we use bias ply and a block pattern tread, and although most of us do mount the tires with the serial number out, that's just for the inspectors to see that we have the correct number/tire compound for the track rules. I seriously doubt, these Billboards are directional but, I will call my dealer tomorrow to confirm, as I may be wrong. I just don't see it though.

[FUNFER2]

Ok, I talked with Brandon and Roger Krause, and they said for racing, you want to follow the recommended rotation for "break in", then you can use them anywhere. There is a "lap line" in the tire that sometimes,....... shows up in racing and can hurt the tire.

For the street, there makes no,...difference. For most of us, our Cobras are for the street, and don't run the same wheel/tire size front & back anyway. If I raced, I'm sure I would not use the Billboards.

[noblec5]

My first impressions are that the tires totally change the way the car looks, its a different car. I kept the crappy spray-on paint on the sidewalls for now but may strip it off in the winter and re-paint. Very sticky tires. Throw alot of debris, rocks etc..., Installed neoprene in the wheel wells to keep the rocks from starring the paint from the underside. Once i get a better chance to drive these around (its still cold and rainy here) i'll report back with a better review.

Chris