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  1. #1
    FEP Power Member fgross2006's Avatar
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    Default tire recommendations

    I have an 84 LS convertible. I got it back in 2013 and as soon as I got it the first thing I did was to replace the entire front end and suspension with mostly all Moog parts. I also dumped the original TRX rims and got 10 hole rims and a set of Cooper CS5 Ultra Touring tires. I also updated the alignment with a high performance camber caster kit.

    Jump 10 years forward and I have replaced the front tires on pro rate 3 times and the rears once. The Coopers gave a nice ride but I felt they wore too fast. I just noticed that my passenger front tire wore uneven. Since I only put at most maybe 500 to 750 miles a year on this car it wasn't something I noticed till now. I also see the other 3 tires are pretty worn, although I could get one more summer out of them I'm not going to.

    I had the LX aligned at Mavis after all the front end parts and the camber/caster kit was in. I remember the tech at Mavis had a terrible time working with the camber caster kit and it took him a long time with the alignment. Since the car always tracked straight I never noticed anything askew. So I have to get it aligned again. I think I can assume the Moog parts are all still solid. But as for tires, I'm thinking Pirellis this time. I put Pirelli's on my Suburban and I love the ride.

    When I put the Coopers on my LX I went with 195/60r15 in the front and 225/60r15 in the rear.

    As for Pirelli's Their comparable tire is the Pirelli P4 Persist AS Plus All Season. It comes in 195/60r15 only. There's no wider tire to fit a 15 inch rim in the Pirelli catalogue.

    Does anyone have suggestions for a tire better than Coopers?

  2. #2

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    Not a recommendation, but a couple of other choices that I found at Discount Tire are the BF Goodrich Radial T/A and the General Altimax RT45. Both are available in 195/60-15 and 225/60-15 sizes.Both are all season tires, although the BFG's are listed as a touring tire, whereas the General's are listed as a performance tire.
    1985 Mustang GT (Mothballed...Desired restomod parts acquired...Top of my project list for my 2024 retirement!)

  3. #3
    FEP Power Member fgross2006's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by 85GTGuy View Post
    Not a recommendation, but a couple of other choices that I found at Discount Tire are the BF Goodrich Radial T/A and the General Altimax RT45. Both are available in 195/60-15 and 225/60-15 sizes.Both are all season tires, although the BFG's are listed as a touring tire, whereas the General's are listed as a performance tire.
    I'll look into those. I did find that the Pirelli P4 Persist AS Plus All Season. It comes in 205/65/r15. Not as thick as a 225 but I'm also curious about the height increase from a 60 to 65.

  4. #4

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    225/60-15 is 25.63" tall and has a 8.86" section width.
    205/65-15 is 25.49" tall and has a 8.07" section width.
    1985 Mustang GT (Mothballed...Desired restomod parts acquired...Top of my project list for my 2024 retirement!)

  5. #5

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    I just recently had a set of the General Altimax's installed (225/60/15) - Same predicament as you. It was between the BFG and the Generals....That's about the only two available in OE sizes.

    I hate white letter sidewalls, so I went with the Generals on that basis alone (I guess the tread is a little nicer too).

    They ride nice. I wouldn't say they are a high-performance tire by any means. They are pretty easy to break loose in the rear, but overall pretty quiet and look decent on the 10 holes.

    I normally go for Michelins (Pilot Sport 4S on my Subaru WRX daily for the summer and X-Ice for winter) and love those - However finding anything premium in 15'' is nearly impossible. I sort of scoffed at the Generals and bit the bullet since they were the best fit based on what was available, however I don't have any complaints. I keep reminding myself, it's not a daily.
    Last edited by ITdude87; 05-24-2023 at 11:38 AM.
    1986 Mustang GT - 2A, 5 Sp
    2018 Subaru WRX (Daily)

  6. #6
    FEP Power Member richpet's Avatar
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    Default

    Any particular reason you want a staggered set? You can't do a rotation and the factory fitted all four the same size.
    A good alignment and occasional rotation and you'll get much more even wear for longer/safer life.

    Sent from my Pixel 6 Pro using Tapatalk
    83 5.0 GT. Quicker than it looks! 10:1 (or just over) 306, Motorsport a332 cam, 140A alt, t5 conv, 8.8 w/ 3.27's, Edel rpm, alum rad, very worked e7's, Holley SA carb, etc... SOLD IT!!!!

    Now an 1981 Granada! .040 over 302, Edel E-street heads... Currently building a 347 because, why not?

    "Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups"

  7. #7
    FEP Super Member gr79's Avatar
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    Ford and Firestone go back a long time.
    Have 215/60/15 Firestone Precision Sport blackwalls on 87 turbine rims now for a few years.
    Good all around traction, handling, and ride at 32 psi. Close to stock dia of TRX. Not expensive.
    Firestone Destination OWL 15" on the Ranger. Firestone was OE. Same deal. No issues would buy again.
    OE on the Cobra was Michelin TRX 190/65/390. Later ran the 220/55/390 version.
    Kept losing air and got real hard to find. Still have two sets stored.
    Had 225/60/15 Cooper Cobras for a while on the turbines. ok nothing special.

    Over the years had Firestone, Goodyear, Big O, BFG, Cooper, Michelin, Continental.
    Never again for Goodyear and BFG. The 85 LTD LX's Goodyears sucked in the rain.

    Hard to find exact match replacement 15" tire after a few years if one gets damaged.
    The LMR 16" TRX would be a nice option for TRX cars.
    Wide front tires may rub at full lock even with rack limiters.
    Check wear ratings and construction listed for tire to get an idea of longevity.
    Had 275/60/15 BFG T/A rears on the truck. Nothing but problems. Are WAY overpriced for what they are.
    Many brands out there. Simple Tire online delivers to door or shop. Walmart offers name brands.

    Tread pattern is a selling point to me. The look.
    Dad used to pick little pebbles out of the tire tread with a key. Pre standard car a/c days 1960's. Made noise i guess.

  8. #8
    FEP Power Member fgross2006's Avatar
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by richpet View Post
    Any particular reason you want a staggered set? You can't do a rotation and the factory fitted all four the same size.
    A good alignment and occasional rotation and you'll get much more even wear for longer/safer life.

    Sent from my Pixel 6 Pro using Tapatalk
    I did it for looks. I liked the leaning forward look and the wide tires in the rear. I'm thinking this time to go with all the same and keep it simple. I found Pirelli P4 in a 205/65r15 and I spoke with a local tire wholesaler that I have been going to since the 80's and he assured me this is a great tire and I should go with 4 matching tires all around for better performance. I'll miss the 225 in the rear but I do like the Pirelli tires much better than Coopers. After 3 pro rates in the front and once in the rear I think I got my moneys worth out of the Coopers, but these P4's are supposedly engineered to last longer and produce better mileage.

    https://www.bbwheelsonline.com/pirel...BoC6eMQAvD_BwE

  9. #9
    FEP Power Member richpet's Avatar
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    Good looking tire! I agree that I like a tread pattern that looks good. It's one reason I put the Nitto NeoGen tires on mine.
    But, you don't want a tire to last too long. Age is bad for them. Get a tire you're willing to replace in 3-6 years. They lose flexibility and degrade on an unseen level. It's one of the topics I discuss in the driving class I taught for over 20 years.
    The NeoGens only have about 20k of life give or take. Since I only drive the car 4-6k a year that's good.

    Sent from my Pixel 6 Pro using Tapatalk
    83 5.0 GT. Quicker than it looks! 10:1 (or just over) 306, Motorsport a332 cam, 140A alt, t5 conv, 8.8 w/ 3.27's, Edel rpm, alum rad, very worked e7's, Holley SA carb, etc... SOLD IT!!!!

    Now an 1981 Granada! .040 over 302, Edel E-street heads... Currently building a 347 because, why not?

    "Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups"

  10. #10

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    Quote Originally Posted by richpet View Post
    You don't want a tire to last too long. Age is bad for them. Get a tire you're willing to replace in 3-6 years. They lose flexibility and degrade on an unseen level.
    Big facts.

    When I drove my car home ~7 hours, it was riding on tires with really good looking tread, but they were about 11 years old. I was white knuckling the entire time.
    1986 Mustang GT - 2A, 5 Sp
    2018 Subaru WRX (Daily)

  11. #11
    FEP Power Member richpet's Avatar
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    Default

    I have a couple pretty good horror stories. One personally, one a good friend.
    Sorry, OP, not trying to veer, but it's hard for me, lol.
    Decided on a tire/size? Going with the Pirellis?

    Sent from my Pixel 6 Pro using Tapatalk
    83 5.0 GT. Quicker than it looks! 10:1 (or just over) 306, Motorsport a332 cam, 140A alt, t5 conv, 8.8 w/ 3.27's, Edel rpm, alum rad, very worked e7's, Holley SA carb, etc... SOLD IT!!!!

    Now an 1981 Granada! .040 over 302, Edel E-street heads... Currently building a 347 because, why not?

    "Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups"

  12. #12
    FEP Power Member mcb82gt's Avatar
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by ITdude87 View Post
    Big facts.

    When I drove my car home ~7 hours, it was riding on tires with really good looking tread, but they were about 11 years old. I was white knuckling the entire time.
    Aww, thats fine. Im sure they held up just fine. My brother doing 100 mph + on original goodyear gatorbacks, from the 80's, was unnerving.
    Mike

    Now stang-less.

    88 Cougar 5.0

  13. #13

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    Quote Originally Posted by mcb82gt View Post
    Aww, thats fine. Im sure they held up just fine.
    They did. There were definitely some signs of cracking though. It was on the back of my mind the whole time and over every bump.

    Quote Originally Posted by mcb82gt View Post
    doing 100 mph + on original goodyear gatorbacks, from the 80's
    Yeah that's......To put it nicely, a hard "no" for me.
    1986 Mustang GT - 2A, 5 Sp
    2018 Subaru WRX (Daily)

  14. #14

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    OP, I think it comes down to three choices for ya.

    Pirelli - If you want to stick with that brand, but go skinnier and have a taller sidewall
    General - OEM size, BSW, nothing too fancy but good all around
    BFG - OEM size, white sidewall lettering, old school radials and more "muscle car" look
    1986 Mustang GT - 2A, 5 Sp
    2018 Subaru WRX (Daily)

  15. #15
    FEP Senior Member gt4494's Avatar
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    For those playing with rim and tire sizes, this is the best on line calculator I have found. You can also look at offset and fender clearance. Open it and then scroll down to see. Its also interactive,

    https://www.wheel-size.com/calc/
    "If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough."
    Albert Einstein

    1984 20th Anniversary GT350
    Almost "Stock"

  16. #16
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    You forgot one more choice, Gaterback reproductions for $$$. I went with Generals.
    Fox Body/3rd Gen MCA Gold Card Judge
    84 SVO 24K miles, 85 Mclaren Capri Vert. 84 GT Turbo Vert.
    88 Mclaren Mustang Vert 20K miles, 89 Mustang LX Sport Vert,
    03 Mach 1 7900 miles, 74 Mustang II, 69 Mustang, 67 Mustang, 07 GT500,
    14 Mustang CS/GT, 15 F150 FTX Tuscany, 16 F250 Crewcab, 67 Tbird 47K miles

  17. #17
    FEP Super Member webestang's Avatar
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    Do not buy Lionhart tires............these were part of a package deal I got from American Muscle for my 99 Mustang.
    I replaced them with Uniroyal Tiger Paws.


    Scotty
    1985 Fox Notch 4-banger Ranger tube header Eastwood Royal Blue
    1988 Fox LX 5.0 AOD Vert BBK 170mph speedo Candy Apple Red
    1999 Mustang Coupe V6 Auto Chrome Yellow -Daily Driver.
    Past Pony's.....
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  18. #18
    FEP Power Member fgross2006's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by 85GTGuy View Post
    225/60-15 is 25.63" tall and has a 8.86" section width.
    205/65-15 is 25.49" tall and has a 8.07" section width.
    What's the height comparison between 195/60-15 and 205/65-15?

    I ordered 4 Pirelli P4 Persist AS Plus in 205/65-15. I got them from Wallmart.com at $109 per tire. They got delivered yesterday and my son is gonna mount and balance them for me hopefully tomorrow. Placing next to my front tire, the new one does seem taller. But a tech at a local mom and pop tire shop told me that 205/65-15 would sit nice on all 4 rims and the car would handle better with more rubber gripping the front.

    https://www.walmart.com/ip/Pirelli-P...Tire/734302588

    I called Pirelli to get info and was told the P4 Four Seasons Plus is a discontinued tire but the P4 Persist is a new upgrade of the Four Seasons Plus, just came out last year and is an all around better tire than the Four Seasons Plus. Also I was told by a Mavis tech to avoid discontinued tires because they could have been on a shelf for years. He told me about the DOT number on tires and avoid anything that's older than a 2021. The tires I got yesterday have a 2022 DOT number.

  19. #19

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    So after I resized this pic to attach on here I realized this was about 15" wheels/Tires, not 16"
    Found this set of wheels and tires for $50 bucks on Craigslist a year or so ago....
    I was in the middle of converting to 5 lug and the worse was these could hold up my car... Tires will need replacing but the wheels are like new..
    Tires on this are 225 55 16
    Attached Images Attached Images  

  20. #20

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    Quote Originally Posted by webestang View Post
    Do not buy Lionhart tires............these were part of a package deal I got from American Muscle for my 99 Mustang.
    I replaced them with Uniroyal Tiger Paws.

    Saw the movie....

  21. #21

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    Quote Originally Posted by fgross2006 View Post
    What's the height comparison between 195/60-15 and 205/65-15?
    Definitely a difference in overall height.

    195/60-15 is 24.2" tall
    205/65-15 is 25.5" tall
    So it's 1.3" taller.
    But the 205 is also putting about .4" more tread width per tire on the ground.
    (note: all measurements give or take a hundredth of an inch)
    1985 Mustang GT (Mothballed...Desired restomod parts acquired...Top of my project list for my 2024 retirement!)

  22. #22
    FEP Power Member gmatt's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by gt4494 View Post
    For those playing with rim and tire sizes, this is the best on line calculator I have found. You can also look at offset and fender clearance. Open it and then scroll down to see. Its also interactive,

    https://www.wheel-size.com/calc/
    Here's another size calculator: https://tiresize.com/chart/

  23. #23

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    Quote Originally Posted by KevinK View Post
    You forgot one more choice, Gatorback reproductions for $$$. I went with Generals.
    I saw those Kevin. Not a chance in hell I'd buy those for the price unless I'm going 110% concourse and never driving the thing.

    The Generals have treated me well.
    1986 Mustang GT - 2A, 5 Sp
    2018 Subaru WRX (Daily)

  24. #24
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    Quote Originally Posted by ITdude87 View Post
    I saw those Kevin. Not a chance in hell I'd buy those for the price unless I'm going 110% concourse and never driving the thing.

    The Generals have treated me well.
    Actually, concours judging would ding you on the repro gater backs as the date code would be wrong.
    Fox Body/3rd Gen MCA Gold Card Judge
    84 SVO 24K miles, 85 Mclaren Capri Vert. 84 GT Turbo Vert.
    88 Mclaren Mustang Vert 20K miles, 89 Mustang LX Sport Vert,
    03 Mach 1 7900 miles, 74 Mustang II, 69 Mustang, 67 Mustang, 07 GT500,
    14 Mustang CS/GT, 15 F150 FTX Tuscany, 16 F250 Crewcab, 67 Tbird 47K miles

  25. #25

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    Quote Originally Posted by KevinK View Post
    Actually, concours judging would ding you on the repro gater backs as the date code would be wrong.
    HAH. I didn't even think about that - In that case, now I really don't see any reason to buy them.
    1986 Mustang GT - 2A, 5 Sp
    2018 Subaru WRX (Daily)

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