Vote for my front tires...

[BarnStang]

I have looked at nearly 100 cars online. Gone over the wheel & tire chart several thousand times. Need to make a decision on what size front tires and am really stuck.
The rims: 15x7 Magnum 500
The car: 66 Fastback 289 w/C-4. Stock leaf springs in the back. Still has the 6 cyl springs up front. No Shelby drop done (yet) Stock 6 cyl suspension and discbrakeswap.com Granada disc conversion up front. I could not remember if the granada swap pushes the wheel out any or not. Seems to me that it does which makes this problem even harder.

My narrowed choices are:
195x60-15
205x60-15

Fender lips are not rolled, but, they seem to be very tight against the fender. I took the fender roller tool up to the body shop and after looking it over, decided that very little more would be gained by rolling the tool over them.

So, please let me know what you think.

 

[dodgestang]

What are you running in the rear?

 

[Tubo(2-bo)]

What are you running in the rear?

+1

 

[BarnStang]

235x60-15
Sorry, thought I put that in but it's not there...

 

[zookeeper]

On my '65 fastback I had 205/60's up front and 215/60's out back and I felt it looked about right. That was stock height and on 15x7 old-style American Torq-Thrusts all the way around.

 

[TF Mondo]

I feel your pain. I just picked up a set of 15x7 styled steels for my 66 convertible to replace the 14x5 styled steels I have on there now (front discs are going in). I'd like to put 215 60s all around, which supposedly will fit according to Dodgestangs chart, but I'm still torn about the idea of putting a relatively big tire on a 66. Any reason your'e not thinking 215s?

 

[BarnStang]

I just lost my whole post. Nuts. Try again. Terrified to go to 215. DOn't want to do this twice. Can't return the tires after they are mounted.
(did all the math already...) Sidewall height difference:
215x60=129mm or 5.078" so a little over 5"
205x60=123mm or 4.842" so a little over 4 3/4"
195x60=117mm or 4.606" so a little over 4 1/2"

For those that are curiuos and don't know, the "60" is the percentage of the width. 215mm times 60% (percent) = 129mm

 

[BarnStang]

OK, bought some tires. I ditched the 195's. No one had any love for such small tires...and I'm convinced. So,
I ordered two 205x60-15's AND two 215x60-15's.
Note: Tirerack called me on SATURDAY 30 min after I ordered the 205's online, talked to me for 30 min about my proj, and told meI would mount the tires and send back what I didn't need-no problem-just can't drive on them, can roll the car around though.
I mounted one of each. 205 on the drivers side, 215 on the passenger side. Finally off he jackstands for the first time!
Even though the larger tire is on the passenger side, it seems to be hanging lower on that side. Measurements show 24.25 to the fender lip driverside, and 24.50 passenger side. It's only a quarter inch higher on the large tire side. Rear is within a quarter inch. But, the rake is extream-14" to the rocker seam in the rear rocker, 12.50" to the rocker seam in the front.
I think I need to put a set of V8 springs in and ditch the 6cyl springs.
Here are the pictures:
Side shot
View attachment 305068

Front shot
View attachment 305069

215-wheel turned right (pass side)
View attachment 305070

215-wheel turned left (pass side)
View attachment 305071

215-side shot (pass side)
View attachment 305072

THe 205 looks like there is plenty of room. What do you think? I am inclined to think the 215"s will work ok, might scrap on potholes in a turn, or speedbump in a turn, but moderate cruising look like there is enough room even with the 6cyl springs...

 

[tx65coupe]

Thats a good looking fastback!

I too am interested in this tire size question. I have a 65 coupe that will have late 70s Granada disc brakes and 600 1 inch lowering springs on the front. I wanted to run 215 60 15 tires in the front and 225 60 15 or 235 60 15 in the rear. I wonder if I will need to go with 205 in the front.

I wonder what the actual ride height difference is between the 1 inch drop springs, V8 GT springs, V8 springs, and I6 springs.

Where did you get your Magnum 500 wheels from? Did you have any issue with them clearing the granada hubs? I know that the center bore on some of the older style wheels wont clear.

 

[BarnStang]

Amazingly, I got the wheels at Sam's Club. They were piled in a shopping cart at the entrance with a clearance tag of $325 for all four wheels with chrome lug nuts and black Mustang center caps-still in their original boxes. I grabbed the cart and took it straight to a register...what are the odds of that? Two of the wheels were covered in mud, the other two had never been mounted. Must have been a special order that someone returned. Nice to get a break once in awhile.
They clear the Granada rotors no problem. I had a really rough time mounting the 205 tire on a 7" rim. I had to strap the tire 10 different ways till I got it to catch the bead and inflate.

I guess I need to do some searching on springs. I'm not really up on all the different springs. And your question is great too, I would like to know the answer to that as well. I think that would narrow my decision on springs a great deal.

 

[gonzothegreat]

205x60 front and 235x60 rear is a good combo I think.

 

[Decurion]

Just go for 215s. I have those on my Falcon and only rarely get a quick rub.

 

[BarnStang]

I think I'm sold on the 215's, but I also want to replace the springs. The rake is too much. Plus bringing the front up a little will help the 215'S. It has stock I6 springs in it now.
I don't know much about Mustang springs, so what would be my best solution for the way my car is set up now?

 

[tx65coupe]

I think that I will go with 215 in the front too. Do your 235 60 15 tires in the rear rub at all? How close are they to the fender? If you do post back and let us know how it worked out.

I would definitely replace the I6 springs with V8 GT springs or 600-620 1 inch drop springs. It depends on how stiff you want it. If you don't want it very stiff then get the GT springs. If you want the stiffer 600 or 620 springs, they offer poly spring spaces to raise it back up. The 620 springs may be a tad stiff. I have talked to a few people that have them They all like them though. Since the original springs have probably sagged a little the 1 inch drop springs may not drop it any. For a while, I was driving my 65 I6 as a daily driver we had new 8088 number springs on the front and it sat way too high for my taste. The extra weight of the V8 may make them compress more. I think they would be too soft and wouldn't handle that good. I decided to go with the 600 1 inch drop springs that Scott Drake offers. I got them from Virginia Mustang in a handling kit that came with sway bars and shocks.

 

[tx65coupe]

How do you subscribe to a thread so you recieve email notification when there is a response?

 

[BarnStang]

If you post in the thread, you are automatically subscribed. If you want to subscribe without posting, use the "Thread Tools" drop down box up top and select "Subscribe To This Thread" link.

I the 235's won't rub in the back, but my proj is not typical. I got the car, front 5 lug spindles (ditched) and the 5 lug rear. I researched the casting numbers on the spindles, and they were 1964 Falcon or Comet or something, I have no idea what the rear came out of, but it's about an inch narrower than a stock 66 rear housing. I had to weld on new perches.
My thoughts on this car are to appeal to someone who wants a simple cruiser. It's kind of a GT 350 clone, but not really. THere were never any white with red stripe cars that i know of. So its a 66 289 with 70's heads so it's low compression-I left it that way. No problems with 87 pump gas. Automatic trans, and new A/C. So I want the suspension to be mostly stock, don't want the tires to rub, don't want the front end up in the air six feet...don't wan't the front stiff. No bone jarring speed bumps. My concern is whether or not the stock V8 springs will push the front up too far.
Looking at the Mustangs Plus catalog, they show the 620's, progressive's, GT350's, the 750's and stock. Progressive's are almost $200 so thats out. 750's are for performance driving so that's out. I am considering the 620's, but with the one inch drop I am concerned about the tires...geez. THe GT350'd say they are firmer than stock, softer than 620's. But on the preceeding page, they show coil spring rates, and the GT350 is rated at 260 lbs and the 620's at 560 lbs... so, that seems like alot of difference. I'm so confused...

 

[D.Hearne]

I think you'll be fine with 215/60's. I ran 235/60/15's on my 67 mounted on Mopar Cop car wheels(15x8 with 4.5 B.S.) and never had rubbing problems. This was with a 427 using 68 428CJ Convertable front springs.

 

[tx65coupe]

Thats what I thought about subsribing. That is how it works on a Ford truck site that I go on. I never recieve any emails about posts on this forum. I wonder why that is.

I think that the GT springs will be best for what you want. Don't quote me on that though. You could email a few of the Mustang parts shops and ask them what they think. I don't know if you will get any better answers though.