I run 255's on the back and 235's up front, when it WAS running. Here are some pics of the stance. Bob
I ran 255 70s on my car for years with no problems. Tallest tire I could get and I needed it with 4.10 gears. I had 225 70s on the front. When I went to 3.73 gears, I moved to 275 60s on factory 15x7 wheels and they worked great on the back. Mated them with 245 60s on the front. Plenty of run all the way around. The only problem I ever had was when I had the hooker headers that had the one-tube-outside-the-frame design.
great looking 70 there. I have the same color, tho no more vinyl. Bamboo Cream. My plan is 275 Mickey Drag radials on 15 by 7 fronts will be either 225 70 15 BFG or Starfire 215 75 15. They are made in Australia I think.
Before you do anything else measure and confirm both the width of the rim and the backspace like Larry suggests.... Then if your rim has an appropriate backspace then you can fit a very large tire both in height and width. If you stick with the 15x7 inch rim then a 255/70R15 or a 275/60R15 will work well. If you go to a 15X8 wheel the 295/50R15 is a popular option. Some people even squeeze 325/50R15 when using a 10 inch wide rim: For the street I use a set of 285/70R15 BFG on 15X10 rims with 5.5" backspace: Oh and here is a picture of the 285/70R15 on a 15X7 rim. because the tire is so tall the bulge on the sidewall is not as bad compared to trying to use a shorter 295/50R15 on a 15X7 rim:
Bad idea. You can get away with a regular street 275 tire on a 7" wide rim, but the drag radial will want an 8" wide rim. I used a 7" rim with that size drag radial, and you could see the edges of the tire were untouched after a burnout.
all drag radials created the same? Mickey T's, Nitto, M&H, BFG? Thanks for the reply Larry. I have to actually change front 1/2 fuel line. It is crumbling to dust. Small leak found sunday. I don't plan on tracking car......... yet. But you never know.lol Chris
one thing that very few people remember when running staggered tire sizes from back to front is that, if you get a flat in one of the rear tires AND YOU HAVE POSI, that your spare tire MUST be the same diameter as the rear tires or you will destroy your posi in very short order ... like a matter of miles. If you are using 275/60/15's in the back, a good spare to run is 235/70/15 as it is nearly the exact same overall diameter. :Smarty::Smarty:
You're welcome. I see you are on Long Island. Have we met? Have you been to Bellmore on a Friday, or other cruise nights? Not all drag radials are the same, but the P275/60R-15, or P275/50R-15 are probably very similar to one another, across the different manufacturers. They both really need an 8" rim, because the 7" rim will pull the edges of the sidewall and tread up, and the tire will wear in the middle, similar to an over inflated tire. You will have less traction (something all Buicks need more of), and that kind of defeats the purpose of a Drag Radial in the first place. Years ago, I ran a used pair of B.F. Goodrich Drag radials, they were P275 50 or 60's, can't remember, on 7" rims. After a day at the track with them inflated to between 18 and 20 psi, I could clearly see about an 1" or more on each side of the outer tread that was untouched, while the middle of the tread was worn, and sticky. Learn from my mistakes. That's why we post here. Been there, done that, and would have bought the tee shirt if there was one.:laugh:
that works great. fits fine. running 275r60 on 7" rimes place a great deal of pressure and stress on the bead ring of that tire which can lead to failure. best go to a 8" rim.
thanks for the replies. I have a spare set of 15 by 8 4.5 back space pro stars bought longg ago. would need 6 or 7 inch fronts for a 225 70 15 or 215 75 15. leaning toward 275 60 mickeys. 255 just looks too little. Then I'd use 215 70 15 for fronts w 255 backs. Chris ---------- Post added at 05:25 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:12 PM ---------- Larry we met at the Belmont car show. Chris
well, I have the mickey drag radial 275 60 15 on 15 by 6 wheels. thought they were 7's till I balanced them. I am leaning at using my 15 by 8 pro stars or new 15 by 8 stock Buick wheels from coker
Last time I had a 275 drag radial on a 15 X 7" rim and you could see after a burnout that about 1" of the tire on each edge wasn't being burned, even at 15 psi. A 6" wide rim would be even worse. You need an 8" wide rim at minimum.
Um, yes I know. Ordered new Buick Steelies 15 by 8 from Summit. 205 a piece, free shipping. Thank god for credit cards in this terrible economy, lol. I owe, it's off to work I go. Glad I mount and balance all my tires on machines all the new kids destroy in months w no training or expertise on anything automotive, true dat!!!!!! Oh I forgot, Lincoln Tech will tell you your ready tho, lol. Buicks look much better on stocky ocky wheels. I am very excited. Ordered new driveshaft loop too. 25 bucks, no shipping baby, lol. so 15 by 6 front, 15 by 8 rear, car will look awesome. Will post pics.
Got my wheel vintiques 15 by 8 inch wheels should have sent them back, but I mounted the tires on them. definitely wider than the 15 by 6's, not quite 15 by 8. 4 1/4 back space max on my measurement.car could use another 1/2 to 1 inch back space easily. closer to 15 by 7.5 I think. mount'em you own 'em, says right on the box. oh well. what else is new.they do look great tho. I will test my 15 by 10 spare welds from 15 years ago, probably to wide for 275 60 et radials.
Use the 15X10 Weld wheel with a 295/55R15 Drag Radial they will fit great. This what I have, I will put them on in a few days and show you how they look:
