Is 245/60R15 largest 15" front tire that will fit?

[cudazappa]

235/60s in the front is no problem.  245/60s is the limit, because you start getting into body tolerances, wheel backspacing, ride height, etc. to decide if they fit or not.  255/60s WILL NOT fit in the front.  They are just too tall.  I tried just to be funny with my Challenger (15x8 rims, 4.5" backspace), and no go.  The problem is the top of the tire wants to turn on the fender lip.  Height is the problem, not width.

My street tires are 245/45 17s and my race tires are 275/40 17s.  I have a very slight rub that only happens at full lock and suspension load (race tires).  I'm going to run more negative camber and a much stiffer suspension so it isn't going to be an issue (not like its one now).

[HP2]

If braking is your primary concern, I would focus your search more on different rubber compounds offered by different manufacturers.

This is really tough to do with 15" because they aren't falling out of trees any more. They are still out there, but the will cost some money and the selection is not as good. The days of cheap, sticky, ultra performance, 15" street tires is gone.

Bad news is Maxxis tops out at 225/60R15, which is smaller than I want on the back. 

I think your not looking through their entire line. The Maxxis Marauder is available up to 295/50x15. Not sure about RWL though.

For sizing it is important to spend some time in the wells of your car with a tape measure if your going to maximize everything.  I've run 295/50 on an 8" rim in the back of my Challenger with no other mods at all. I'm currently running the equivilent of a 305/45x15 on a 10" rim and a 255/50x15 on the front on an 8" rim. Backspace is everything in this combos and miss that, and nothing works well.

I'd suggest you look at the M/T S/T or Cooper Cobra with RWL and a 235/60 front and 255/60 back. Good safe combo that will fit almost anything, even if some body dimensions are off. Again, provided you use reasonable back space. A 15x8 with 3.5 SB still won't cut it here. If you go with a low aspect ratio to get clearence in the front, the back will look too squatty. If you go with a taller tire to fill the back, it will rub up front.

FWIW, here is a list of companies still providing 15" rubber that I've posted on other boards. Some are cheap, some are good, some are street, some are race, browse around and choose wisely.

http://www.mickeythompsontires.com/
http://www.goodyear.com/
http://www.firestonetire.com/
http://www.coopertire.com/html/
http://www.hoosiertire.com/
http://www.avon-tyres.co.uk/
http://www.maxxis.com/
http://www.herculestire.com/
http://www.multimiletires.com/
http://www.peerlesstyreco.com/
http://www.bigotires.com/
http://www.dbtires.com/tires.html
http://www.cokertire.com/
http://www.summitracing.com/
http://www.towelcityracingtires.com/specialty.htm
http://www.americanraceronline.com/
http://www.rogerkrausracing.com/

[brads70]

   235/60 front and 255/60 back is what I'm running with no issues.

[wally426ci]

 

[MizzouRT]

This is really tough to do with 15" because they aren't falling out of trees any more. They are still out there, but the will cost some money and the selection is not as good. The days of cheap, sticky, ultra performance, 15" street tires is gone.


I'd suggest you look at the M/T S/T or Cooper Cobra with RWL and a 235/60 front and 255/60 back. Good safe combo that will fit almost anything...here is a list of companies still providing 15" rubber that I've posted on other boards. Some are cheap, some are good, some are street, some are race, browse around and choose wisely...

Thanks for the list, see I have some homework to do.

[MizzouRT]

  235/60 front and 255/60 back is what I'm running with no issues.

Yes, sounds like combo that best fits what I am looking for is the 235 front & 255 back.  Pretty much settled on that, so now down to picking brands.  Current front runners are the MT S/T which look to have softer rubber and better performance and the GY which have harder rubber and worse performance but look more like the original polyglas...

[72bluNblu]

What is your rims size and what is your backspace. I bet it was less than 4.25" that 15x7 rallyes have. You decrease the backspacing, then you immediatly reduce the width of front tire you can run.

Typical old school cast 5 spoke rims have 3.75 or 4.00 backspacing. Most like torque thrusts have 3.75" backspacing.

You're right on my backspace, the rims I run are uni-lugs, and set up at 3.5" of backspace for the 15x7's.

On the other hand, the fender brace wasn't rubbing at the lip of the fender, it was further in. Surprisingly I haven't had any issues with the fender lip, even when I was running my headers 3 1/2" off the ground. As added info though, I have tubular lower control arms on my car (in addition to tubular UCA's). As it turns out, I just found out that the narrower profile of the tubular LCA adds ~1" of travel to the front suspension, which may help explain why I had issues with the fender brace. Where a stock suspension set up will bottom out, my wheel will continue to go up another 1".

[boydsdodge]

As I mentioned on another post here I am saving up for the Avon Cr6zz from Roger Kraus.
Perfect size.

[HP2]

Have you run the Marauders yet? How do you like them?

[brads70]

As I mentioned on another post here I am saving up for the Avon Cr6zz from Roger Kraus.
Perfect size.

Found this Avon dealer on the east coast?
http://www.sascosports.com/products/index.php

[Roppa440]

I have ran 245/60/15s for at least ten years on the front of my Challenger with no issues. But I did grind the lip back so it is onlt 1/4-inch wide and removed the brace to make sure there was no contact issues.

8x15 wheels with 4.5-inch backspace.

On the rear I have used various 15-inch sizes over the years. A 275/60 on an 8-inch wheel fitted fine. A 295/50 on the same wheel gets to within a 1/4-inch of the leaf spring. On a 10-inch wheel (better fit for the tyre) you need to cut the lip and offset hang the springs. But there is plenty of room once you do that.

[boydsdodge]

Have you run the Marauders yet? How do you like them?

No I haven't had the chance to yet as the car isn't finished but if anyone in the Toronto Area wants to try them out I'd be happy to bolt them up and see how they do.
I am really curious to see how they feel.
They spec out in all the right places and look great in the tread with nice large solid blocks. Talking spring time, too much snow on the ground right now.


Do any of you guys have any issues with machining the mounting pad on wheels?
I want to increase my back spacing on the Superlites and they look pretty thick.
Brad you have the wheels and your up on machining, what would you think about 1/2 inch taken off the 8"?

[HP2]

I don't know that I'd want to start cutting material off the wheels. Certain wheels, like Superlites, SST, Pro Stars, and other have very thick hubs on them to create enough mass to prevent deflection while still keeping weight down. On my Pro Stars, the hub was actually thin wall aluminum with a steel insert to reduce rotating weight at the hoop and still maintain rigidity in the hub. Mill something like that and you ruin a wheel, but Superlites could be different.

[brads70]

Do any of you guys have any issues with machining the mounting pad on wheels?
I want to increase my back spacing on the Superlites and they look pretty thick.
Brad you have the wheels and your up on machining, what would you think about 1/2 inch taken off the 8"?

I don't think you could take that much 3/16" max I would say from memory. The superlites have a steel insert that the taper on the lug nut hits so if you take 1/2" off you for sure will be into the insert.I measure less than 1/8" till you get into the inserts. They are a knurled pressed in insert. I have my front wheels off now but the camera is out of battery's

[Carlwalski]

As mentioned by the topic starter, I run 245/60R15's on a 15x7" Rallye rim with a 4.25" BS. I have seen a 70 Challenger at a show in person (know of the owner, think he's a member here) and it had a 265/50 or 265/60 on the front. I have seen it in person with my own eyes. The car looked bone stock. Not sure how or why you'd want them THAT large up front but yeah, they were definitely 265s!! Below Lucy is a photo of said car WITH the 265s on. At the time I didn't think of taking a close up photo of the tire specs but trust me.....they were 265s.