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What skinny front tires?

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by dirttoo, Sep 10, 2009.

  1. dirttoo
    Joined: Feb 17, 2009
    Posts: 136

    dirttoo
    Member

    I need some front tires for my Falcon. I have new 15" x 4 1/2" Cragar S/S wheels and want some skinnys for them. I see the Pro Trac 600 x 15 but they are not radials. My rear tires are Hurst Cheater Slicks based on a radial core. Do I need a radial on the front? What radial looks good? (older looking) I see the MT Sportsman but a little to costly. I want about 4" tread and no more than 6" section width and around 25" tall. All for a good price. What do you have and where did you get them? I want to buy ASAP. THANKS
     
  2. Everyone is going to advise you to not run bias plys on the front and radials on the rear. I've never had a problem running them that way but everyone is going to tell you that you can't.

    Contact diamondback they will have the tire you are looking for.

    Here is the url:

    http://www.dbtires.com/

    There should be a number there. At least one of the fellas is here on the HAMB but I don't remember his name. Of course you will have to resign yourself to running a new tire as opposed to running a recap.:eek:
     
    dana barlow likes this.
  3. 2NDCHANCE
    Joined: Sep 11, 2007
    Posts: 997

    2NDCHANCE
    Member

    165R 15 25" Tall Volkswagon tire. Some brands have an older looking tread pattern. Not too expensive - approx $45 each. Worked for me. Good luck. Gary
     
  4. Von Rigg Fink
    Joined: Jun 11, 2007
    Posts: 13,404

    Von Rigg Fink
    Member
    from Garage

    cooper 185 80R 15..24.5" tall, nice tire..on my A
    <---
     

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    Last edited: Sep 10, 2009
    2OLD2FAST likes this.

  5. Roothawg
    Joined: Mar 14, 2001
    Posts: 24,593

    Roothawg
    Member

    The Vw tires are getting harder and harder to find. I think a lot of the mfg are shelving the molds for 15's.
     
  6. newfalconowner
    Joined: Jul 26, 2009
    Posts: 813

    newfalconowner
    Member
    from NS Canada

    i have michelins 165sr15s on my 15x4-1/2 TTs

    [​IMG]
     
  7. 2NDCHANCE
    Joined: Sep 11, 2007
    Posts: 997

    2NDCHANCE
    Member

    If you don't have any luck locally, buy a Volkswagon magizine and mail order them. Still not too expensive. I have seen them for sale in many of the adds. The 165r 15's are cheap. Start getting shorter like 145r 15 and the prices go up. Gary
     
  8. NANKANG, I have used these for several years now, very cool looking tread, and they hold up well to agressive use even with the wieght of a old Hemi on top of em. I have used them on the front of a very sharp wheel standing Pro-Street Mustang also. 165/80R-15. You should be very happy with price and performance. There not Michelin but not priced like one either, and the tread of the Nankang looks a thousand times better and more "traditional" than the Michelin IMHO. Good Luck.
     
    Last edited: Sep 10, 2009
    Driver50x likes this.
  9. dirttoo
    Joined: Feb 17, 2009
    Posts: 136

    dirttoo
    Member

    I ordered these online for $36 each, under $100 including shipping.
    I looked at Diamondback's site and they cost quite a bit more than my current budget allows.
     
  10. 1939STREETROD
    Joined: Mar 5, 2006
    Posts: 256

    1939STREETROD
    Member

    i used tires from gearworksmfg and they worked perfectly on my model A truck and model A coupe - heavy blown chev and heavy 392 hemi - super tires, relatively inexpensive - fit the 4-4 1/2 inch wheel perfectly!..check out the pics...jb
     

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  11. Glad that worked out for you, cool tread design too right? 4 grooves go AROUND the tire, instead of across it. I think the worst "skinnies" I ever ran were Cooper. Very scary tire.
     
    Elcohaulic likes this.
  12. Gene@Gearworksmfg
    Joined: Oct 21, 2008
    Posts: 152

    Gene@Gearworksmfg
    Member

    Thanks for the plug!

    There used to be an older Nankang style tire that had the vintage look to it. They stopped production back in 2004 I believe. Now all that's out there are a newer modern tread pattern. I've had a customer get it up to 132mph.

    The only available tires I have are in either the Nankang or Nexen. $110 a pair and shipping will be around $15-25 for the pair

    That's the crazy thing about tires. I have the 135s and 145s and they are more expensive than the 165s. I guess it just comes down to the amount of tires to be produced and what they will fit. I set some customers up with 145s for front runners on vegas and VWs, and the 135s for the Citroen crowd and the Veedubs
     
    Last edited: Sep 11, 2009
  13. HotRodFreak
    Joined: Mar 25, 2005
    Posts: 1,935

    HotRodFreak
    Member

    If you want small, I have 135x15 radial fronts on 4" wheels.
     
  14. dirttoo
    Joined: Feb 17, 2009
    Posts: 136

    dirttoo
    Member

    Thanks guys, My rear tires are 31" tall so I wanted at least 25" tall front. I like the looks of the Nankang tread compared to most I found.
     
  15. Gene@Gearworksmfg
    Joined: Oct 21, 2008
    Posts: 152

    Gene@Gearworksmfg
    Member

    If you find the older nankangs, just make sure you check the date code on the tire. I think it went out of production in late of 2004. Even if you find a brand new one, it will still be a 5 year old tire.

    here's what replaced them (eventhough it says 135 the 165s are the same)
    [​IMG]
     
  16. Mr T body
    Joined: Nov 2, 2005
    Posts: 2,227

    Mr T body
    Alliance Vendor
    from BHC AZ

    I run the 155/80r15 BFG t/a's on two of the cars.
     
    Last edited: Sep 11, 2009
  17. cgaswillys
    Joined: Oct 5, 2008
    Posts: 1,076

    cgaswillys
    Member
    from New Jersey

    Perfect size here. 165 SR 15 VW tires. I have Michelin XZX 165 SR 15's on both my street rod and race car. Michelin no longer makes them but I think it's Coker that repops them. About $115.00 a piece last time I had to buy some about 4 years ago.
     
  18. Fifty5C-Gas
    Joined: Sep 1, 2003
    Posts: 1,435

    Fifty5C-Gas
    Member

  19. Ranunculous
    Joined: Nov 30, 2007
    Posts: 2,465

    Ranunculous
    Member

    Associate Brands (Kelly Springfield stepchild adopted by Goodyear) 165SR15 on the front and Hurst Cheaters on the back.Both radials.
    Works for me.
    I used spacesaver wheels for fronts for now.
    The Hursts are going great,the front tires are okay.
     
  20. Hubbcat
    Joined: Oct 15, 2002
    Posts: 561

    Hubbcat
    Member
    from Sweden

    goddamn i want to bee in the states,looking for dicent tyres here,is a pain in u know where
     
  21. 135 R 15s gear works

    http://www.gearworksmfg.com/





    New Nanking 135R15 and 165R15 tire combo $300 plus shipping to the lower 48 states. Great for vintage air cooled VWs

    * please note, when purchasing these tires, just enter in quanity 1, for four tires



     
  22. Fifty5C-Gas
    Joined: Sep 1, 2003
    Posts: 1,435

    Fifty5C-Gas
    Member

  23. dirttoo
    Joined: Feb 17, 2009
    Posts: 136

    dirttoo
    Member

    I emailed Hurst I think last Sunday asking about front tires. I got no reply. I even bought my Cheater Slicks from them. I bought them somewhere else now.
     
  24. Zookeeper
    Joined: Aug 30, 2006
    Posts: 1,042

    Zookeeper
    Member

    My brother's sedan has 145-15's Michelin's on 15x6's and they look great.
    [​IMG]
     
  25. solid
    Joined: May 20, 2007
    Posts: 1,459

    solid
    Member

    Those hurst fronts are badass...
     
  26. daddio211
    Joined: Aug 26, 2008
    Posts: 6,012

    daddio211
    Member

    Whatever happened to the Kleber tires? I love the Nankang tread design, but the Klebers were even better!
     
  27. hemi
    Joined: Jul 11, 2001
    Posts: 1,959

    hemi
    Member

    Somebody needs to re-pop the Michelin XZX 165's... Coker had the last set for big money in Scottsdale last year. There is a market for a vintage Dunlop/sports car special-looking, skinny, retro tire for a 4.5" rim. I am hunting an old-looking 145 for my VW project and am not buying any Nankang crap.
     
  28. I ran the volkwagon tires on my B/Gas 51 Olds back in 1960
     

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  29. I got a set of Firestone 560s 145 15's from Coker -the 135s were tooooo small.
     
  30. fergenboysinc
    Joined: Nov 26, 2006
    Posts: 1,025

    fergenboysinc
    Member

    135 nan-whatever, they also make a 145 and a 165.
     

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