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New Tire recommendations for Mk4 roadster

3K views 18 replies 11 participants last post by  emac 
#1 ·
I currently have BFG Radial TA, rear are 295/50 9" Wide rims rediculously wide but they look cool. Date code says they are getting old 10+ years.

front are 235/60 on 8" wide rims

Anyone using Hankook or Continental or other recommendations?
Thinking of going with a narrower profile. my tire guy says the date code (2611) means they were made in feb 2011
 
#2 ·
I currently have BFG Radial TA, rear are 295/50 9" Wide rims rediculously wide but they look cool. Date code says they are getting old 10+ years.

front are 235/60 on 8" wide Hildebrand 15" rims
Rear are 295/50 on 9" wide Hildebrand 15" rims

Anyone using Hankook or Continental or other recommendations?
Thinking of going with a narrower profile. my tire guy says the date code (2611) means they were made in feb 2011
 
#3 ·
I've built two roadsters for customers with 15s using the same sizes as you're running. Both cars got Cooper Cobras and both owners have been very happy with the tire choice. I recommend that you give them a serious look. Hankook does offer the same sizes in their Kinergy ST model however I don't have any experience with them. Looking at their specs though it shows that they are a 680 treadwear which indicates that they'll wear like iron but will be hard as hockeypucks with consequently low traction (higher numbers indicate long wear but lower traction). For comparison the Coopers are 440 and BFGs are 400. I didn't find any Continental tires in the sizes you're running.

As an FYI the first two digits in the tire date code indicate the week they were produced and the last are the year so your "2611" tells you that they were produced the 26th week of 2011---meaning that they are over 11 years old and way overdue for replacement!

Jeff
 
#4 ·
Have to totally agree with @JKleiner as far as tire age. If they are 10 years old or more, it's time to let those babies go. I used to think that if the tread depth was OK, and there was no rubber rot or dry cracks that the tires were fine. NOT.

Recently replaced 10 year old rubber on the MKIV, and the other 2 toys and let me tell you...what a difference in ride and handling. I bit the bullet and opened the wallet...no regrets...the transformation was incredible.

The degradation in hardness over time has a major effect on traction and ride comfort. You don't really appreciate how bad it is until you install new tires. Similar to shock absorbers in our daily drivers, they degrade slowly as to be unnoticed, until you change them.
 
#6 ·
I've run two sets of Cooper Cobras on two separate cars and they've been great. No issues or complaints. They provide the lettered sidewall or black sidewall which actually has cobra snake head molded into the sidewall. The Cooper Cobra tread is identical to the Mickey Thompsons Sportsman S/T which I've been told are both manufactured in the same plant.
 
#8 ·
I run 235-60R15's Yokohama Avids front and rear. Fantastic tire, but sadly no longer in production The wider rears do look cool, but I'm still pleased with the look of the matching sizes. I'm not drag racing it, and my launches are pretty conservative to keep it on a straight line..:)

The speed rating is OK with the Cooper Cobra's, if your not doing sustained high speed driving..
They are T rated for a safe maximum of 118 mph. Sold as an all-season, rather than a high performance tire. I have never heard anyone complain about them, and unlike so many other brands are available in a 15".

The Mickey Thompson is available in a Z speed rating, and could be better if you plan on doing some track days with the car.
Mickey Thompson ET Street S/S Racing Radial Tire - P235/60R15 : Amazon.ca: Automotive
 
#9 ·
I put a set of Cooper Cobras in the same tire sizes as yours on my Mark I a couple of months ago. No Racing -- just street driving. I like the ride better than the BFG tires that they replaced and think they may be quieter (but who can tell?).
Price was right in the box and they are in stock.
 
#12 ·
I've got 17" Nitto 555 on my MKIV and while I only have 800+ miles on them, I really like the ride and they are quite sticky IMO. Very happy with their performance.
 
#13 ·
update...
I went with the Cooper Cobras in the same size I had with the BFG, now to figure what tire pressure to use this size...

rear 295/50
front are 235/60

car weighs in at 2308

so would 20 to 25 psi be in the ballpark
 
#15 ·
Thanks for the post, hope they work out well for you! I have 10 year old Billboards that need replacing. It seems people really like the cooper cobras. Love the billboard look, but I want to give a radial DOT tire a chance.
 
#17 ·
I am really considering that. I read about a couple of techniques (raised lettering and stencils), what did you use? I was thinking of stencil. Any quick advice on technique. Yours look perfect.....not that I would expect anything less from you!

Those tires look really good. They have the balloon look that I think is very period correct.
 
#18 · (Edited)
They are the glue on rubber letters. I smoothed the lettering on the blackwall side of the Coopers using a combination of 60 grit flap disc in an angle grinder, 2” 80 grit sanding drum in a pneumatic die grinder and 80 grit on a DA prior to applying the letters. I did it with the tires mounted and inflated. Took about 45 minutes to an hour each.

Tire Wheel Vehicle Car Ac cobra


Jeff
 
#19 ·
Look nice. Thanks for the details on the tire prep. Might be a little too perfect for me. I am more throw a stencil on, get some overspray with a few missed spots. This how my BB looked after 6 months in the shop.

Tire Wheel Vehicle Car Hood
 
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