1 Topic by phyveaux (edited by phyveaux 2022-08-02 03:36 PM)

  • From: Sunbury Ohio
  • Registered: 2009-09-06
  • Posts: 92

Topic: Big Heavy Car Tire Help

Ok all. I’ll make this as short as possible. We have the Tophat themed Lincoln Mark VIII from Gingerman. We won one IOE and have a third place class C finish as well.  We are back from the COVID years and are returning this October.  We ran three years on 500 treadwead no name Amazon tires that lasted us three races. This is probably our last race with the car and we want to try the race with “proper” race tires. Stock tire size is 225/60/16. Our options are 225/50/16 200 treadwear options including Falken, Hancook and Dunlop’s or 225/55/16 300 treadwead options including Riken Raptors.  We’ve seen 235/55/16 options occasionally for 300 treadwear, which gets close to original diameter.

For those of you with Mark VIIIs or similar model year Cougars and Thunderbirds, what’s your recommendation? We are running the original 16x7 “snowflake” rims with no suspension mods or other trickery (other than the airbags were long ago replaced).  We are looking forward to one final run with the cad and then will likely be selling and building something new in the future.

Thanks for your advice and we can’t wait to get back in the saddle!

IOE Fall Gingerman 2018 1994 Lincoln Mark VIII
  • From: Queens, NY
  • Registered: 2014-05-17
  • Posts: 595

Re: Big Heavy Car Tire Help

RS4 usually a good tire to use. but 16" is a bit hard to find. with 7" wide, 225 typically would be max size.

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  • From: Sunbury Ohio
  • Registered: 2009-09-06
  • Posts: 92

Re: Big Heavy Car Tire Help

Yes, the R-4 is available in 225/50/16.

IOE Fall Gingerman 2018 1994 Lincoln Mark VIII
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  • Registered: 2017-09-10
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Re: Big Heavy Car Tire Help

we used the RS4 on the LUV for 2 years with good results on 225/50/16 and 205 widths.  We will be using them again on the Blazer at Autobahn.

1975 Chevy LUV.  1 Corinthians 13:7
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  • Jimmy
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  • From: Collegeville, Pa
  • Registered: 2019-06-19
  • Posts: 133

Re: Big Heavy Car Tire Help

We ran Hankook RS4 in our last race ( 245/40ZR17 ) on the Cordoba and really liked them. I think we can darrn near get two races out of a set .

Good Luck

Cordoba
  • Registered: 2013-11-15
  • Posts: 668

Re: Big Heavy Car Tire Help

Going from 225/60r16 to 225/50r16 is over 1.5" diameter change.  RS4s last the longest.  If you get the Falkens, make sure you get the RT615k+, the RT660 is an autocross tire and you would burn through that fast.

Team whatever_racecar #745 Volvo wagon
  • From: Camarillo, CA
  • Registered: 2021-03-26
  • Posts: 385

Re: Big Heavy Car Tire Help

Run the RS4's. Aside from the many other benefits of this tire for budget endurance racing, out of the other ones you've mentioned, it's the most tolerant to heat, improper inflation, sidewall deformation, and poor alignment... all of which I'm sure you have going on haha.

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  • From: Sunbury Ohio
  • Registered: 2009-09-06
  • Posts: 92

Re: Big Heavy Car Tire Help

rb92673 wrote:

Going from 225/60r16 to 225/50r16 is over 1.5" diameter change.  RS4s last the longest.  If you get the Falkens, make sure you get the RT615k+, the RT660 is an autocross tire and you would burn through that fast.

Yeah, this is our biggest concern is the diameter change, but unfortunately there aren’t too many options at 16X7 other than to go down to a 50 ratio tire as far as we can tell?

IOE Fall Gingerman 2018 1994 Lincoln Mark VIII
  • Registered: 2013-11-15
  • Posts: 668

Re: Big Heavy Car Tire Help

phyveaux wrote:
rb92673 wrote:

Going from 225/60r16 to 225/50r16 is over 1.5" diameter change.  RS4s last the longest.  If you get the Falkens, make sure you get the RT615k+, the RT660 is an autocross tire and you would burn through that fast.

Yeah, this is our biggest concern is the diameter change, but unfortunately there aren’t too many options at 16X7 other than to go down to a 50 ratio tire as far as we can tell?

Do you run out of gearing now?  Can you deal with the car being lower to the ground?

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  • From: Brookeville, Md.
  • Registered: 2013-12-09
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Re: Big Heavy Car Tire Help

We run 275/40R-17 FALKEN AZENIS RT615K on our 88 Trans Am. They are 200 TW and work very well, While our car is gutted as can be I'm sure it is close to 2800+ with driver and full tank of gas...no issues at all and they STICK.

"get up and get your grandma outta here"
  • From: San Leandro
  • Registered: 2019-12-17
  • Posts: 222

Re: Big Heavy Car Tire Help

We run a heavy car too, with speeds around yours.  We can get 2 races + 2 test days from a set (north of 30 hours).  Recommend you finding a wider wheel.  225 is big on a 7" wheel (even though its dead center on allowable ranges, for racing you want a wider wheel). 16" seems pretty small for a 280HP car.  Bummer is your lug pattern is pretty unique, especially in the US, making a junkyard swap more difficult, but they are out there.  Example 2002-2005 thunderbird will give you what you need:  https://tire-size.net/size/ford/thunderbird/  Just make sure to check the offset works.  Here's the lookup tool where you can play with sizes, unfortunately you need to click through the different offsets.  A 17x8-9" wheel will open up your options of tires drastically. 

Click on car by wheel size:  https://tire-size.net/#wheel

  • Registered: 2011-10-14
  • Posts: 4,167

Re: Big Heavy Car Tire Help

kakarot1232001 wrote:

RS4 usually a good tire to use. but 16" is a bit hard to find. with 7" wide, 225 typically would be max size.

Werun it on the '47 Plymouth and BMV VMW.  Not ashard as you think.

  • From: Sunbury Ohio
  • Registered: 2009-09-06
  • Posts: 92

Re: Big Heavy Car Tire Help

Bricoop wrote:

We run a heavy car too, with speeds around yours.  We can get 2 races + 2 test days from a set (north of 30 hours).  Recommend you finding a wider wheel.  225 is big on a 7" wheel (even though its dead center on allowable ranges, for racing you want a wider wheel). 16" seems pretty small for a 280HP car.  Bummer is your lug pattern is pretty unique, especially in the US, making a junkyard swap more difficult, but they are out there.  Example 2002-2005 thunderbird will give you what you need:  https://tire-size.net/size/ford/thunderbird/  Just make sure to check the offset works.  Here's the lookup tool where you can play with sizes, unfortunately you need to click through the different offsets.  A 17x8-9" wheel will open up your options of tires drastically. 

Click on car by wheel size:  https://tire-size.net/#wheel

Thanks! Yeah it’s a small wheel by todays standard, but it’s what it came with, and with such a unique bolt pattern and offset we never chose to bother with finding different wheels, so it’s what we are sort of stuck with at this point. I guess our biggest issue will be higher RPM on the straights with a 225/50 instead of stock 225/60. We aren’t likely going to be a class winner ever, we just needed a new set of tires after three years of racing our all season Amazon specials, and figured we’d give a “proper” race a try. Thanks for the input and links!

IOE Fall Gingerman 2018 1994 Lincoln Mark VIII
  • Registered: 2013-11-15
  • Posts: 668

Re: Big Heavy Car Tire Help

Volvo and Jaguar also run 5x108.  I haven't seen any 17x8 or 9s that are readily available though.

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