ordered a set of 3.5x15 rims. looked at set of 165x70x15 bug tires today. there about 1" shorter than my 205 i now have. how will the shorter tire affect my performance? will it hurt my weight transfer? will the shorter tire create better aerodynamics at top speeds? what all am i looking at here. SECOND CHOICE-- real front runners. there would be almost 30lbs weight savings over my setup as it is now, and can be had in a 26". the down side is 2 ply constuction. the car has only been driven about 50 street miles this year. what would be the best brand "true" front runner? Thanks Dave

dave, you were right, the sportsman 8 ply front tires are 19lbs! wow!

A little off the cuff, but..

even though it is a short burst of extreme speed, I doubt those tires were designed for more than 112mph if even that. These things need to be taken into consideration. Some tires just can't handle even brief expose to well beyond their speed (heat) level.
This is why salt flat racers pump their tires up big time.. more mph=safer top speed. A good example, if its true, was the firestones on f-explorers that were set at like 26psi. 26psi @ 70+ mph was too much for the tire to take. Some tires dissipate heat better than others.
or so I've heard. I've never even seen a salt flat.

IMHO-- never skimp on safety. I know I don't have a roll bar in a car well into the roll bar range, but everything else on the car is about as up to date as possible.

Matt

I'm running them. They are max pressure rated at 44 psi cold. I run them at 50 psi.

Pat, you ARE running the bug tires then? the ones i looked at had a T rating. 118 mph i think. these were the Futura brand that pep boys sell. there like 30$ each. Dave

FWIW, lots of people in the 5.0/4.6 and Late Model F-body community seem to use the 165R15 VW tires with no issues.

I'm running the Michelen (sp?) Bug tires up front. I know of a couple of others that run them too. So far no prolems.

http://www.socalbigdawgs.com/albums/Chevelle/aab.jpg

The only thing I don't like about them is their overall hieght. I'd like to get something a little taller. I think they cost about $35 each at America Tire.

Here are 2 links for Pro Trac tires. I've never used them but something to look at. I have Dunlop 165r 75-15's and I don't like the way they flatten out on the bottom. they are rated at 1160 lbs at 35 psi, the tread print must be about 6-7+ inches. I'm probably going to go with 8 ply Mickey's.
http://www.coker.com/store/customer/product.php?productid=17545&cat=264&page=1
http://www.coker.com/store/customer/product.php?productid=17124&cat=264&page=1

118 mph rating is pretty good. Mine are Cornell 165R/15 but I don't know the speed rating. I'd think the ones with a higher pressure rating would have less rolling resistance. Since the pressure rating is for cold tires, running them on the strip at higher pressures shouldn't be a problem. They probably get 5-10 psi over the rating on the road when hot, anyway.

Too bad BO Dave is gone (he was the owner/founder?? of BO Tires). He'd know the skinny. I ask him several year ago about other skinny tires that might work. I seems the VW's are the only choice for a production tire. I wish they were taller, though. More rollout would help my lights.