[Healeys] Vredestein Sprint Classic - Feb Calender Pic

[Robert Blair]

Listers,

Following all the tire size quesions and answers, if interested you can see my
BJ8 with 185x15 [not 185/70x15] Vred on 5 inch rims as the Yellow February car
in the 2011 AHCUSA Calender.  I have lowered the rear by 2 inches to get rid
of the dreaded BJ8 gap between the tire and the fender top.  It is now
concentric as earlier cars.

Robert N. Blair  Yellow 65BJ8  RNBmail at yahoo.com
 



--- On Wed, 2/16/11, Dave Murphy <roadwarriordave at hotmail.com> wrote:

> From: Dave Murphy <roadwarriordave at hotmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [Healeys] Vredestein Sprint Classic
> To: pajtamuvek at gmail.com, "healeys @autox.team.net"
<healeys at autox.team.net>
> Date: Wednesday, February 16, 2011, 3:28 PM
> I have put 185R-15 Vredestein Sprint
> Classic tyres on my '66 BJ8 with 4-1/2"
> wide 60 spoke chrome wires. I like them very much. I've
> experienced no
> vibration or tracking problems. Ride and road holing are
> improved over the old
> 165R-15s.
>
> I definitely would have needed wider rims if I had bought
> of the 185/70 -15
> Vreds, due to their shorter less compliant sidewalls, and
> their wider tread
> would threaten to throw more stones at the sides of my
> car.
>
> My 185R-15 Vreds with their taller more flexible sidewalls
> mount very well on
> the narrower 4-1/2" rims. Mounting these  80 series
> tires (installer said they
> are really 82 series) aspect ratio on the 4-1/2" rims
> results in a slightly
> narrower installation than if they were mounted on a 5" rim
> and this perhaps
> helps keeps my front tires from rubbing in the front
> wheelwell of my car (as
> some listers have reported).
>
> After 1000 miles of use, the only evidence of any rubbing
> of any of the 4
> tires is at the bottom rear corner of the rocker panel in
> front of the rear
> wheel. The larger diameter of the tire has apparently
> scuffed off a tiny area
> of paint when the wheel has extended fully downward when
> dropping into a pot
> hole. The contact was obviously a glancing one when the car
> is driven forward
> over bumps. I'm careful not to backup over bumps quickly
> when the contact
> might be more threatening.
>
> I think the narrow and tall look of these 185R-15 tires
> really suits my car
> (-fills up the wheel wells better). I like the slight
> increase in tread width
> over the old 165s and the increased ride height. Their 4.9%
> larger diameter
> over the 165s has slightly increased my fuel mileage and I
> find I'm needing to
> use first gear more than before.
> -David Murphy, Michigan