Dave,
I have had Mich 185 Redlines on my BJ8 for 20+ years. (Yes, I know they need
to be replaced and I have been looking. I follow tire threads very closely and
with much interest.)
I really like the looks of my 185s on the car. They fill up the wheel wells
nicely in my view. They are on Jag E type wheels, 15 x 5.5 and extend outside
the fenders essentially none. Cornering is/used to be very strong but you
could get them to break loose too - a good thing. If only I could find them
for less than $800/set . . .
Keith Pennell
cheap Presbyterian
> None of the few Healeys I saw with 185s had this problem of protruding
> tread, so I made a mental note that 185s look really good and are probably
> the maximum size tires I could fit.
>
> I expect the bad things about upsizing from 165s to 185s would be:
> 1) They are probably not going to look or fit right on my 4.5" wide rims.
> 2) The steering is going to be a lot heavier in parking, so I'll need a
> cup-holder for my Starbucks.
> 3) It wouldn't be as easy to spin the tires on takeoff or break the rear end
> loose on a corner.
>
> Some more cautions against large tires:
> I have a TR6 on which the tires and wheels (215/60-15" on 15" x 7" rims) are
> to wide. They look really "right" on the car with all the tread just inside
> the fenders, and they don't rub and the car has tremendous cornering
> ability. But the steering is incredibly heavy when parking and the tires
> tend to follow road irregularities. I also think the ball joints and
> steering box are under a lot more stress on this car. I also note that the
> TR6 with its original 15 x 5.5" wheels with 185 x 15 tires lacked the
> current light handling -easy to park feel of my Healey. Which makes me
> wonder that although 185s might look great on the Healey whether the light
> easy feel of the car would be lost.
>
> -Dave Murphy, SE Michigan AHC
> 66 BJ8
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