BJ8 tire size

anybody with experience using 205/70-15s on a BJ8?

I have them on my BT-7 and they are fine

hmj6854 said:

anybody with experience using 205/70-15s on a BJ8?

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You might want to give Allen Hendrix a call and check the tire size that will fit on BJ8's with no problems. I installed a new set of wheels/tires from Hendrix and went to a larger size tire at his recommendation but, there's a rear fender/wheel well opening that has to be a minimum size for them to work. Not all BJ8's have the same opening size due to having the rear doglegs repaired or replaced.

Personal opinion but I believe 205s are too wide for a Healey. The cars weren't designed for that. 185 is sufficient.

While 195 and 205 70 series give you a better matching diameter (vs. stock 165 bias plys), they are so wide that they protrude from the rim and I think they look too round - muffin-top jeans.

I didn't like the looks of the HR profile tires on my car and they were very close to hitting the bodywork so with Hendrix Wire Wheel help i eventually settled on the 185 70 15 Vredesteins which were the Goldilocks choice for diameter, width, steering effort, and grip. I really wanted the highbucks Michelins but I am quite happy with the Vredesteins.

Not directly relevant to the original question, but I recently put Nexen 165/80 r15 on my BJ8 and am very happy with them. They were replacing 175/80 r15 tires, which are no longer made (as far as I know). The Nexen tires are very affordable and have a nice narrow profile. Maybe it is the rubber compound or maybe it is the slight difference in width, but I feel like steering the car at low speed is genuinely easier on the new tires. I measured the diameter of the old tires to the shoulder between the sidewall and tread, and it was 26" (which matches those online calculators). On the new Nexen's, it is 25.5 (which also very closely matches those online calculators). So the axle is nominally 0.25" closer to the ground then before, but I think it is a little more than that because of increased tire deformation of the narrower tire. And the speedometer is going to be off a little bit more now, unfortunately.

Regarding pricing, I ordered 5 tires for $70 each delivered via ebay. I was able to get them mounted and balanced for $65 total in southern CA. So for about $400, I have 5 tires I completely trust, versus the 12 year old prior tires which always had me a bit nervous on the freeway.

For anyone who hasn't tried it, driving on narrow tires can be very fun, which is the main reason we own these cars.

Selecting the "right" tire for our Healeys involves more than just what fits in the wheel well.

Some people think that low aspect tires make Healeys look cool and agressive, esp. the later BJ models--some even going so far as to select red-stripe or (perish the thought) white walls.

Others such as myself go in for tall aspect tires and I just love the way the Michelin XAS 180-15's look on my 100. They fill the wheel well perfectly and increase ground clearance just a little bit, not to mention that they give outstanding performance!

Some years back I bought a BN7 for my now-ex wife. It was owned by a guy who was into Corvettes and it came with 195 tires which looked and felt god-awful to me. A quick trip to Allen Hendrix' shop later and I replaced those tires with some 175 Michelin ZX's (now unfortunately unavailable) and it was like a different car both in feel and appearance.

So go ahead and get what you want so long as the wheels fit under the fenders. Don't worry what anyone thinks--it is your car.

shortsguy1 said:

Not directly relevant to the original question, but I recently put Nexen 165/80 r15 on my BJ8 and am very happy with them. ..

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We put them on our BN2 and, so far, I'm happy with them. FWIW, Walmart has them ('currently out of stock,' though, which may indicate they've been discontinued):

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Nexen-SB802-Tire-165-80R15/19473481

I will be needing tires soon and this sounds like a good tire for my needs; did you happen to notice if the tire date code was of recent vintage or were they older tires?

Thanks,

John

Glenn--

I don't have your email address and am sending you a PM about an entirely different topic. Please get back to me after reading at: michael.oritt(at)gmail.com or call: 305-793-9467.

My Nexens were made 6 months ago. Very recent in my opinion.

Six months is certainly reasonable and probably better than most tires that are the sized to fit our healeys. Thanks for your prompt reply concerning the date code !!

John

bluegrass john said:

I will be needing tires soon and this sounds like a good tire for my needs; did you happen to notice if the tire date code was of recent vintage or were they older tires?

Thanks,

John

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IIRC, I checked the date code when I got them and they were fresh. Buying from a volume dealer like Walmart, TireRack or similar is usually your best bet for fresh tires because of their sellthrough.

On another note, you hear so many bad things about Walmart I have to share my story. I ordered the tires for store pickup, and even though I arrived before 'official' hours the guy in the tire department went out of his way to get them for me. When I went to the online/pickup counter to pay their sign said they didn't open until 10am--it was before 8am--but an assistant manager opened the register and took payment so I didn't have to leave work and come back in two hours (the tires were already loaded in my car, too). Everyone there was cheerful and helpful.

Shorts guy, did the Nexen tire fit OK into the spare tire blocks in the trunk? My old Michelin 165x15 is to "fat" to fit well in the holding blocks.

The Nexen spare tire is mounted on an original painted wire rim (4.5" width???), and it unfortunately does not fit under the blocks in the trunk of my BJ8. The previous owner has a black vinyl spare wheel cover which I assumed was original, but have later learned is not. That spare tire cover did not fit over his spare (175/80R15), but it does fit over the new Nexen (165/80R15). So I can now cover my spare nicely with the existing cover and the strap works fine to hold it down, but it does not fit under those blocks.