TheSamba.com :: View topic - Closest Match to 5.60-15 Tires?

Tue Nov 20, 2012 12:22 pm

I have Coker Classic whitewall tires on my 61' beetle, but decided I want to go with stock looking blackwall tires. However, I love the size and profile of my Coker tires, so I want to get tires that look the same. My Coker Classics are labeled 5.60-15. I was wondering what size this would most correspond to in terms of American (?) sizes (e.g. 155 85 15, etc.). Thanks for any help.

Tue Nov 20, 2012 12:37 pm

the common size now is 165 80 15
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/search.php?search...=titleonly

Tue Nov 20, 2012 12:42 pm

but the closest match is 155/80/15

Tue Nov 20, 2012 12:49 pm

I got a set of 165/15 from Discount Tire for about $500. The cheapest I could find are a bit oversize, 185/15 at Walmart for about $360, but I would be reluctant to go with oversize tires due to rubbing and steering problems. It is not like the old days when one could get a set for maybe $120.

Tue Nov 20, 2012 12:52 pm

The 5.60 15 is a size between 155/80/15, and the popular 165/80/15, (165/15).
Its splitting hairs really..... The 165/80/15 is the most available, and the most reasonably priced... Thats why most buyers opt for that size.
They work quite well too!.

Tue Nov 20, 2012 12:58 pm

Thanks a lot for the search link. I did a couple of searches but didn't find these. Just a quick confirmation question: I've heard from a tire shop guy that the original beetle tires were closer to 155 series. Have you heard this, since most people on the forums are saying the stock size was 165 series. Thanks.

EDIT: Oops I wrote this before seeing the above comments that answer this question already. Thanks!

Tue Nov 20, 2012 1:00 pm

The tire size designation changes thru out the years.
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/45_conversionchart.html

Tue Nov 20, 2012 6:10 pm

There is no tire quite like a 5.60-15. The tread width is about the same as a P135R15 but the tire is slightly taller than a P165R15. Usually the 165 is chosen because it messes up the speedo the least.

Wed Nov 21, 2012 3:07 am

Volkswagen delivered radial 155-15 as an option in the 70'ies, instead of 5.60-15.

It might be 155/82-15, not 155/80-15 earlier?

Wed Nov 21, 2012 6:52 am

EVfun wrote: There is no tire quite like a 5.60-15. The tread width is about the same as a P135R15 but the tire is slightly taller than a P165R15. Usually the 165 is chosen because it messes up the speedo the least.

Not to confuse....
A 165/15 (actually a 165/82/15 modern size 165/80/15) is closer to a 6.00 15 size tire.

Wed Nov 21, 2012 9:31 am

To clear up the size confusion
Left to right
165 80 15 Kumho
165 15 Kelly
165 15 Sears Guardsman
165 15 Cooper Sport
560 15 Pnuemant German
Pretty sure if I had a 155; 155 80 15 to include it would be shorter
I have a 560 15 snow but I couldn't get my hood open :oops:

Wed Nov 21, 2012 12:00 pm

^^Those all dont appear to have equal wear either...
Its only about 1/2 inch difference in height and width from the 165/80/15 to 155/80/15.

Wed Nov 21, 2012 3:38 pm

VOLKSWAGNUT wrote: Not to confuse....
A 165/15 (actually a 165/82/15 modern size 165/80/15) is closer to a 6.00 15 size tire.

In theory you are right. Old inch tire sizes ending in 0 are have a 90% aspect ratio and those ending in a 5 have an 82% aspect ratio. So in theory a 5.60-15 is a 142/90-15 tire, best matched with a 155R15. In practice, the inch sized tires tend to be taller than calculated size. Pop over to Coker tire and take a look. The 5.60-15 tires available are even taller than the 165R15, but have a narrower tread face than even a 155.

Wed Nov 21, 2012 5:46 pm

Coker list the 155/15 (155/82/15) as the equivalent to 5.60 15....
As well as many other noted conversions.
Actual measured sizes vary from one manufacturer, to another.

https://www.cokertire.com/15-inch-tire-sizes.html?adjclear=true

Like I stated earlier... Its splitting hairs...
and your statement is true

EVfun wrote: There is no tire quite like a 5.60-15. .

No modern P metric radial at least.
The radial equivalent, is a better tire IMO.

Wed Nov 21, 2012 9:32 pm

But look at the listed tire height for 5.60-15.
http://www.cokertire.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=560-15
They are all listed between 25.79 and 25.88 inches tall.

I agree that most sources list the P155R15 as the P-metric replacement; however, the listed height for the 155 tires available from Coker is 24.8 to 25.1 inches tall. Even 165 tires are only 25.2 to 25.4 inches tall. The only way to get that tall skinny look (most of the 5.60-15 tires are not more than 4 inches wide at the tread) is to run that old tire size. I can't really recommend running bias tires on a daily driver...

VOLKSWAGNUT wrote: Coker list the 155/15 (155/82/15) as the equivalent to 5.60 15....
As well as many other noted conversions.
Actual measured sizes vary from one manufacturer, to another.

https://www.cokertire.com/15-inch-tire-sizes.html?adjclear=true

Like I stated earlier... Its splitting hairs...
and your statement is true

EVfun wrote: There is no tire quite like a 5.60-15. .

No modern P metric radial at least.
The radial equivalent, is a better tire IMO.

Fri Nov 23, 2012 9:51 pm

I ran 165/15 Semperits on my first bug back in '75. 5.60s were pretty passe even then.

Wed Jan 02, 2013 2:41 pm

A poster above mentioned, in passing, that the 165 size is best for speedometer accuracy. I'm shopping for new tires for my stock '65. It will be a driver, so I want radials. My question is: how badly do the 155's mess w/ the speedo? If it's just 3 or 4 mph, I can live w/ it. Otherwise I'll go with 165's. Just curious how much of a difference we're looking at.

I know there's probably a mathematical way to determine this, but math was never one of my strong points. Plus, I'm sure there are variables among manufacturers, and even tread wear to consider. What I'm wondering is if there is a substantial, subjective difference, or if it will be barely noticeable.

Wed Jan 02, 2013 6:36 pm

It's not much. The 165 will mess up the speedo so that 60 is actually 59. The 155 will cause 60 to be 58. In practice, most old Beetle speedometers seem to over-read (at least that has been my experience.) I would guess that in practice 60 is about 57 with the 5.60, about 56 with the 165, and about 55 with the 155.

Thu Jan 03, 2013 8:02 am

BruceJ wrote: A poster above mentioned, in passing, that the 165 size is best for speedometer accuracy. I'm shopping for new tires for my stock '65. It will be a driver, so I want radials. My question is: how badly do the 155's mess w/ the speedo? If it's just 3 or 4 mph, I can live w/ it. Otherwise I'll go with 165's. Just curious how much of a difference we're looking at.

I know there's probably a mathematical way to determine this, but math was never one of my strong points. Plus, I'm sure there are variables among manufacturers, and even tread wear to consider. What I'm wondering is if there is a substantial, subjective difference, or if it will be barely noticeable.

This is a great little visual calculator to show you the differences in sizes, but it also give the mileage differences as well.

You can set what you want as stock or starting tire, but I figured 165 80 was pretty close to og.

http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html

So if you take 165/80/15 as stock, then running a 155/80/15 will give you a speedo reading that is 2.5% too fast, or when the speedo is reading 100 km you are actually going 97.5 km

Thu Jan 03, 2013 5:28 pm

I had snow tires that I saved from a bug I was selling. I had them put on my '67 bug. The tire shop owner mentioned they aren't selling bug tires anymore. I did some research and found this:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Nexen-11766NXC/19473481

Come spring I'll order a set.

crvc