Tires

Ok, I need someone to fill in me in on the scoop. I keep hearing that Bias-plys ride really rough. I want to switch tires and wheels on my car but I can't see spending $1000 on tires and having my ride get any rougher. The road conditions in my area are horrible and I want to keep the few teeth a have left!
So what's your opinion? Did you notice a big difference in ride between Bias and radial?
I'm not looking for the whitewall thing you see everywhere, I heading towards a firestone dirt track type look.

Thanks for the feed back!

 

Depends in part on the size of the tire and what the belts were made from.

I used to run 900s on the rear and 650 to 700s on the front. In a heavier car they didn't seem to ride too bad to me. A light car is going to ride rough with whatever you throw on it unless you really work your suspension.

Radials ride rough when they are on their way out. That is usually long before the tread is gone.

Anyway that's what I have experienced.

 

They are going on a 31' Tudor so I guess it's about as light as it gets. I am trying to play with the suspension also. Adjustable valving in the rear coil-overs, checking different shocks for the front, and still trying to get a handle on the proper alignment/angle for the front-end.

 

You may end up fiddling with the rear spring rate before all is said and done.

I personally would like to run a 900 on the rear and about a 600 on the front of a Sedan. But its is all a matter of personal tast as far as looks are concerned.

The deal with the bigger tire is that you can let some air out to affect ride. It gives you a little extra cusion. Instead of running 32 PSI in the rears for instance you could get away with 24-28 PSI. Does that make any sense to ya?

 

Don't run bias plys unless you just gotta have them!

 

Nothing looks better than bias plys. Radials just don't look right on hot rods IMHO.

 

Radials ride and handle better (on a big car anyway) I had bias plys on my 55 Buick. Radials made a world of difference. But bias plys look "right".

 

I noticed very little difference. Radials handle better in the corners, but the ride wasn't affected much.

 

Couldn't have said it better even if my last name was Firestone. Here in Florida, like Texas, Arizona, etc., we take into account the extreme temps, IMHO, the radials tolerate extreme heat better if you do alot of highway miles. Something to consider.

 

I believe Excelsior have a new radial that looks like a bias ply. Might be worth investigating.

 

i didnt notice much on out 53' merc when i switched to G78-15 bias. Rides real nice and smooth even at high speed.

 

I just put a set of bias ply tires on my 60 impala recently after running radials for alot of years on it and my car actually drives better with the bias plys than it did with the radials. But the bias tires might not handle a curve as well as the radial do. I dont care on my car I'm not trying to carve any canyons in my 60 anyway haha.

I like bias ply tires myself.

 

Just make sure you don't have any wore out tie rod ends or anything so you don't get a death wobble with the bias plys if you go that route. Ive had a car do that its not fun.

 

You get them through Coker Tire, cheers.

 

Bias tires make the car easier to steer, in my experience. They ride a little rougher, but the big problem is they like to find the ruts in the road and "pull you in". Radials handle nicer at speed.

If this A is fenderless, I'd do the bias tires, they have the look.

 

That is bias........

 

That's funny.