Towing a car with bias plys instead of radials

If I attend the turkey run in Daytona next year I want to bring my 37 Chevy p/u,due to the cab size there is no way I could drive it the 950 miles so I was thinking of putting it on a tow dolley. Since it has radials and fiberglass fenders I was thinking about putting bias plys on the back while its on the the dolley in case of a tire failure,when a radial goes it will destroy anything around it but since its been so long since I ran bias plys on anything I owned do they cause any damage when going flat.

 

If you put it on a tow dolly for 950 miles the trans will be toast; you have to disconnect the driveshaft from the rear end and tie it up..I don't think there is a worry about the tires as long as they are good in the first place..

 

A disintegrating bias will do just as much damage as anything else. X2 on the driveline.

 

It looks like I will have to spend the money and buy a trailer,the fiberglass fenders have me worried on such a long trip in case of problems with the tires.

 

We are also planning to attend the Turkey Run next Nov. Never been there. I may trailer mine also. Almost 1000 miles would not be fun in my truck.

 

If I drove it I would be a cripple when I got there,the trip this year in my 55 sunliner was very comfortable even with a spring poking my back. You will enjoy the show as there is plenty to see and do and about 5000 cars running around,get with me if you are going so we could go as a group.

 

I've towed a '56 Chevy on radials on a dolly from Sonoma,CA to Charlotte, NC without any problems. As long as your tires are in good shape and are rated for the weight they're supporting, you should be fine. That said, if you're really worried about the fiberglass, trailer it. vic

 

If I had steel fenders I would not be too concerned but I have seen what a radial that blew had done to a fiberglass fender.

 

The type of tire really does'nt matter, Tow dollies are the devil! peace

 

I was thinking about getting a pair of rims and installing heavy duty bias ply trailer tires but if bias plys come apart like radials then that would be a waste of money,it has 2 year old tires so it should be ok as the 4 year old tires held up on the same trip in my 55 sunliner. I am going to look for a trailer to haul it instead of a dolly since I could use one to bring back the junkers I buy.

 

why not just rent a trailer? problem solved.

 

Clark and Larry Drive their cars onto the AMtrak and enjoy the ride as the train takes them to Florida.

 

I didn't know the "auto train" was still running-something to check into

 

Tow dollys are hell! cant back them up, fenders hit the car on fight turns, you can get a Uhaul trailer for pretty cheap, (Book on-line its cheaper) and Uhauls tow great have built in tire straps and a surge brake, I almost like them m ore than my own trailer!

 

Dunno either, always thought that was a cool way to cover distances and relax.

 

I like this idea but I will need to find the nearest AMtrak station since I dont think it stops by here anymore.

 

Here is the auto train link

http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer/AM_Route_C/1241245666320/1237405732511

 

What if a tire blows while you're running around town? Wont it still screw up a fender? I've rarely seen good tires blow to the extent that they come to pieces, but it's just a risk we have to accept if we're going to enjoy our cars.

 

It's been a number of years, but I've rented U-Haul trailers. They are fine, a little on the short side.

I used to have my own 18 foot open trailer but as a city dweller I could never find somewhere close to me to store it.

 

Beware of u-haul wheel bearings!!! They never get serviced.

 

I always thought 75% of the fun of going to an event was driving your own rig there but there are times when trailering makes sense.
If you have a decent tow rig for the task the Uhaul trailers do tow well and have all the needed equipment on them already.

 

I would drive it but I am a little to large for that small cab on such a long trip,those trucks were made long distance driving so if I dont want to become a cripple it will have to be hauled. I will be redoing the seats so it should help some but I am not driving it that far,the truck has been in the family for many years so its not going to be sold for one thats more comfortable. I could drive my 55 sunliner again but would be nice to take a different vehicle next year,my 66 F250 will be finished this spring so I will have a truck that will handle the tow.

 

i thought trailers were for boats... lol... i have rented trailers from uhaul in the past not bad for a weekend

 

If it was a sedan or coupe I would just hop in it and go.

 

I rented a Uhaul car trailer and they told me it couldn't go out of the town that I rent it in. I only took it 148 miles away and it blew a tire on the way back. I called the number they gave me and they sen some one out and changed it, no charge.
Is it still the same way these days?

 

no buds with a trailer mine is gone to the point that i have to track it down when i need it . most the time has at least one flat or fender missing when it does make it back home.

 

I try to stay clear of Uhaul since they ask too many questions when renting from them,when I rented tow dollys I got them from another rental company that asked no questions on where I was using it. I took one to Florida and Iowa to get cars but go out of state with Uhaul and they want more money and give all kind of excuses why.

 

Ive honestly never had an issue with Uhaul, we rent a bunch of times a year to go from NYC to Mopar Nats in Ohio, Milan in Detroit and Indy, Never had a single problem with bearings, lights, tires or brakes. And when you tell them your bringing it back the dealers usually gives you a better trailer because they know its coming back. I do just tell them Im picking up a honda civic or something small so they dont bother me about weight issues. Any who whatever you choose hope you have a fun safe trip and post pic's when you get back

 

A lot of trailer tires are bias ply because they have greater lateral (side to side) stiffness than a passenger car radial. This stiffness helps to keep a sway from setting up in the trailer. You can buy trailer specific radials which are built more like a heavy truck tire and have the increased lateral stiffness.

The short story though is that bias plies aren't less likely to come apart than radials, and that's not the reason for using them on trailers. In fact, on a long trip at interstate speeds, if a tire was to come apart, my money would be on the bias failing rather than the radial because bias tires generate a lot more heat than radials.

If I was looking to dolly a car on a long trip, rather than spending the money for a set of trailer specific tires, I'd look around for a pair of half worn high performance radials with a low aspect ratio like a 40 or 45. Laterally, this type tire is stiff as a rock so you'd get the advantage that the trailer tire has while still keeping the cool running and high speed durability characteristics of a radial. Around here, the local free classified paper always has tires like this for sale cheap, often mounted on good wheels where the seller has put different wheels and tires on his car.

Good trailer tires (not any of that Chinese shit) are likely in the $150-$180 apiece range, plus whatever you'd have to spend on wheels for them. The price of one tire oughta get you a pair of servicable hi-perf radials and matching wheels.

All that said, tow dollies do suck big time. A trailer is the way to go if you can beg, borrow, or rent one.

 

My tow vehicle should be ready by next summer so I should be able to get a trailer by the time november rolls around,the reason I thought trailer tires would be better is on a family camping trip many years ago we had tire issues on the camper but when the tires went flat they did not come apart like todays radials do. This was back in 73 and the tire quality has gotten worse now like with everything else but I will trailer it to be safe.