Technical Has anyone ever tried temporary spare tires in place

You don't even know what you're looking at man and arguing and trying to justify it with everyone that disagrees with you.

That is a bias ply tire. End of discussion.

As a former tire guy, I can't tell you how many times I've seen these fail in spectacular fashion from miss use. Just because some guys have been lucky, doesn't make it safe or a good idea. Pony up and buy some real tires. This **** is ridiculous and **** like this is the reason other countries have inspections on older vehicles.

 

You have completed my research - I was hopeful for radial construction. Thanks for the VERY helpful, constructive info ! ! !
Now I am back to the 5.25-18 original style bias ply - sigh !

 

It appears you get frustrated participating in constructive research but your second sentence seems to be spot on, you just didn't advise the D makes it Bias Ply., but thanks anyway. The next post did though.

 

It sounds like you won't drive that 33 Chevy anywhere near its limits. You won't approach 60 mph and don't think you'll drive it enough, or hard enough, to endanger the tire. My question is... what handling benefits of radial tire construction will you even see with this car while driving it like a golf cart? Do you think it would be enough of a benefit to risk having a blowout that could destroy your car?

FWIW, at no point while driving my stock Model A at 70 mph have I ever thought radial tires would make it any less terrifying.

 

Perhaps you have never changed an old car from bias to radial tires, I have many times,. the first was on my 1953 Ford anniversary edition, radials were a magnificent improvement. Even a 30 mph turn is drastically better. There is a reason no auto manufacturers use bias tires and there is virtually no secondary market for bias tires.

 

And yet plenty of guys are pushing early cars with extremely rudimentary suspension far harder than you ever will on bias plies without issues...

I've driven both (recklessly) and will be keeping the bias tires on my A. For the way you use the car I don't understand why you would want to risk a blowout for a marginal handling improvement.

 

Is that because they don't have radials in the size you want ?

 

Sure they do. I just think they look immediately out of place on a vintage car and don't meaningfully improve the handling. If I had a big budget I might think about Diamondback Auburns, but even then I think I'd just get better bias tires than what I've got. They handle fine for what these cars are.

 

What about the Coker bias look radials - look good but too pricey for me.

 

They look nice. But it's important to remember that what gives bias plies their look is the stiff sidewalls and sharp shoulders. Radial tires are the opposite. They are soft, with a smooth curve from the sidewall to the tread. I am not a tire expert but the way tires are constructed has a lot to do with how they look. The more a radial tire looks like a bias ply tire, the worse it will behave, even worse than a bias tire in some regards, because the sidewall of a radial tire lacks the stiffness of a bias tire. The only way to improve this is to run them at extremely high pressures to keep the sidewall from wanting to roll out, which will compromise tread life. There are threads all over the HAMB discussing this, as well as QC issues with Coker tires specifically...

I think if you want the look of bias ply tires you should just stick with bias ply tires. If you want the handling of radials, accept that they will not look quite right. You can get shaved radials that don't have lettering and stuff on the sidewalls which on a full fendered car might be easy to overlook. Some of the handling issues you are trying to improve with radial tires are probably just part of the deal with your car's suspension and steering design. You can chase that rabbit down a very deep hole and never be satisfied, or you can just drive the damn thing.

 

Bias ply tires are fine to run when you are after the era-correct look, but you should also be smart enough to respect their capabilities. It's the time when things go to **** at 70 on a crowded road that braking and steering response suddenly becomes very much top priority.

 

Zero frustration here bud, just shaking my head and silently laughing at another guy who thinks he's found some magic fix that perfect fits what he wants/needs without understanding what he's looking at. Typical engineer at***ude really. I deal with your type frequently.

Maybe if you can't afford correct and safe tires for your car, its time to get out of the hobby?

 

I think it might be hard to find four more or less identical temporary spares, but agree that having all tires the same is much better than having only one of them on a car.

A friend had one temporary spare on his car for a while when we were young, and he often locked it up when braking. I imagine the utterly ruined temporary spares are often the result of that single tire suffering tremendous abuse due to having to "compete" with three large tires.
So I think it would be an interesting thing to try, especially as you will no doubt be paying attention to the limits of these tires.

Of course, any little imperfection in the road will probably cause the car to become airborne, flip end over end, killing several other motorists and the driver will spend the rest of his life in unimaginable agony from horrible burns.

 

This is a traditional hot rod forum. Don’t know what street rodders do.

 

Funny, my 30 Chevy was terrifying at 52mph flat out on freeway, worse was mech brakes, didn't know which direction it would dart. Hand signals with 80% of drivers clueless. I stuck an eng valve once, coasted into a KY bar parking lot, after NSRA show, end of story for stock, chev V8, hyd brakes, better, went to a good home.

 

This is an entertaining thread, but one aspect I haven't seen here is how a radial affects the rim it's mounted on. The 50's-60's Studebaker guys have had issues with the bead cracking while running radials on their OE Studebaker wheels because they are thinner than radial era wheels. Lots of flexing going on there.
FWIW, I remember a guy that had a pair of these temps with their temp wheels on the front of a half ton early 60's Chevy pickup. He drove it like that all the time, but I don't know how far or how fast.

 

I have experienced rim flex from the extra lateral force created by radials on older steel wheels. My 1953 Pontiac would regularly throw the factory wheel covers, I.changed to mid 80's GM factory 15" wheels and the problem was solved.

 

The ENTIRE Sioux Nation says YOU CAN DO IT. Truth, these things get run FOREVER

 

Thankyou, the answer he was looking for. We can move on now.

 

Have you ever stopped to think what the "typical engineers" might think of YOUR at***ude? The OP has asked a legit question, give him legit advice/answers.

 

My question then is, have you updated the wheels on this 33 Chevy, or do you still have the OEM wheels on it?
I believe I would be pretty scared putting radial tires on 30s Chevy wheels. Even the early 60s wheels were marginal with radial tires in an emergency situation.
After the wheels, my concern would move towards the front suspension. Early 30s Chevy was not known for anything being very robust in the wheels or suspension arena. Might be OK with normal driving (what ever that looks like with a stock early 30s Chevy), but add a bit of emergency moves and everything could go south pretty fast.
I was the "tire guy" at the gas station I worked at when radial tires became popular. I actually attended a training cl*** about tires back then.

 

I don't care. If the ones I worked with made a mistake like this, we'd have big big problems and major setbacks effecting the projects.

And I did provide him with a "legit answer". It's a bias ply tire. Not a radial like he wants. End of story. Not sure why you're even talking to me.

And Yes I have at***ude. Ya'll should know better than doing this type of stuff. This is a bad look for all of us.

You think I'm an ***hole now, wait till the legislate us all, for someone running and wrecking a car with 4 temporary tires on it.

 

The way I look at these sort of situations is:

Yes, it might 'work' for some period of time, but what happens when it DOES go wrong, if it blows out and you crash in a ditch then that's fine only yourself that's troubled.

BUT! what if you career off the other way and plow into a minivan with a family in? What gives you the right to risk the lives of others just because you 'think' a part as important as a tyre is something its not!!!!

You wouldn't put blocks of wood in to replace brake pads/shoes? "well they look like they'll do the same"

Come on now!

 

That raises a thought, though. Perhaps the only useful bit out of a space-saver spare ends up being the hoop off the wheel? Knock out the centre, clean up, drill for spokes?

Does anyone know if these things use the same J bead profile as regular wheels?

 

I don't KNOW, but I have an opinion!! lol

 

Usually things have safety warnings for good reason.
And.....................

 

Yes they do. Here is a 16 inch space saver on a 40 wheel i use as a spare on the model A, because it fits in the spare wheel well. My other tyres are modern radials. Its a 90 profile space saver which has a similar rolling diameter to the 75 profile that i use on the rest of the car

 

I've often wondered if stock Chevies from the '30s have a bag of nails and corresponding hammer in the trunk JUST IN CASE ? I had to ask that ! !

 

The space saver wheel profiles are conventional, at least I know mid 2000's Mustangs are. I ran those wheels (but fully welded), on the front of my Land Speed car, but with Mickey Thompson Front Runner tires.

 

Those spares will work just fine.








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