steel wheels with radial tire?

Alright guys this might have been posted before , but I check around and didnt find it. Here's my question I am finishing up my 54 merc which has the factory steel wheels on it. I have been told if I want to go with a radial tire I need to buy some steel wheels off of lets say a 75-80's truck or van. Is this true? I am told the earlier steel wheel's break with the radial on them. Is there any truth to that? Thanks for the help..........

 

That doesn't make any sense, but I'm not MErc expert

 

I've got radials on my factory 15" steelies on my 56 Chevy. No problem here.

 

Factory 64 Ford's, no problem with radials at all. I have a 225 on a 5.5" wheel, so there isn't really much sidewall bulge.

 

Thanks guys that what I thought.............I just didnt want to spend the money on some new white walls and have my rim buckle or something stupid.

 

I don't think that's true, but I'm not into Mercs. Have you heard that from multiple people, or one guy that split a rim and blamed it on the tire?

 

I heard it from a few different guys at different car shows and what not!

 

yeah, no difference other then switching the valve stems because my original 55 chevy steelies were tube tires and radials arent. i only have one issue with one rim because it didnt seal right and i think it may be bent or just need tire glue stuff on it. other then that they are fine.

 

Just use tubes with the radials.

 

Old wives' tale about radials "breaking" older wheels. Radials have been available in the US since the early '50s, and these tires were put on the very cars that we play with, and guess what? They are still rolling.

Buy them, put them on, drive. Put tubes in them if you feel the need.

 

This will get your tire juices flowing.
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-86542.html

 

Around 45 K miles, 215 85R 16's on stock Chevy 1/2 T wheels, daily driver, only vehicle.

 

i had radials on my 54 plymouth wheels no problem,

 

Thanks for the info guys

 

The older wheels were not hardened steel like the later ones, but the whole breaking thing with radial tires is a load of ********. They do flex a little and may make it harder for you to keep a hubcap on though.

 

I've got radials on my Morris Minor. The only problem is that the steel used for the original wheels was slightly porous, so there's a very slow leak when you use tubeless tyres. I could use tubes, but in my experience they tend to "walk" in a radial tyre, and pull the valve into the hole.

 

I believe '54 Merc. has a 5 on 4 1/2" bolt pattern. '75-'80's Ford truck used a
5 on 5 1/2" pattern. Don't know of any trucks with the smaller pattern. So in that respect it makes no sense.

 

only thing I have heard about radials and old wheels is something about the inside of teh rim and I think a lip or something,,That certain tires the bead can slip or something. Think its how the beads seat ?

 

My buddy had a early Chevelle wagon that he replaced tires with radials. we came back from a trip and short distance from his house we noticed a shimmy in rear of car. Pulled into drive way looked at rear wheel, the outside rim of wheel was cracked almost ready to fall off. The wheel was not rusted ,the paint was still on both sides of rim. He replaced all the wheels with ones for radial tires.

 

Please elaborate on your hardened steel wheel theory as that is not clear.

 

Yeah, what he said^^^^^^^^^^^WTF?

There sure are some ignorant responses in this thread.

Only thing different with the older wheels is lack of a safety bead.

 

never heard of that....

 

Hardened Wheels??? Thats a new one. If you're getting cracks in old wheels it's for the same reason my knees & back crack in the morning, They're Old. Tman is right, the difference is in the saftey bead. I'd say if the wheels are in good shape use them, if they're beat up you can get about any style steel wheel you want from places like Wheel Vintiques or the Wheel Smith.

 

The only thing they changed in wheel production was to add a bump for the bead to seat on. I've had lots of later model DDs and lost hubcaps due to rim flex with radials.

And I've run radials on old rims without problem, too. A tube is helpful for ones that are riveted together, but some guys just paint the inside with something like truck bedliner or put a coat of silicone in there.

That I know of the only rims people had problems with were on a Studebaker, and the reports of the cracking didn't mention how the car was driven, how many miles, etc. -

 

There was a post on Fordbarn.com a couple of days ago and several guys have had the problem of throwing full size hubcaps since the radial switch on the stock rims,no problem with the "dog dish" caps.