I think we can all agree Radials don't age very well. And sometimes bias ply tires can last almost a lifetime. My opinion radials with a just few years on them are not a bit safer than a 40 year old tested and proven bias ply.
Most of the stretch from Reno to Las Vegas is a lonely two lane highway. Thats where it always seemed to happen. Never happened with someone driving alongside me, but if it had, i'm certain it would have ruined their day. Caterpillars were under the hood The trailer was always filled with slot machines.
Just a little recap here...this is a Vintage Hotrod/Custom/Race site...During the period covered here Bias Plys were all that was technically available...the radial element is tolerated and actually is a more relevant part of the topic as the Bias Plys do not have expiry dates. Unfortunately they are being lumped in and even talked as if they are good for 6 to 10 which is incorrect. Saying Bias Plys **** around here is kind of saying that the Hotrod Evolution ****ed which it didn't...it was built on Bias Plys. They have a proven track record and perform very well under most conditions they are exposed to. Different Yes...**** No. Big Trucks which are OT here technically should have the latest and greatest rubber available... To be fair to you there is quite a bit of OT discussion here...however if your running radials past 10 years its something one may have to be prepared for...the unexpected
Guess the trio of WWWs I rescued from a ba*****t Aer a lost cause, haha. They're going to be part of a yard art project involving the '57 (of course) front end and a shadow box "garage" to have it sitting in.
In some states of Australia your yearly rego inspection includes checking the date stamp on tyres (tires) regardless of the vehicle's age. When the engineer does the certification on a Rod or Custom build, they also check the date stamp.
Heck I would fill the crack with paste wax shoe polish and use them. If the casing is solid they will not blow out like radials. Possibly the tread will separate from the casing? Picture is a old ten ply that was on my 66 GMC and I had it loaded to the gills, tread separated from the casing. and it still made it about 25 miles home. Nothing unsafe it didn't even shake. and another picture of a bias ply old enough to vote that did pretty much the same thing. both of those tires are still holding air! and the icing on the cake is they are mounted on split rims!
I dunno about winning Ive yet to receive any prize money or trophy. Lol. Its just ive been there and done that and have had much better success with very old bias plys than with radials that wherent very old.
Old Wolf, I am sooo...... glad you are on here! Your tires are worse than some of my farm tires...and... that takes some doing. Lol Bones
And when they check the date stamp do they let you know about the secret year toss it value...and do they diferentiate if they are Bias Plys because they should?
Radial or Bias? Just curious. If they are radials your fortunate it was without incident..as that was 17 years. There is obviously apprehension to change radials at the recommended tire age...so it's a gamble and many like yourself make it to the finish line intact...glad it worked out for you.
You all know that most likely at least 99 times out of a hundred when any tire fails it doesn't result in a castrophie. Most times there isn't any damage at all to anything. Drive on any major road and look at the chunks of rubber that are present mostly from radials on semis failing. And hardly any of those caused a wreck. Yes there are a very few wrecks caused by blowouts at speed, However there are probably a 1000 times more wrecks at speed where no tires failed. Its going too fast for conditions that cause the most wrecks. Here in my part of the world when we get just a small amount of ice or snow there are so many wrecks that the cops cant write the accident reports. And the 4 wheel drive makes it much worse. Those drivers who don't have enough winter driving experience. can get moving easy enough. Then they go too fast for conditions. and then lose control and cannot stop. and brand new tires with knee deep tread don't make a bit of difference. I have driven semi trucks well over a million miles. And never wrecked other than hitting deer. And I have blew out a countless number of radial tires. Never has a bias ply ever blow out on a big truck I drove. What I always tried to do was drive like I didn't have any brakes. Use the transmission and downshift to slow down. And I do the same with my old drum brake aged bias ply equipped 66 GMC. and the tire pictured was on a trailer when it started loosing its tread. I bet its 50 years old. Just my opinion radials where designed to not last a long time. Planned obselense so they can sell more new tires.
Yes but this is the USA and we for the most part don't want and wish to let Mamby Pamby folks get away with dictating everything in the name of safety. You aussies even let them take away your guns. There are folks who deem all older vehicles as all being unsafe. They think every HAMB type of vehicle is a deathtrap for the operators and a danger to everyone else on the roads. The most dangerous component on any motor driven thing is the Nut behind the wheel. There was this doctor at Jonesboro Ark frady cat. wanted to live a long time. Vegitarian. Wouldn't drive a car. Thought everyone should use public transportation and a vehicle with just one person commuting to work should be illegal ect. Always trying to push his obsessive safety agenda on others. Rode a bicycle. Had all the gear helmet saftey pads ect. Was riding his bike hit a pot hole went over the handle bars and broke his neck killed instantly.
A old guy had the spare tire stolen from his truck. He had insurance. So he put in a claim. The Insurance adjuster trying to determine value asked what type of tire. He replied A coop grip spur 750 x 16 8 ply. The adjuster looked up the price of a new tire and told the guy the amount. The old guy stated what about the rim? So the adjuster looked up the price of a new wheel. Then the old guy stated it was a split rim with a tube and liner. So the adjuster adds that to the amount. Then ask the old guy anything else? The old guy states yes now that you mention it there where six patches on the tube and two boots in the tire !
I don't know or care about the guns. Never wanted one , never needed one, so no great loss. As for the Namby Pamby mob unfortunately they usually are ******* in the pockets of the politicians so you have to watch them. We had a bloke who was one of the loudest on the pedestrian council, believed everyone should either walk or use public transport. He got done for drink driving.
I just sold another set of used tires mounted on chrome rims. 31x10.50 -15 BF Goodrich. buyer wanted the rims for his chevy truck and the tires for his jeep mud buggy. It seems tires without really deep tread actually do better in the mud?
@willys36 that's an awesome Hotrod... I'd think that just about anything with 50 year old tires on it has great potential to be interesting. What's even greater is the fact you can renew them with period reproductions to continue where they left off...
Radial tires that only last 6 years are a total joke. Planned obsolescence on steroids. Bias ply tires that bounce down the road.....
I do drive the Hotrod at Highway speeds nearing 70mph depending on cir***stance...I don't consider myself a maniac...hoodlum sorta...I don't leave remnants of rubber everywhere...but I refuse to gamble with aged tires. I have Bias plys, will heed the manufacturers guarantee of Life of Tread as a basis for when to decide replacement. There has not been anyone here with Bias Ply Hotrod Tire blowouts or tread separation that mimic the overaged radials problems occurring on what is 6yrs for some regions and 10yrs others. That in no way means anyone should run tires Bias or not till they are bald anytime on a vintage vehicle...its not worth the risk...I don't care if they hold air or not. If it's your barnyard truck or haywagon do whatever...however if your haywagons on the road and your running garbage you could kill somebody...its no laughing matter. To suggest that anyone who has a tragic accident as a result of a blowout for whatever reason is doing anything wrong in their method of driving is really an unfair ****ogy as no one can predict the time and situation when the problem occurs. To drive ignoring age and use blowouts as a renew gauge is somewhat of a gamble. It's your decision in the end.
Lots here do...and interestingly no one has chimed in with a vintage car story about problems with Bias, Radials yes. Trailers and trucks are not the type of vintage bias tires that are run on the vehicles we drive.
One thing that has not been mentioned here that may affect longevity of any tire other than typical road surface and other surface debris. That would be burnouts. I am not a big fan of burnouts but understand it comes with the territory. I am thinking prolonged burnouts on street related tires. Some of these melt pavement. I have seen pavement divoted with asphalt sprayed away several feet from the divots. We've seen it here in video burnouts generating so much smoke you can't see the car anymore. Obviously heat is generated not to mention forms of stress which may be something the tires are not designed to endure. One can fluff this off as nothing but does this potentially accelerate or prematurely affect tires...there is excessive heat, torque and mul***udes of varied surfaces that are involved in these actions. Just perhaps another dynamic that can effect Hotrod/Custom tire ageing.
Radials. Didn't know they were that old. you never know on tires, had a tire of reasonable age blow catastrophically on a Mustang once, if it was a Corvette I'm sure the whole right front fender would have been blown off. There was a Corvette on Power Tour with most of the Quarter Panel gone.....
Of course they were also 15 yrs old...was it a symptom of age? In my days of driving with radials I have recall of several instances of abnormal noise and road feel with damaged radials...he probably had a noticable symptom but ignored it.
It's easily overlooked but threads like this open the eyes and discussion... I have to check mine on the Daily OT's as they are all I have radials on and remember your tires when you say reasonable what was the actual age...remember each tire must be checked as they could be of different batches as well. We do owe it to ourselves to be more aware of these things...
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