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What is the consenus for switching from Bia to radial tires on a 1956?
I have power steering so the harder turning while parkiing is not an issue
On my 56 Chrysler I went to radials what a difference
That's they only way to go.It hurts you if your getting judged
But who cares.
I agree the radials are the way to go. I put them on my 50 Imperial and my 39 DeSoto. what a difference in handling!
Chris
I agree. The radials drive much better - smoother and straighter. There is one anomaly - the paint on the front face of the wheels cracked. I really thought I knew how to paint well and did not use much hardener. Hardener makes the paint harder but more brittle. So I do not know if the wheels may end up flexing more. Someone mentioned that the radials put more stress on the wheels. I wonder if anyone has drawn any substantial conclusions concerning the stress.
Mike,
I debated the radial vs bias when re-tiring several years ago. I went with the bias mainly for the original look. The car handles like a '55 DeSoto did in 1955.
Also, you commented in another post about possibly needing rear shocks. Keep in mind the radial are ever so slighty less in overall height so your car will sit a bit lower with radials fitted.
Mark
I replaced the bias ply tires with radials on my 55 Fireflite which does not have power steering. There is a significant improvement in handling and tracking with the radials. The car steers easily unless you are standing still. If you do much highway driving, I would surely recommend them. I drove two hours up I-85 to the Charlotte auto fair last week at 70-75 mph and the radials sure make the car feel safer. I checked the mileage on the trip and averaged 15.1 mpg.
Mac
Note: You will NOT lose any judging points for having radials on your De Soto, at least not at an NDC convention. I don't know about the AACA and the others, but the NDC doesn't take off points for radials. We know radials give a better ride, and we're more concern about the tires being the correct size and all of them, including the spare(s), are made by the same company.
I've done it both ways on my cars. It depends on what you are after. Comfort and a good ride....radials. Original ride and handling.......bias. Personally I prefer bias. Why? Well, when I drive my 39 Packard I want to experience a 39 Packard. You'll give that up with radials. I put radials on my 57 Sprotsman and I guarantee it doesn't ride or drive like it did back in 57. Feels a bit numb not to mention it doesn't look right. Like I said, it's a personal choice.
Tim Mabry
The Lost Cause Garage
47 Suburban
57 Sportsman 4dr HT
I've decided to go with Radial tires.
I'm getting a couple of different recommendations
205R7515 and 225R7515. The tire diamenter is about 2 1/4" less than the standard bias ply tires. 29.5" vs 27.25.What has been the best choice for those that have converted? It appears the widest whitewall is 2 3/4" Anyone know of a wider whitewall?
Price seems to be about $250-$280 per tire
thanks for sharing your experience.
Mike DeLapp
I purchased 225/75R15 American Classic radials from Coker Tire for my 55. Coker says that whitewall width for the 55 models should be between 2 1/2" and 2 11/16". I feel anything wider than 2 3/4" would be out of place for the mid fifties autos. I'm not in a position to recommend one tire over another. I have a friend who purchased radials for his 37 Chevrolet from Lucus and I'm always impressed with the brightness oh his whitewalls. Mac
