Tires

[rb1949]

How many of you have switched from bias to radial tires?  The conversion charts show a slight difference in size which doesn't seem to be a major problem. Looks like a good selection to choose from. Classic cars seem to have blackwall, or the wide whites, don't recall seeing one with narrow whites. Using stock steel rims, any issue with the tubeless tire, or is it better to add a tube? Rim width? Anything else to consider if choosing radials? Thanks.

[desoto1939]

Rich HArtung,  I have a 1939 Desoto with the bias ply tires the goodyear tire that has the ridges on the side wall and they are white wall.

[greg g]

The major consideration is the condition of your rims, as radials transfer more stresses to the rim.  Also stock rims are 4.5 inches wide, most modern tires are designed for wider rims.  So a tire withthe same or similar diamater of the stock tire might require a 5 or 6 inch wide rim.  That said a lot of folks are running modern tires on their cars.  Mounting tubless might also depend onthe condition of the rims and if the rivets will be air tight, and whether you can get valves to fit the rims.  If you decide you need tubes, check the inside of the tires for any material like inventory stickers, that could chafe against the tube.

[dale]

Radials need a minimum rim width. Coker sells a 15 and 16 inch radial with the original looking tread and wide whites I bought and they look great.

[rb1949]

OK, if wanting to try tubeless radials, and original rims create issues with 1) the rim construction doesn't seal 2) the rim isn't wide enough --- what are the options for a proper rim that fit the car (1949 Chrysler). Dale: you bought radials, on original rims? A bias tire would fit these rims. Just for fun, my Coker Tire Price guide from 1990 shows the Coker 3" WW Tubeless, for $85. The good ol' days.

[Plymouthy Adams]

while it may be a problem for folks running and wishing to retain the poverty caps...you have many options to use later production steel wheels that eliminate the concerns for sealing, rim fatigue and width all in one swoop...some of these option have been listed here by year and model as a source a number of times also....but like everything when trying to address safety concerns and ride enhancements...there are trade offs...to what end you wish to swap one item for another is solely one that only each individual can answer for himself.

[deathbound]

Not me. Still running bias ply with tubes on original wheels and very happy with it. If ladies did it back then, I should be able to now. I drive on the freeway and stay around 60 mph, up to 70 occasionally with no issues.

 

**EDIT** Original size 6.50-16

Edited March 2, 2016 by deathbound

[55 Fargo]

Not me. Still running bias ply with tubes on original wheels and very happy with it. If ladies did it back then, I should be able to now. I drive on the freeway and stay around 60 mph, up to 70 occasionally with no issues.

And hey why shouldn't you, bias ply in good condition, straight rims, should be no problem.

Hey they drove a lot faster on the lake beds with those tires many years ago....PS don't think I would take a nice car like yours on the "hoodlife tour" of Compton though, just watched this on the Utube, quite entertaining. do you know if the Honey Bucket Bar is still open, think it's or was on 4th street

[Oldguy48]

My P15 is fitted with wide white radials from Diamondback. 215-75/R15. Original 4.5" rims that were sandblasted and painted. No inner tubes installed. No problems at all in over 5 years on the road.

Wayne

[Don Coatney]

I bought new wheels manufactured by wheelvintiques. Bought them through Summit Racing. Chrome smoothies. They also make painted smoothies.

 

 

Running my preference radial narrow whites with exposed nuts.

 

[deathbound]

And hey why shouldn't you, bias ply in good condition, straight rims, should be no problem.

Hey they drove a lot faster on the lake beds with those tires many years ago....PS don't think I would take a nice car like yours on the "hoodlife tour" of Compton though, just watched this on the Utube, quite entertaining. do you know if the Honey Bucket Bar is still open, think it's or was on 4th street

 

I have NO reason to be in those parts, but a friend and I ran out of gas off the 110 Freeway in Watts in the early 80's......couple punk teens stuck out like sore thumbs......as for the Honey Bucket, never heard of it, maybe before my time?

[55 Fargo]

I have NO reason to be in those parts, but a friend and I ran out of gas off the 110 Freeway in Watts in the early 80's......couple punk teens stuck out like sore thumbs......as for the Honey Bucket, never heard of it, maybe before my time?

Hmmm, shoulda been there in the 80s, how about the Reno Room, 36-36 Club, Pot Holder Restaurant, Marris pizza?

I used to know a Guy who walked home from Hawthorne to Long Beach at night, after night of heavy boozing. His pals in Long Beach were very concerned, but he walked home by morning.

I have been into Compton years ago, delivering auto body supplies with a friend from down your way.... PS did you go to Woodrow Wilson High or Cal State Long Beach by chance....that place brings back some old memories

[deathbound]

Hmmm, shoulda been there in the 80s, how about the Reno Room, 36-36 Club, Pot Holder Restaurant, Marris pizza?

I used to know a Guy who walked home from Hawthorne to Long Beach at night, after night of heavy boozing. His pals in Long Beach were very concerned, but he walked home by morning.

I have been into Compton years ago, delivering auto body supplies with a friend from down your way.... PS did you go to Woodrow Wilson High or Cal State Long Beach by chance....that place brings back some old memories

 

Reno Room, 3636 Club, Pot Holder still there. I'm less than a mile from Marri's Pizza. How about The V Room? I grew up about 15 minutes north of LB in Downey, my wife has a BS from CSULB.

Hmmmmm, how about those tires? (There, back on topic)

[55 Fargo]

Reno Room, 3636 Club, Pot Holder still there. I'm less than a mile from Marri's Pizza. How about The V Room? I grew up about 15 minutes north of LB in Downey, my wife has a BS from CSULB.

Hmmmmm, how about those tires? (There, back on topic)

Whoops sorry, back on topic...

[meadowbrook]

I have been using tubeless Diamond Back radials on my '50 Meadowbrook with no issues whatsoever, I can cruise at 80 MPH and the car is very smooth and stable.

[meadowbrook]

while it may be a problem for folks running and wishing to retain the poverty caps...you have many options to use later production steel wheels that eliminate the concerns for sealing, rim fatigue and width all in one swoop...some of these option have been listed here by year and model as a source a number of times also....but like everything when trying to address safety concerns and ride enhancements...there are trade offs...to what end you wish to swap one item for another is solely one that only each individual can answer for himself.

 

My '50 Dodge still wears its poverty caps, what's supposed to be the issue?

[Plymouthy Adams]

My '50 Dodge still wears its poverty caps, what's supposed to be the issue?

are you running later wheels as my entry above describes?

[meadowbrook]

I am running the stock wheels the car cam with from the factory. Maybe by 50 the wheels had changed?

Edited February 28, 2016 by meadowbrook

[traveller816]

I'm running stock rims with 6.50 / 16 bias belted tyres. No problems, driving at about 65 on the motorways.

[James_Douglas]

This is my rant from April 2014. I know of a couple of people this last month that wanted to use this tire and although Yokohama is still making it...DB does not sell it any more.  Gee, perhaps they were have issues with it...you think!...of course they told me "I was the only one".

 

*********

I have been running DB Tires on the 5000 pound Desoto for three years and 2 months.  Their tires are a Yokohama 700RX15 with the big WW and the WW beauty ring.  I love the way the tire rides and the 4" contact patch and tire diameter are almost dead on the same size as the original bias tires.  The sidewall is six ply and is a little stuff for lighter cars. 

 

HOWEVER, I noticed in February that one of the tires had a "crack in it".  When I looked at the other rear tire it had a crack as well.  It looks like the whitewall at the splice separated.  Not from the tire, but from each other side of the WW splice.

 

I wrote DB with photos.  Two weeks went by and I did not hear a thing.  By then it was March 1st.  When I finally got them to contact me they did everything they could to pass the buck.  They told me on the phone I could ship them back from CA and they would for $50 re-do the WW.  The next day in an email they told they would do it for $75.  I told them that this IS my car that I drive and I cannot have it on blocks for a month or two.

 

I pulled the car out of the garage as it had been raining the past couple of weeks and cleaned the WW real good and noted that a 3rd tire was also splitting.  The car had not been driven in the past month.

 

I got emails from them telling me that the photos showed "abuse" as in at some point it scrapped a curb.  Because of that they can deny any coverage on the warranty.  I take it real easy in San Francisco, but from time to time I do get a little curb scrape.  Nothing that a little 800 wet-dry sandpaper will not get off. 

 

They also asked several time if I was using the car as a limo service as it is on the Limo chassis.  I had to tell them no repeatedly. The also keep asking if I inflated them correctly.

 

I asked about the warranty and the fact that I had paid the road hazard fee.  I was told that my warranty period was over on March 1st.  Even though they waited two to three weeks to get back to me.  When I pointed out my email that they got in February, they then told me they would warrantee only the two tires in my February email even though the car had not been driven since then and a third tire also was cracked.

 

Of course the warranty is pro-rated and as such at the end of the 3 period is not worth much.

 

The tires are in great shape otherwise and I was not about to spend another $1000, even with a $50-$60 discount for the "warranty" credit.

 

I had some professional tire people look over the tires out at Sears Point Raceway.  The conclusion is that the vulcanization point where the two white wall part are spliced just failed.  This is as expected as when the tires arrived, my set and a friends (10 tires in all), several had to be sent back with the black "liner" showing through the vulcanization point.  I could see under intense light that one of mine had the black liner just under the white and did not send that one back as I did not want to be that picky.  I should have.

 

All in all I think that their lack of quality control on these tires coupled with the very intense service I put them through in weekly City and Highway driving with a very heavy car is a bad combination.  The next time I need tires, I may well get another set, although with a smooth back wall only. A weekend car may well never stress the joint and never see the problem.  A few deep pot holes and I suspect that you will a couple of years down the road.

 

What really left a bad taste in my mouth is that they sought ever opportunity to not stand behind their product.  There is little doubt to anyone who has seen the tires first hand that the crack is a manufacturing defect.  They seemed to not care or wish to investigate so as to make their product better.

 

If you have a heavy car or use it a lot, I would think hard before using their WW tires.

 

James

Edited February 29, 2016 by James_Douglas

[James_Douglas]

As a follow up for those who care...

 

FYI...

 

The New DB Tires Auburn tire is larger than the Yokohama tire I am running on the 1947 Desoto Suburban and the 1949 Desoto Convertible. It is also the tire my friend is running on his 1946 Chrysler T&C Convertible and his 1957 Cad.

 

Our current tires, the old DB R700x14 which are in fact a Yokohama RY215 {Part# 21501} with white walls applied:

 

7.7 Overall Width (Inches)

29.4 Overall Diameter (Inches)

4.9 Tread Width (Inches)

 

The new DB Auburn tire is:

8.8 Overall Width (Inches)

29.4 Overall Diameter (Inches)

5.6 Tread Width (Inches)

 

The new DB Tire is more than 1 inch wider and more than a 1/2 more contact patch.

The problem with this is that it will hit the fenders worse on "bumping turns" and it will be harder to steer with more rubber on the road.  They also are increasing the load, no doubt because of the wider tire.  What they don't say is what is the recommended tire pressures.

 

I like the Yokohama's for ride and steering, even if the applied white walls tends to split at the seams on hard duty. I also know that for my Desoto's and Don Chrysler that the original factory tires had a 4.5 inch contact patch. The Gemmer Steering boxes in our cars do not like more contact patch.  The closer to the original contact patch the better for drivability.

 

This change by DB Tire may well be a step backward for may people. I would like to hear a serious rod report from someone with these tires when they come out.

 

James.