VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND NEWER 1949-1954 1950 Tire Rims

What is the felling about putting radial tires on original Bias Ply rims?? I have new 205 75 R 15 radial white walls, but am not sure I want to mount them on the original (I think) rims.

This has come up several times. Some say OK; others don't think it's so good.

My own experience is I put that exact size on my 'original' 15" wheels on my 54 hardtop around 15 yrs ago. NEVER had a problem. No wheel probs. No wheelcovers flying off. All OK.

So, for me, putting the radials on the original wheels worked just fine....

Bill.

PS: And I drive the car. Around town, on "local" VCCA tours, on the Freeway at 65mph, etc. Probably driven it around 10,000 miles with the radials....

I mounted 205/70R-15 radials on my 50's original wheels. I've been satisfied with the results so far. The car handles fine going down the road and have found 1 tire needs air added every 6 weeks or so. The only down side to the radials over the original type tires is the look. The radials look more like a puffy donut compared to the original tires having sharper, tall standing sidewalls, and of coarse the tread design is not even close. Don

I have two sets of wheels (originals) for my 1950.
One has a set of 205x75 radilas mounted. The radials require much more steering effort for parking. Drives down the road nice. Make more noise on coarse road surfaces and expansion joints. Due to the smaller diameter makes speedometer rear a higher speed and indicate more miles. If 35 pound pressure is used they ride harder. I run 30 pounds. Still a little "hard"

I HAD a set of 6.70X15 Firestones that were almost 25 years old mounted on the other wheels. With those tires the steering had a slight tendency to follow lines in the road, etc. Other wise was happy with them. Last year I installed a new set of the bias Firestones. The steering no longer follows the "lines" ,looks good, rides good and steers good. I don't plan on ever putting on the radials again.

Radial tires also have a "shelf life". I wouldn't trust a set of radials at high speeds after they are 10 years old. I have seen several where the tread peels off at high speeds and takes the fender along with it. Also if the rims are rusted they may be too weak for the radials.

I second the caution about the wheels being in good condition. If they are not wonderful, find ones that are. There should be plently left in the salvage yards.

My 50 convertible has 225 75 R15 radial whitewalls on it and I have driven it thousands of miles at the speed limit, no problems at all.

Thanks everybody for taking the time to respond. My rims are in really good shape, so I think I am comfortable in using the radials. But I'll pay extra attention to the ride, etc to see if I want to go Junkyard Jumping for some good bias ply rims. Happy Motoring

Gene, The set of bias Firestone 6.70x15 you installed on your '50 last year, were they the tube type whitewall and how wide were the whitewalls? May I ask where you got them? Thanks.

Jerry, I bought the tires from Coker.I pre-order them and pick them up at the Iola car show. Thats saves the shipping charges. They are tubless and the Firestones that the po installed on the car were tubless also. That set still looked good after 25 years and 30,000 miles but the age bothered me.
They are the widest width and that is correct up through 1952.

Thanks again Gene. I'm putting this in my favorites to use a little later. That's the way I'm going to go.

I have decided to put stock size bias on my 50 Fleetline and was wondering what brand did they come with. I kind of like the Firestones but how about Goodyears or Goodrich?

On my father-in-law's 52, he had stock bias ply tires with wide white walls installed. They look great. I have seen some with the standard narrow white wall, but the wide ones look better.