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radial vs. bias-ply tires
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Author:  paul_sak [ Wed Jul 11, 2007 5:36 pm ]
Post subject:  radial vs. bias-ply tires
I've searched the board for this and can not find much. It seems to hard to believe that no one has broached this topic before.

I own 3 A-bodies have owned 3 others in the past. I much prefer bias-ply tires to radials but bias-plys are getting hard to find.

Any thoughts on where I can get cheap bias ply tires (these are beaters not show cars) or set up the front end to make the car handle more like to has bias ply tires?

Thanks!
Author:  SlantSixDan [ Wed Jul 11, 2007 5:42 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: radial vs. bias-ply tires
Quote:
I've searched the board for this and can not find much. It seems to hard to believe that no one has broached this topic before.

I own 3 A-bodies have owned 3 others in the past.
The reason why you're having a tough time finding discussion on it is because there is absolutely no way in which bias-ply tires are superior. The ride, handling, safety, durability, steering, stopping, fuel economy, performance...all are significantly better with radials, which is why everyone uses them and the only place to buy bias-ply tires is through the fancy restoration show-car tire companies (who make tires for cars that are almost never driven).

If you'll back up a step and tell us what you perceive as the problem with radials, perhaps someone will be able to make suggestions that'll allow you to have whatever aspect of ride/handling you prefer without the many serious disadvantages of nonradial tires.
Author:  dakight [ Wed Jul 11, 2007 7:05 pm ]
Post subject: 
There's a lot of prejudice against radial tires that is left over from 25 years or so ago when they were relatively new to the US market and the manufacturers were having a lot of quality issues. modern radial tires are superior to bias ply and belted bias ply tires in virtually every measurable aspect of tire performance.
Author:  paul_sak [ Wed Jul 11, 2007 7:12 pm ]
Post subject:  more details
Well let me say I am not claiming bias ply tires are superior to radials. All my modern cars have radials and I could not imagine not having them. I have owned Valiants with radials but mostly with bias plys.

Even on the same car when switching from one to the other, I think the bias ply tires handle better. Before I go on when I say "handle" I really mean "steer". I know all the reason why radials are better for handling (e.g. cornering). The radials steer heavier and the bias plys feel "quicker on their feet".

In some ways the radials feel like you are driving a car that has too much toe-in in that the car would rather not turn. If it matters, these are all power steering cars.

Two other data points: 1. my (1972 and 1975) owner manuals say do not use radial tires. 2. the last time I got the car aligned (at a "real" front end shop) the tech asked if I was going to switch to radials because it made a difference in how he aligned the car.

Like I said I have owned many a-body cars for a long time so I have some base of experience. (I am trying to get a couple of the cars on the road after sitting for too many years).
Author:  paul_sak [ Wed Jul 11, 2007 7:16 pm ]
Post subject:  One more thing
I did stumble upon a discussion at imperialclub.com and about half the people claim bias-plys are better for old mopars and about half the people say the bias-ply guys are nuts and radials are better.

The key thing for me is that these cars are hobby/beater cars for me and I want something cheap and safe but I still want it to "feel" like my old Valiant.
Author:  SlantSixDan [ Wed Jul 11, 2007 7:19 pm ]
Post subject: 
Forget what the manuals say about radial tires. The tires they were written about haven't been available for decades. One might as well insist on 1970 fan belts and 1964 engine oil.

You have power-steering A-bodies...and you find them excessively hard to steer? :shock: Something's definitely wrong, and it's not radial tires making the problem. Could be problems with the steering system, could be you haven't tried radials on an A-body in forever and the ones you picked were no good, could be the ones you tried were OK but the car's alignment wasn't set up correctly. Radial tires are a lot more directionally stable; by contrast bias-ply tires want to wander all over the road. Maybe that's what you're detecting, sort of, but wandery, floaty, squirrelly steering isn't better or safer, even if you think you prefer it. :twisted:

When you get the car set up correctly, you'll have zero trouble steering the car easily with one finger on the steering wheel. Again, there is no genuine way in which bias-ply tires are better. This goes for bone-stock A-bodies, too, not just cars upgraded for better handling.
Author:  dakight [ Wed Jul 11, 2007 7:20 pm ]
Post subject: 
The radial tires of 1975 are a completely different animal than those in use today. Sidewall stabilizers and lower aspect ratios have taken out a lot of the sidewall flex. However, if you insist on bias ply tires you could check with Coker Tire but be prepared to open your wallet... WIDE!
Author:  SlantSixDan [ Wed Jul 11, 2007 7:22 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: One more thing
Quote:
.The key thing for me is that these cars are hobby/beater cars for me and I want something cheap and safe
You don't have to spend a lot of money to get acceptably safe tires. What exactly do you consider "cheap"?

Think very carefully before you bottom-feed for tires. Keep in mind the exploding ones from China that have been causing deaths lately.

As for the conversation you found on the Imperal club: Yep, it's just like most other conversations over there. There's the group that thinks the cars should be preserved precisely as they were made, right down to the year-of-manufacture air in the tires, and then there's the group that actually drive their cars.
Author:  paul_sak [ Thu Jul 12, 2007 4:28 pm ]
Post subject: 
>>>You have power-steering A-bodies...and you find them excessively hard to steer?

Well "hard" to steer isn't quite right. I used to drive a 1974 Dodge van with a 318 and manual steering. That was hard to steer (at low speed anyway). It is hard to describe what I am talking about. Maybe it is what I am used to...


>>>When you get the car set up correctly, you'll have zero trouble steering the car easily with one finger on the steering wheel.

Should the car be be aligned to "specs" or is there a change required for an a-body with radial tires?
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