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Bias ply vs radial

Started by CadillacRob, January 16, 2018, 12:17:37 AM

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Jason Edge

#40
I posted a related reply on the 63/64 Cadillac site today and will share here... :

Some people swear they cannot drive a 1963 or 1964 Cadillac (or any other older car for that matter) with bias ply tires, however in my blunt opinion, I have found that most people use the radials to compensate for or mask worn out and tired steering and suspension components. I replaced all of my steering and suspension on my 1964 Coupe de Ville with new parts and it is tight as a tick, and can drive my car anywhere from rutted downtown city streets to interstate cruising with one finger. (I literally did this one day on my 9.2 mile trek to work into downtown Raleigh to prove the point).

With that said, if I still had the loose, original worn suspension and front end components with no plans to address these issues, it would be a no brainer for me... I would be running low, wide fat 235/75 Radials that mask the affects of worn out ball joints, tie rods, tie struts, idler arms, steering gears, steering gear to column coupler, and upper and lower control arms.  Before I "tightened up" my front end suspension and steering the bias ply tires were all over the place on the road. When I replaced with all new suspension components and had the front end aligned, driving my 64 Coupe de Ville on Bias Ply went from being a chore to a pleasure. 

For some, riding at the original height, and running an original branded and style tire doesn't matter.  For my 64 CDV which I am trying to keep the original look, it does matter to me.  It is my personal choice.  It doesn't make me right and you wrong but it is my choice. It is also be my choice If I decide to enter my car with original style tires in car shows that are judged on originality, such as the Cadillac & LaSalle Club Grand National. It is also appropriate that someone that runs a non-original tire in said show gets deducted points while someone like myself that runs original equipment does not get deducted points.  It is the same if someone decides to use worm gear hose clamps vs correct original tower, spring and Corbin hose clamps on my era Cadillac.   It is their choice, just as it is my choice to run original style equipment. 

The tire you choose to run is a personal choice, however, I would ask before you throw down the gauntlet on Bias Ply tires, to consider if you have addressed other suspension and steering issues, that might be the real problem when running Bias Ply tires.
I know there are handling advantages to radial tires, however, running original style Bias Ply tires on a well maintained older Cadillac with tight front end and suspension for me is not only safe, it is an absolute pleasure. 
Jason Edge
Lifetime Member
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MY 59

i guess it boils down to what suits the individual owner, and the reasoning behind their decisions.
All even slightly worn replaceable brake, suspension and steering componens I have replaced on my Caddy with new, just to know she is tight and solid ( it actually still had the pitman arm that was recalled due to a few snapping I believe)
I chose to swap the bias ply even though they had plenty of tread/life left in them and am happy with the decision, but that is me and of course each to their own, we all have different opinions, which is the great thing about open forums






David Bone :)

1959 Cadillac Sedan Deville
1967 (aussie) ZA ford Fairlane

Jay Friedman

I have always used 8.20 x 15 bias ply tires on my '49, and find that they ride well as long as they are not very worn.  Like Jason Edge, before rebuilding its front end and suspension, the car would wander on certain roads at high speeds.  Once these components were rebuilt, those problems were minimized. 

I'll probably switch to radials in a bias ply size when the current bias plies wear out as I no longer enter the car for judging at GNs. 
1949 Cadillac 6107 Club Coupe
1932 Ford V8 Phaeton (restored, not a rod).  Sold
Decatur, Georgia
CLC # 3210, since 1984
"If it won't work, get a bigger hammer."

gkhashem

Jason

I thank you for confirming my response from earlier in the thread.

Maybe the car is not in top condition anymore and that takes time and money and only fools like me spent funds on that. I am sure there are others out there like me, but to each his own.

I hear about the car wandering and pulling on roads.  I cannot relate to that on a constant basis. The only time I experienced a wander is when a rut in the road pulls the car or my brakes needed an adjustment since one of the drums is gripping too quickly so the car pulls on a quick stop.

Other than that I never experience any difficulty driving. I can crank my 1959 at 75MPH to 80 MPH (and actually rarely do this since I hate to imagine hitting anything but around here sometimes the interstate is empty and I wanted to see how she would drive at that speed) and go straight and smooth down the road. (except for that harmonic vibration around 60 MPH that is momentary  around that speed then stops and I have been told this is normal from some experts) , and yes there is a handling difference but not to the point where I feel endangered. I just need to get out of the current and drive the car as you would drive years ago.

I need to be alert and this is a good idea since the people around you on the roads have no clue for the most part how old cars drive and stop. Even old timers who have not driven an older car in 45 years do not remember.

How many of you still remember to always pump the bumps when you need to stop quick anymore. I forgot to at times, since I have had ABS brakes since the 1990s.



1959 Oldsmobile 98 Holiday Sports Sedan
1960 Cadillac Coupe Deville (CLC Sr #72)
1964 Oldsmobile 98 Town Sedan (OCA 1st)
1970 GMC C1500
1977 Oldsmobile 98 Regency Coupe
1978 Cadillac Coupe Deville (CLC Sr Crown #959)*
1992 Oldsmobile 98 (OCA 1st)
1996 Oldsmobile 98
*CLC Past President's Preservation

Past Cadillacs
1959 Coupe Deville
1966 Coupe Deville (Sr #861)*
1991 Eldorado Biarritz (Sr #838)

Dan LeBlanc

I always get a chuckle when this discussion comes along because it is so polarizing. The key here is having a good front end guy who knows when doing an alignment, what the impact is of each adjustment.

Case in point. When I owned David Greenburg's 61, I had the front end aligned with radial tires on it that day. He commented that the front end was as new. No matter what tires I had on it, there was always a bit of wander. He did the alignment and on the way home, the car handled like it was on rails. Just like my VW CC. Unfortunately, the tires were out of round from sitting so much, I had to go back to the bias ply tires. With the new settings, the car handled much better than before on the bias ply tires.

He said he would've used the same settings no matter which tires I showed up with. He explained that the factory settings have so much negative caster to make the steering feel light and effortless, you sacrifice stability and road feel.

The bias ply tires would still grip ruts and follow bad cracks but nothing near as bad as the factory settings. I also ran the bias ply tires at 32psi and that helped a lot.

I did prefer the radial tires for their low noise and better feel.

Either way, at the end of the day, to me it's preference.
Dan LeBlanc
1977 Lincoln Continental Town Car

CadillacRob

FWIW I went with the regular old L78-15 coker bias plys.  Reason being price and I also already own a set for a few years now on my 50 caddy.  No complaints really.  Coker has a small (50 or 60?) $$ rebate for a set of white walls this month.  The 56 I'm restoring still needs full exhaust and I have to be budget conscious without cheaping out.
1950 series 61 sedan
1956 coupe de ville