41 60 special needs tires

[mr41cadillac]

the 41 60 special currenty has 35 -50 year old tires. i know they leak around rim and need to be replaced. im thinking i could get some black wall tires and put on  whiteport-o-walls and put in tubes. the size on the rims now are 855 by 15. the original were 700by 15. are 855 wider ? does any one know the correct tire size for the 855 by 15 ,say at sams or pep boys etc ? or maybe if i had to order wide white walls whatsa good oneand from who to buy ? for my driving around a slow moving town like here and being much cheaper  the black tires and putting port o walls with tubes would solve the problem. if i knew the size , thanks john

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

Firstly, I would be replacing the tyres with Radials, but there is a problem with using "Port-a-walls" with Radials.   This is because the radials actually aren't as stiff as the cross-plies, the "port-a-walls will "walk on the rim, and go into horrible shapes, before flapping around.

Bruce.

[Steve Passmore]

Just as Bruce said the false white walls will eventually be flung of the tyre with radials. You will have to fit radials with a white wall,  very expensive or bias ply with the false flaps.  Your correct size is 700x15 and a matching size in radials is about 235x15 to get the same rolling hight.  Strangely 855 have very little difference to 700.  I had a set of 855 on a Buick I had and they were the same as 700 when compared side by side with no difference in the price.

[mr41cadillac]

maybe for now I will just get tubes and put on the tires I have. I need to make sure the rimes are good. they leak a little around the rim. the trtead looks new but they are old. john

[Steve Passmore]

Your car should have tubes in the tyres anyway unless you have more modern tubeless on there now?

[Barry M Wheeler #2189]

John, you have put a lot of money in this car. Trusting tubes to control the forces that will arise from driving, even slowly on the tires you have on the car will only lead to disaster. Spring for a set of radial white walls. Diamond back radials have had many good recommendations  on this forum for this specific car. Even if your tires look perfect, they are worn out and dangerous.
I bought a junky '81 Eldo and the first thing I did to it was to put a set of new Micheleins on it. My grandson was riding in the car. You simply do not "save money" by not putting safe tires on a car.

[Bill Ingler #7799]

Hi John: Please read again and again what Barry has said about trusting old tubes and tires. Don`t what every you do, assume a risk using old tires and tubes. I happen to like the 700x15 radial from Diamondback as I put them on my 41( pictured) as well as my 47. Bill

[Raymond919]

I just put the same Diamondback tires on my '49 series 62 when switching to radials. The regular size radials would have contacted my fender skirts. So far, I'm very pleased with these tires.
Ray Schuman
#26141

[mr41cadillac]

thanks those diamond back tires  look good. is that the company dbtires.com in Conway sc ? john

[Bill Ingler #7799]

Yes on Conway and here is their web site    Bill

http://www.dbtires.com/

[pauldridge]

Yes, yes, yes... do NOT drive on those old tires.  You're risking yourself and others on the road.  There's a reason most reputable tire shops won't even mount or repair a tire over 10 years old.  besides, those fake whitewalls are going to look just as you might expect... FAKE

I've purchased Diamondbacks for two of my vintage cars, and been very pleased.

It won't be cheap... expect to lay out somewhere around $1,000 for the correct set, but you'll thank yourself in the end!

Phil 1940 60S