Original triple stripe tires on my 66

[Greg McDonnell CLC# 20841]

Does anyone have a recommendation as to what tire company would sell reproductions of the original triple stripe bias ply tires that came on my 66 Eldorado?  

Thanks!

Greg McDonnell

[BOB DIEDERICH CLC 16618]

GREG, DO YOU REALLY WANT TO PUT BIAS PLY TIRES ON YOUR ELDORADO?
CHECK YOUR HEMMINGS THE LAST PAGES HAVE TIRE DEALERS FOR THE STRIPED TIRES. YOU WILL FIND THEM VERY EXPENSIVE!!
I DONT KNOW IF THEY MAKE THE STRIPED TIRES IN THE RADIAL TYPE.
YOU WILL NOTICE A MAJOR CHANGE IN THE RIDE QUALITY AND VERY POOR HANDLING WHEN YOU CHANGE TO BIAS PLY TIRES.
JUST MY 2 CENTS WORTH GREG.
REGARDS BOB D.

[Lou 19028]

Im going to differ with Bob on this one... You will notice a small difference in the ride and handling. When I switched to Bias tires on my 70, the change in the ride was minimal. Actually the car tracked better! Radials with last longer and be less expensive than Bias. Comes down to this, if you drive the car daily. Take advantage of the radials for longevity and grip on wet pavement. But if its a show car/weekend cruiser and its that "look" your after, go with the Bias .

www.coker.com

[Greg McDonnell #20841]

I am currently restoring (back to full factory specs.) a 63 Thunderbird Monaco Landau.  I removed the cheap radials the previous owner put on the car and replaced them with the correct size bias plys that were on the car when it left the factory.  Actually I DID notice an improvement in the ride.  Felt like I was on a cloud as compared to the harsher ride the radials provided.  I have noticed a little noise when going around a curve or turning a corner.  Other than that, I really like the ride the bias plys provide.  I also like the way the car sits and looks with the correct tires and whitewall width on it.

I have Broadway Classic radials on the Eldo that are about ten years old.  Hardly any tread has been worn off but the tires are getting older with each passing month. Ive been thinking of how nice the car would look to return it to its original height by putting on the bias ply tires.  If Im going to go to the trouble I might as well try and find the triple stripe tires the car had back in Nov. of 65 when it was built.

Thanks Bob and Lou for your input!  

Greg

[Andrew 10638]

Look into Diamondback tires.  Ive heard good stuff, but I didnt see triple ring WW in the PDF catalog.  I seem to recall bias ply tires develop flat spots when sitting for extended periods, so you may want to take that into consideration.   I just think radials are much safer to drive on when the sh!t hits the fan.

Heres a little blurb from the diamondback site about radials vs. bias ply.

Because of the Ford-Firestone problems of 2003. the Department of
Transportation has created the new FMVSS 139 (Tread Act) for the purpose of
“establishing new and more stringent tire performance requirements that apply
to all new tires for use on light vehicles.” Here is the DOT’s assessment of the
differences in performance characteristics between bias and radial tires.
“A bias passenger car tire carcass is typically made up of two or four plies of
cord material that run from bead to bead at an angle of approximately 35
degrees to the centerline of the tire. Alternating plies are applied at alternating
angles during the manufacture so that the cord paths of alternating plies crisscross.
This type of construction provides a very strong, durable carcass for the
tire. However, it has drawbacks. Because the ply cords criss-cross and all the
cords are anchored to the beads, the carcass is stiff and relatively inflexible.
This type of construction prevents the different parts of the tire from acting
independently of another when forces are applied to the tire. As a result, a bias
construction is susceptible to impact breaks because it does not easily absorb
road irregularities.” This causes more rim stress.
“By comparison, a radial passenger tire carcass is typically made up of one or
more plies of cord material that run from bead to bead at an angle of approximately
90 degrees to the centerline of the tire. As a result, the cords do not
criss-cross. Because the cords do not criss-cross and because the opposite
ends of each cord are anchored to the beads at points that are directly opposite
each other, the radial tire carcass is flexible. The radial tire is reinforced and
stabilized by a belt that runs circumferentially around the tire under the tread.
This construction allows the sidewalls to act independently of the belt and the
tread area when forces are applied to the tire. This ‘independent’ action is what
allows the sidewalls to readily absorb road irregularities without overstressing
the cords. Impact breaks caused by cord rupture do not occur in radial-ply
passenger car tires. This ‘independent’ action also allows two important things
to happen during cornering: 1) the tread of a radial tire remains fully in contact
with the road over the entire tread width, and 2) the ply cords and sidewall are
able to absorb the cornering forces without exerting the twisting force on the
beads that are exerted by bias constructions.”
Bill Chapman
President
Diamond Back Classic Tires
Source-page 1149 CFR Part 571
Docket # NHTS-030-15400
RIN 2127-A154
www.nhtsa.com
Rims vs. Radials
Old Wives Tale or Fact?
Call today! 888

[Lou 19028]

Interesting read but its loses its thunder coming from a Radial tire manufacture ...

I went to that link you posted and found a un-bias opinion (sorry couldnt resist the phun)... The article is about low tire pressure dangers. They go on to talk about different feel between bias and radials..... Read on

Radial tires provide better tread contact with the pavement since their sidewalls are more flexible in the lateral direction than bias ply tires. Accordingly, radial tires can generate about twice the lateral force as bias ply tires.  However, drivers get feedback from their tires and drive vehicles with different types of tires in different ways around corners.  Bias and bias belted tires provide more feedback to the driver by feel and noise that the vehicle might not negotiate a curve, and the driver can sometimes slow down and correct the situation before going off the road.  While radial tires generate more lateral forces, they do not provide progressive feedback to the driver and tend to lose traction without as much warning.  In essence, drivers have learned how to go around entrance and exit ramps, and other curves, on highways at a higher rate of speed with radial tires.  However, if the road is wet and their tire pressure is low, then they might have problems taking that curve at the same speed.

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/rulings/TirePresFinal/FEA/TPMS4.html