Bias ply tire question

[imported_Mika Jaakkola]

Hi guys ,

I have an opportunity to use my brothers '62 Imperial with 15"x8.20 BF Goodrich Silvertown Bias-Ply tires. (even though 1/4 gallon gasoline costs 2 dollars in Finland) Few things that I'm wondering..

is there more noise coming from bias-ply's than from radial tires?
What would be the correct air pressure I should use? it says 32 psi for Max load, but I think I don't weight that much [img]<>/grin.gif[/img]

[simplyconnected]

I think tire noise is mainly caused by tread design.

Bias ply tires tend to squirm badly. Under-inflated bias tires are 'all over the road.' Normal pressure is 28-32psi. I always pumped mine up, for better traction but stiffer ride.

Radial tires are far superior in all aspects. Hope this helps. - Dave Dare

[TG57Roadmaster]

Mika,

I've driven the '57 Roadmaster tens of thousands of miles all over the country on bias-ply tires with 32-34 psi with no problem whatsoever.

It's nothing to have a stroke over!

TG

[imported_Barry Wolk]

I have a friend with a '62 Lincoln Convertible. He replaced the bias ply with bias ply and and said that they are a world of difference from the originals. He said the new tires utilize new technologies and that's what made the difference. I like my radials but people swear by bias-ply.

[simplyconnected]

I swear by bias ply, too. I stand right next to them and swear. This season, I'm replacing my bias with radials on my '55. In the old days, we ALL ran on bias ply tires. We had to be convinced that the European radials were actually better than U.S. bias tires. It didn't take long, and it's no wonder why none of the manufacturers put bias on any of today's cars, worldwide. Radials are a whole lot safer because they don't squirm, especially around corners.

Give me the good stuff... - Dave

[imported_Mika Jaakkola]

thanks for answers guys. The main reason I ask this is because the car has 24 psi pressure and I can hear loud hhrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr -noise when driving. Yesterday I was trying to locate the source and , no - it was not any brake or bearing I could think of. Then I was wondering it might something to do with the tires.

The BF Goodrich Silvertows are almost NEW and soft. My brother checked the repair manual and the 24 psi was the "optimal" pressure ( http://www.imperialclub.com/Yr/1962/62FSM/22-01.htm ) ? But it seems to be too low ?

Bias Ply Tires are rare in Finland, but they are starting to appear in many vintage AMERICAN vehicles... That's why there's so little knowledge available here. [img]<>/frown.gif[/img]

[TG57Roadmaster]

Mika,

Try running them at 32-34 psi, and you'll feel (and hear) a world of difference. Besides, you shouldn't put that many miles on the Imperial just running back and forth to the sauna, eh?

There was a turquoise '65 Imperial on my paper route back in the early-'70's, and I've wanted one ever since.
You and your brother are lucky to have it!

TG

[simplyconnected]

That tire noise used to drive me nuts. And it changes when you drive from cement to asphalt. I remember going from Detroit to L.A. in Aug., 1959. Seven of us piled into a '54 Ford Station Wagon. It had overdrive, but was a six cyl., pulled a home made trailer, and was crowned with a luggage carrier. (What a sight.)

That high-pitched RrrrRRrrrrRRRrrrrRRRrrrr.... vibration/noise was all I could hear for weeks. Misery; over the Rockies, and across the Mojave, with a canvass bag of water wired to the front bumper. Being the youngest, I got to sit in the back, next to the wheel wells. 'Sound deadening' meant, a burtex mat on the body steel.

Modern tire guru's figured out, if you stagger the size of the rubber blocks on the tire crown, that noise will be minimal. Took 'em 100 years to figure that out. Must have been a former cross-country trucker, more aggrivated than me.

Take it easy with that Imperial. It's a big, luxurious, heavy, classic; Chrysler Corporation's crown jewel. Give yourself plenty of stopping distance. It rides very smooth, so don't judge your speed by 'feel,' watch the speedometer. Above all, have fun. - Dave Dare

[imported_Mika Jaakkola]

Dave, I think we are talking about the same noise [img]<>/frown.gif[/img]
Today, I put more pressure in the tires, 32 psi (I'm afraid to put more, because on the tire says "max load 32 psi" .) The handling seems to be much better than with 24 psi. But the noise is still there - maybe more quiet, but I'm not sure about that. Seems to go a lot easier with higher pressure (what a surprise! [img]<>/smile.gif[/img]

Well, I still have to replace the steering gear (got one low-mile box at the shop) to get the car steer correctly.. Yep, previous owners fixed the original- so it's ruined.

Here's a lousy picture I took today for you guys. No leaves on the trees yet in Finland [img]<>/wink.gif[/img]


TG, don't need a car to go to sauna, got one in my apartment [img]<>/wink.gif[/img] These modern days [img]<>/wink.gif[/img] !!
I really think you should get the '65 Imp, it's great to drive. And the interior room is BIIIGG , got 2 '64 Imperial Lebarons and one '57 as well [img]<>/smile.gif[/img]
Also the prices are quite good for decent shape '65's in The States. In here, you might have to pay 10 - 20 000 bucks for a nice one.

[Phils38cpe]

A trick to see if you have the proper inflation for your tires is to put some chalk lines across the tread of your tires and drive a short distance. The wear on the chalk line should be even. If just the center of the line is worn off you have too much pressure and if the edges are worn -too little pressure

[imported_Barry Wolk]

Great tip!

[Rusty_OToole]

Car makers specified low pressure (24 lbs) when they were trying to outdo each other in the soft ride sweepstakes.

Your car will handle better with 32 lbs in the tires. The tires will last longer, and you might even squeeze out a little more gas mileage.

The difference in ride quality is minimal.

This applies specifically to bias ply tires.

[simplyconnected]

Phils38cpe has an excellent idea.
Don't be afraid to put a little extra air in your tires. They coast farther, last longer, give better gas mileage, take corners better, and run a little stiffer (makeing less squirm). On long high-speed trips, they run cooler, too.

Always follow manufacturer's suggestions (that's my disclaimer). Personally, I ran with 40psi in tires that developed a very slow leak, just to sustain a few extra days between fillings. Your tires can take even more with no problem.

If 34-psi satisfies phils38cpe's suggestion, do it. You really do want even wear across the tire crowns.

The road noise won't go away. It's a function of tread design and price. Of course, the most expensive tires offer minimal noise.

Man, look at those eight foot quarter panels! We never see anything like that anymore. The dies that made those parts required the biggest presses our industry ever had; over three stories tall.

WOW! What a handsome, high quality car! There are no shortcuts on luxury or comfort, here. Leg room? Ha! The back seat area was a bouduar! I'm sad to say, those days are long gone. In '62, we didn't know how good it really was. All the Kennedy's were still around, nobody ever heard of the Beatles, and Elvis was the king of rock-and-roll. - Dave Dare