Radial tires on a 1928 Studebaker President sedan?

[TTR]

10 minutes ago, Spinneyhill said:

Oxygen and oxidation is the primary cause of tire deterioration. On the inside of an inflated tire, there is two or three times as much oxygen per litre of air in the tire as there is outside. If there is an inner tube, there should be almost no oxygen against the inside of the tire, just the tube. The tire will oxidise fastest on the outside. With no inner tube, the inside of a tire will oxidise fastest because of the extra oxygen compared to the outside.

Sounds a bit far fetched, but if there's any serious data or scientific proof supporting this, I'm willing to reconsider my viewpoint.

Until then, and probably even after, I'll continue replacing tires in my own vehicles within 6 years from the date of manufacture (not the date when purchased or installed) and continue recommending to all my clients and friends to do same, even if said tires don't appear require replacement due to lack of wear.

Also, a fresh set of (correct) tires is one of the easiest (and least costly) ride improvements one can do on any vehicle, modern or vintage and perhaps more so on latter. 

 

[Spinneyhill]

33 minutes ago, TTR said:

Sounds a bit far fetched

It is not. Read up about it. This is from https://www.liveabout.com/the-science-of-tire-aging-3234377

The Science of Aging

“Tires are primarily degrading from the inside-out, due [to] permeation and reaction of the pressurized oxygen within the tire structure, with rates proportional to temperature.” - Summary of NHTSA Tire Aging Test Development Research

[Stude Light]

I seem to recall that rim loading is significantly different between bias-ply and radial construction. Radials require a stronger rim construction as the belting is mostly around the radius of the cross-section - basically running from bead to bead along the radius which concentrates the load of the tire patch deflection to a smaller area of the rim.

 

The bias-ply tires have the belting along a bias so the ends of the belts are not on opposing beads but offset several inches across the beads. This spreads the tire patch loading across a wider surface of the rim.

 

So, the rim strength design is based upon the type of tire used. Putting radials on a rim designed for bias-ply may cause premature rim failure vs using bias-ply. This may show up as a crack in the rim. I'm not saying everyone will fail their rims with radials but some may have issues after running 5k, 10k, 50k, 75k ?? miles depending on the safety factor used in the rim design.

[Spinneyhill]

26 minutes ago, Stude Light said:

I seem to recall that rim loading is significantly different between bias-ply and radial construction.

Yes, this has been discussed more than once on these fora.

 

Here is a bit of information about it.

https://www.sema.org/files/attachments/WTC-2011-05-Bias-vs-Radial-Tire-Wheel-Fitment.pdf

 

Edited June 7, 2019 by Spinneyhill (see edit history)

[Bloo]

If my tires are ever flat enough that they are bulging like that, I will put some air in them.

 

 

 

[John_Mereness]

Again, we can talk about benefits and disadvantages of radial over bias ply until the cows come home, but if you have a lockring style wheel or a split rim I would say a radial will risk your life.

Edited June 15, 2019 by John_Mereness (see edit history)

[Aussi John 1]

Hi Ray 

 

I fitted radials on my 29 FH Brooklands President early this year, They are fantastic, we have done 4000 kilometres in it since. No tram tracking, increased cruising speed by 5-10 Ks, no trouble cruising at 60-65 MPH, on the GPS. The 600X20s are 1 inch bigger diameter than the cross ply's. I don't know if your size whether radials are  is bigger in diameter than cross ply's, it would be an advantage on your car if they are. I have fitted new rims to my car.

[padgett]

What this sounds like is that whatever tire you have, if planning to keep, it is best to have a tube inside. Since my DD does not have a spare, I carry a tire iron and tube

 

That said I recently replaced some 1993 off-brand radials that looked just fine inside and out.

 

It is easy to tell how hard the tread is, just do a burnout, the higher pitched the squeal, the harder the tire.

[Vila]

I totally agree with most of the other comments about not putting radials on cars in the 20s and 30s.

 

Just because you put radials on an car does not mean it will stop following the ridges in the road.  My daily driver 2002 BMW Z3 3.0i has radials and it has wonders all over the road ever since it was new with just the slightest ridges in the road surface.

 

I only put radials on my cars that originally come with radials as an option.

 

 

[Dynaflash8]

You'll be out driving along in 5-7 years and one day one of those radials will blow out, blow your wheels apart and your fender off.  Wanna take that chance?  I decided not to.

Edited December 30, 2019 by Dynaflash8 (see edit history)

[John_Mereness]

On 6/1/2019 at 10:57 AM, edinmass said:

Please note the above two stickers that were left inside the radial tire.

Stickers can kill  !

 

Just thought I would re-emphasize the point !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[sunnybaba]

Ray...... I have driven many long miles also in a heavy pre war sedan... and the bias ply tires will handle rough roads, just fine if your steering box is tight and your camber & castor are correct... then it will track nicely on uneven country roads... here is a link to a 19" Firestone 8 ply tire that is rated at 1950 lbs each... nice tire for a heavy car..

[C Carl]

Hi, Sunny ! No link ? Say, I am certain that you are intimately familiar with the headwaters region of the Gila. I "discovered" that, and the 'dwellings and the "hot", (warm ?) springs while rather aimlessly wandering about, back road exploring, something like 15 years ago. Lucked out, I was one of the first cars in after the road had just been re-opened after several days of fire closure. How much would that area have changed since then ? Of course my impression of it was enhanced by the fact that so very few other people were there because of the road closure. Always cool to have remarkable places almost totally to yourself. Fortunate also to have enjoyed the great Mayan ruins of Palenque, to only Sandy and myself and a couple of friends in the misty dusk during a "Norte" storm. You can't do that anymore. We had driven the mighty Off-road '71 Cadillac Eldo convertible down there right after the massive peso devaluation of '82. Virtually free gasoline, free living. Were any of you all able to get in on any of that ?

 

        Safe, adventurous driving, all. No matter what rubber you roll on. And have a Happy Rewarding New Decade !!   -   CC