Buick needs HELP

[Tejon]

Hi All,

 

I have a Buick that is collecting dust and needs to get exercised.  I'm not much of a Buick guy so I need some educating.

 

1940 Buick model 90-L, style 40-4933. 

 

Tires are flat and too rotted to hold air.  Yes, I know they have tubes but the tires are shot.  Need suggestions for a radial tire replacement.  Will I still need to use tubes?  I read on Coker tire site they sell a tire (radial construction) that still requires the use of tubes.  I was leaning towards a 245/75R-16 just to get it into a rolling chassis and drive able.  This same size tire will fit on a 90' Chevy truck that is in need of tires as well when the Buick progresses in drive ability.

 

Is the electrical system a 6-volt or 12-volt system?  Battery suggestions?

 

Thanks

 

[JFranklin]

If you want to use modern tires, take a rim to a tire store and have them make recommendations. The use of radials with or without tubes will be determined by the wheel itself.

Edited October 10, 2021 by JFranklin (see edit history)

[Bloo]

6 volt. Negative ground.

 

Any available 75 series tire is probably going to be way too wide for your rims, or too small in diameter, or both. You are most likely stuck with reproduction style tires from Coker, Universal, Lucas, etc. or "bias look" radials from Diamondback or Coker.

 

The repro bias ply tires will be tube-type as original. Diamondback radials are tubeless but can be run with tubes if necessary. I suspect this is also true of Coker radials, but you would have to ask them. The Cokers will work with tubes for sure. Tubeless is preferable if your rims don't leak. Tube quality lately has been a big problem. The tires will also run cooler tubeless.

 

Radials want more air, so don't go by what the owners manual says. If you don't know how much, try 35 psi and go up if necessary, but don't go over the maximum. Bias ply tires will be fine at the original pressures, and work as well as they ever did, assuming you can get your hands on some quality tubes.

 

Edited October 10, 2021 by Bloo (see edit history)

[Tejon]

Thanks for the information.  Keep it coming Please. 🙂  As I said I need educating and its back to the books and homework.

[NTX5467]

Tire and rim WIDTH are the two considerations to worry about.  The narrow rims (designed for tubed tires, so they aren't supposed to be as "air tite" as tubeless tire wheels) are generally too narrow for any modern radial size with the tire diameter you might desire.  Which leads to the repro-type tires, generally.  Some ARE a bit pricey for a car that will not get driven daily, to me.  But IF you look hard and long enough, you might find some in the correct OEM-production size for the car.  Most probably NOT from your local tire dealer, BUT that local dealer might have some sources to get them, too.

 

As for the "bias-ply look radials" . . . what makes the radial a radial is the outer belts.  In the repro look-alike radials, that belt will only be probably about 2-3" wide.  Not much "radial" to me, but enough that they can market it as "radial".  As long as your suspension and linkages and gearbox are in good adjustment/condition/"no-slack" condition, you'd probably be as well off with some quality repros with 32psi air in them.  They might right a bit rough, but the steering should be pretty close to a radial, possibly.  Your car, your money.

 

Enjoy the hunt!

NTX5467

[Tejon]

The tires I have found so far are on the the pricey side for something that isn't driven all the time.  Trying to find tires that would hold air to make it a rolling chassis is definitely a challenge.  Need to move vehicle off an incline so engine fluids can be on the level for engine start attempts.  

 

Are all the lug bolts right hand thread?

Can't budge them with a normal 1/2" breaker bar.  Need to confirm the direction before putting the big air impact to them.

[60FlatTop]

Here is a list of Buick Club of America chapters: https://www.buickclub.org/regionschapters-divisions/

 

Give a call to the nearest one. Local help will suit your situation well. The best advice would be the names of reliable shops the members use.

 

When asking a member about a shop's references always ask "How long did they take". You would want your new tires to rot away and go flat while they did a brake job.

 

 

[JohnD1956]

1 hour ago, Tejon said:

Are all the lug bolts right hand thread?

If by this you mean they tighten by being turned clockwise, then they should be.  Many times it helps to get some leverage from adding a piece of pipe to the end of the breaker bar. My favorite is a 4ft long piece of galvanized steel.  Even with that though I have had to use a mallet to hit the head of the breaker bar on top of the socket for the bolts, and at that point it is a 2 person job. 

[old-tank]

Bias truck tires:

A 650/16 tire would fit but look ridiculously small...about $100 at farm supply outlets.

A 7.50-16LT is available...about $160

Remember radials last 5 years (whether mounted driven or parked) or 50,000+ miles.

Bias tires last 15 years or 15,000 miles.

[Tejon]

51 minutes ago, JohnD1956 said:

If by this you mean they tighten by being turned clockwise, then they should be.  Many times it helps to get some leverage from adding a piece of pipe to the end of the breaker bar. My favorite is a 4ft long piece of galvanized steel.  Even with that though I have had to use a mallet to hit the head of the breaker bar on top of the socket for the bolts, and at that point it is a 2 person job. 

Thanks for the confirmation on righty-tightee.

 

Never have used a 4ft cheater but if it works then job well done.  I think the 3/4" drive tools will come out today and pipe.  Compressor too far away, ha,ha.  I did smack the lug bolt heads but didn't try after.

 

Thanks

 

[Larry Schramm]

4 hours ago, old-tank said:

Remember radials last 5 years (whether mounted driven or parked) or 50,000+ miles.

Bias tires last 15 years or 15,000 miles.

 

The last set of radials on my Silverado had almost 120,000 miles on them and still had tread above the tread indicator bars.  Careful watching of the alignment, tire pressures, and common sense driving.  If I do not get at least 100,000 miles on a set of tires, I feel cheated.

[Larry Schramm]

3 hours ago, Tejon said:

Thanks for the confirmation on righty-tightee.

 

Never have used a 4ft cheater but if it works then job well done. 

 

I have been there done that.  Even with heat and penetrant some things will just not move otherwise.

Edited October 11, 2021 by Larry Schramm (see edit history)

[Grimy]

For tubes, I recommend 16" light truck radial tubes, which work well in bias-ply tires.  Those tubes are easily available from tire shops and are inexpensive.  They are half the price and twice as reliable as "reproduction" tubes offered by sellers of repro tires.

[EmTee]

21 hours ago, old-tank said:

Bias truck tires:

A 650/16 tire would fit but look ridiculously small...about $100 at farm supply outlets.

A 7.50-16LT is available...about $160

 

True, however, based on my experience with a set of these (7.00 x 15) on my '38 Century they ride like truck tires -- especially before they warm up.  Mine bump like crazy when cold,, as they are Nylon cord and Load Range D.  Once hot they're OK...  I have been experimenting with air pressure, but so far the pressures specified in the shop manual seem to be the best compromise.  The front tires were filled to their maximum rated load pressure when I received the car, which was somewhat better when cold, but they rode like solid rubber wheels...

 

If you're just looking for an interim solution, however, the truck tires will work fine.  They are also tubeless, which simplifies installation and maintenance.

[old-tank]

3 hours ago, EmTee said:

 

True, however, based on my experience with a set of these (7.00 x 15) on my '38 Century they ride like truck tires -- especially before they warm up.  Mine bump like crazy when cold,, as they are Nylon cord and Load Range D.  Once hot they're OK...  I have been experimenting with air pressure, but so far the pressures specified in the shop manual seem to be the best compromise.  The front tires were filled to their maximum rated load pressure when I received the car, which was somewhat better when cold, but they rode like solid rubber wheels...

 

If you're just looking for an interim solution, however, the truck tires will work fine.  They are also tubeless, which simplifies installation and maintenance.

Ha, yes nylon truck tires are brutal.  I drive my 51 Ford truck about 3 miles on neighborhood streets to warm the tires before hitting the highway.  On my first trip to a National meet the Sears Allstate WWW tires failed (huge bulges external and internal) after 1000 miles.  So I shipped (Greyhound) them back home to get a refund and installed four 700-15 truck tires to get me home since I needed trailer tires anyway.  Not bad on a 55 Buick, but I could not stand to look at those hideous blackwalls.