ardel22 Posted February 11, 2004 Share Posted February 11, 2004 does anyone have experience/comments on diamond back wide whitewall radial tires especially 215/75R16 (670-16 equivalent)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocketraider Posted February 11, 2004 Share Posted February 11, 2004 I've never run them myself as I was always able to find a tire that met my requirements off the dealer shelf. I HAVE talked with the DBC guys at length at the Charlotte swap meets, and I am convinced they have a good product. What they do is take a new radial tire, in the size and brand you prefer, and vulcanize whatever width whitewall or redline you want onto that casing. The colored rubber stripe is slightly raised above the tire casing surface.They try to use American made tires as much as possible. Some sizes are only made by certain manufacturers, so you may not be able to get, say, a Michelin in your needed size, but my experience is that a high mileage tire like that will dry rot before it ever wears out on a collector car.The business owner is a career rubber chemist. He will steer you toward the correct load rating and tire profile to get the performance and appearance you want. Their display car is a 1950 Olds that they drive from SC to Charlotte.The size you need is going to be a modern LT (light truck) radial. Meaning- it will be weight rated for a truck and may ride a little harder than a passenger car radial. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
real61ss Posted February 11, 2004 Share Posted February 11, 2004 I have a set of Diamondback redlines, very pleased with them. Not only did they put the redline on, they removed all other markings from the front side of the tire which gives them a nice clean look. I think my tires are Dayton's. Good thing about their whitewalls is, they can give you about whatever width you want on whatever size tires you want. Good bunch of guys to work with. Tommy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest SalG (Sal Grenci) Posted February 12, 2004 Share Posted February 12, 2004 Welcome to the forum. Another good source for info on tires on the DF is Rick Hoover. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ardel22 Posted February 17, 2004 Author Share Posted February 17, 2004 Rick Hoover:Can you comment please, or alternatively, how do I contact him? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Hoover Posted February 18, 2004 Share Posted February 18, 2004 I'm afraid I won't be much use to you concerning this company's product, even as much as I enjoy discussing tires and their construction. I have never owned their product, nor do I plan to. Paying $170.00 for a modern radial tire with a glued-on wide white rubber strip is just something I'm not into. Sorry I'm of no help to you regarding this company. However, if you wish to discuss a alternative to this company's product, you have my attention. Rick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6219_Rules Posted February 18, 2004 Share Posted February 18, 2004 Rick, if I may, since you DID offer...I have Ambassador bias ply with wide white walls on my 1947 Cadillac size 78-15. Unfortunately they are a tad too wide and rub on the fender skirts in back, otherwise they seem to be a good tire. Is there an alternative, in a WWW or blackwall, that would work well and be a LITTLE less pricey? I have Goodyear Regatta IIs on my Eldorado and they only cost $87 a tire! And they are excellent tires! I could always put a set of the Regattas on but I do not want to change the look of the car, and radials always look slightly shorter than the bias ply on this car (I have seen several, both modified and not with radials that gave me this general impression). Do you have a suggestion for me? THANKS! <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Hoover Posted February 18, 2004 Share Posted February 18, 2004 Randall, I only have one suggestion and that is to put on the correct tire your car came with. Step up to the plate and buy a set of 700 X 15 B.F.Goodrichs from Coker Tire or one of his dealers. You say you have a 78-15, which I assume you mean a L78 X 15. That is a bias "belted" tire which was introduced in the late 60's. I can fully understand their rubbing on the rear skirts as they are (depending on brand) 1 and 1/4" wider in section width than the original bias 700 X 15. There wasn't a whole lot of room to spare in there originally. Going to a compatable size P23575R-15 radial will increase in section width another 1/2 inch even more than you have now. However, I have sold radials to several people with Cadillacs of your era and most claim there were no problems in rubbing. Bottom line is, there is no cheap alternative or solution to making your car look and handle like it did originally. Rick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6219_Rules Posted February 18, 2004 Share Posted February 18, 2004 Rick, Thank you for that wonderful response. The tires came on the car and I have been concerned about their relative size and handling. I will take your advice and go for the proper BF Goodrich tire. Thanks again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Hoover Posted February 18, 2004 Share Posted February 18, 2004 You're very welcome Randall and I'm glad to see you're making the right decision. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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