prarriehnd Posted October 29, 2004 Share Posted October 29, 2004 There are nothing like wide whitewalls to dress up a vehicle. But on my 52 Chev. PICKUP my bias tires need to be replaced. A number of people have recommended radials. What are your thoughts? Do you know any good tire suppliers for the 6.00 X 16 rims?This truck is primarily a driver. Though it is a looker going down the road, it is one year too new to compete in shows around here. I get grouped with 1970's and 80's trucks with all the trimmings. I simply love the history and enjoy showing it regardless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kipper50 Posted October 29, 2004 Share Posted October 29, 2004 Check with Coker Tires, they just came out with Radial Wide Whites in your size. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 29, 2004 Share Posted October 29, 2004 I hope your need for 6.00x16 rims is not connected with your '52 Chevy. The '52 used 15" rims.hvs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Hoover Posted October 30, 2004 Share Posted October 30, 2004 Howard, I think he wants 16 inch tires because he has a pickup truck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shop Rat Posted October 31, 2004 Share Posted October 31, 2004 Are you wanting them for a show car/truck or a driver? If for a show car/truck then radials are a major deduction at 3 points per tire including any spares that are radials.Many people try to argue that radials are safer and therefore should be viewed the same as turn signals or seat belts as allowable safety items. But so far the AACA has held fast in not allowing them. Some people go ahead and put radials on to drive and enjoy the car/truck and have correct bias-ply tires for shows. But if you intend to show the vehicle and money is a concern put the money in correct tires. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 31, 2004 Share Posted October 31, 2004 Ooops! But he dint say pickup, I don't think. hvs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shop Rat Posted October 31, 2004 Share Posted October 31, 2004 Howard~You are right, he did not mention a pick-up on this thread. But he did in his message regarding 50's Fram Filter Kit and I think that is where Rick saw that prarriehnd was looking for items for a pick-up.~Susan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 1, 2004 Share Posted November 1, 2004 Thanks Susan. I'm not losing my marbles after all. Howard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shop Rat Posted November 1, 2004 Share Posted November 1, 2004 Put them in a gumball machine. They look very pretty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 1, 2004 Share Posted November 1, 2004 What do I do with the gum balls that are already in the machine. We really do have one of those things here and it is kept full. hvs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest De Soto Frank Posted November 1, 2004 Share Posted November 1, 2004 For once, I'll try to bring things back on topic...If you're looking for tires for a pick-up driver, check some of your local tire merchants (Mom & Pops); I picked-up some 7.50 x 16 bias mud-grips for my '61 Willys several years ago...Goodyear Workhorse. They ran about $80 per tire, which is about $20 cheaper than the "antique" 6.50 x 16s I've been putting on my De Soto for the last several years.If you're looking for "authentic" tires, then Coker or Universal are your best bets...FYI, your '52 Chevy pick-up originally came with U.S. Royal tires (now "Uniroyal") - I think Coker has U.S. Royal repros in truck sizes...Plan on spending about $100 per tire (or more) for "antique" tires. While you're at it, get new tubes too...it's not worth the aggravation to put thitry to fifty year-old tubes into new tires just to save a few bucks; I forgot this "rule" the other week when installing a new tire on my De Soto, and a week later was breaking down the new tire to put a new tube in it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shop Rat Posted November 2, 2004 Share Posted November 2, 2004 And I really do keep my childhood collection of marbles in my gum machine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wldavis Posted November 2, 2004 Share Posted November 2, 2004 Sorry, prarriehnd, but there is "Nothing like BLACKWALLSto dress up a vehicle".Go with the blackwall radials, if you are using yourvehicle as a driver.-Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest De Soto Frank Posted November 2, 2004 Share Posted November 2, 2004 Well put, Bill...Wide-whites are a lot of maintenance; plus very few (if any) working trucks would've worn wide-whites in 1952. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1607 Posted November 2, 2004 Share Posted November 2, 2004 Couple of thoughts on tires:First of all, the WIDTH of white-walls shrank starting with the mid-1930's. By the early 1950's, only VOUGE still had anything even resembling a "wide" white-wall - you rarely saw those on anything but new Cads and Packards. By the mid 1950's, there was simply no such thing as a truly WIDE white-wall - pretty funny when you go to car shows and see present day collector "wides" on these 50's era cars. The white wall tires of the 1950's were around 2.2" wide.A pick up truck with white-walls in the 1950's..? NEVER saw one, even in the flamboyant Hollywood that I lived in, in those years.Sadly, there is WIDE variation in the quality of the "repro/collector" tires. I have Cokers on my 16,000 lb V-12 American La France fire engine - it handles so well I call it my "big red sports car". Of course they are bias - no radials are available in that size. I had "repro/collector" bias tires on my Packard Twelve - its sloppy handling, "plowing" in corners, "hunting" every tar strip, had me convinced something was wrong with the steering (because I KNEW how these cars DID handle with "real" quality bias tires).Ever tried to take the front end apart on a Packard Twelve with IFS ? DONT unless you read the instructions that may still come with the parts kit for these car by STEELE ( I know those instructions are good, and a safe way to do this...I wrote em ! ).The problem was not in the suspension - it was in the bias tires available in thatd size (8:25 x 16). Recently, a couple of "collector tire" companies have come out with full sixe 7:50 x 16 radial wide whites (that are, incidentally, NOT as wide as some - they are the CORRECT width for the more conservative later classic era ) and...presto - had my car's wonderful handling back. See...I KNOW how these cars handled with DECENT bias ply tires, so I KNOW that in this particular case, the radials simply RESTORED the built-in excellent road feel and handling.Another problem with many of the so called "collector/bias" tires - they accent the built in problem of bias tires - internal tire heating at speed. Internal tire heating is what causes catastrophic failure in tire casings. With the radials, you can drive heavy cars at normal freeway speeds without them coming apart. Believe me - a three ton car moving at 70 mph...having a blow out from those damned fool "collector / bias" tires, was not exactly a day in the park. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prarriehnd Posted November 3, 2004 Author Share Posted November 3, 2004 Wow! So the wide whites may be a mistake if we're sticking to the original ... Thanks for the info concerning the modern move to the wide whites. I fell for them. And you're right -- The tires were expensive and poor. Trying to drive the truck on trips of any length was like taking your life into your hands. The tires sought out every road variation throwing the vehicle all over the road. They also did heat which, I'm sure, sped their demise. I'll look for the bias tires you mentioned and compare them too the Coker radials. Thanks so much for all the info! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now