Re: Tires for a 1939 Sedan 6-cyl

Posted by 39SixSedanMan On 2015/4/18 20:43:47

West,
Responding to your first response on this thread.

So, help me understand your point correctly. First, if any maintenance aspect of a car is ignored, it can be dangerous. I think this is what you are saying:

1. You are saying that classic radials are more expensive than bias ply, owners will be less inclined and likely to replace them at the 5 year mark, as opposed to bias ply tires? Therefore, the owner is indirectly accepting the decision to keep radial tires longer than the equivalent bias ply owner? In addition, that the average bias ply owner replaces his/her tires when they are 5 years old, regardless of mileage?

2.You are saying the decline of Radial tires' safety from the 'when new at zero miles and zero age' condition to when they are five years old, means they are unsafe after 5 years and should be replaced due to material degradation, regardless of mileage?


If so, I do not agree. Although after the Firestone/Ford legal settlement years ago, the TREAD act required better date coding on tires, that does not mean that the radial tires are quickly unsafe after 5 years. It is true that any tire material dries over its useful life and tire shops recommend replacement beginning around 7 years, that is for a tire usage schedule for a modern driver that includes typically higher mileage, more seasonal exposure. For tires that run a lesser usage schedule, including indoor storage, such as our hobby cars, it is legitimate to expect more.

Repeating the fact that a blow out on a bias ply results in a significantly compromised sidewall load carrying capability, the immediate result is an erratic steering input and difficult control. Radial tire construction has significantly reduced such a result after a blow out, not to mention the fact that other than puncture, blow outs are nearly non existent due to radial technology. Not so for bias ply. Bias ply tires had inner tubes because the technology could not seal against the rim.

Regarding reliability and safety, these are just a couple of the reasons bias ply tires were replaced. TO me, these are facts.

Pat