Re: Reccomended tires for a 1956 Four Hundred?
Posted by Owen_Dyneto On 2017/3/28 22:30:35
I've had both bias ply and radials on my 56 Caribbean. I'll certainly give a nod to improved handling with the radials, but not by a large margin - handling with the bias ply was more than adequate and a pleasant driving experience with a front end in good condition and properly aligned. As to tire life, sure the radials will give more tread life but with limited miles that some collector cars are driven, bias will generally outlast them before physical deterioration rather than tread life dictates replacement.
1956 was just on the very cusp of the introduction of narrow whitewall widths - there is a well-known photo of 56 Packards in a Kansas City showroom, the 400 in front has narrow whitewalls. So that would legitimatize narrow whites on a 56, but I think it doesn't present well and I'd go for the more traditional width shown in photos of the era.
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1956 was just on the very cusp of the introduction of narrow whitewall widths - there is a well-known photo of 56 Packards in a Kansas City showroom, the 400 in front has narrow whitewalls. So that would legitimatize narrow whites on a 56, but I think it doesn't present well and I'd go for the more traditional width shown in photos of the era.
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