Red line radial versus bias ply

[Chevy454]

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Originally posted by StealthBird:

Another thing radials provide is a much softer ride. Not a big deal if yer just putting around once a year to the local cruise or car show, but radials make a big difference if you actually drive your car.

Put a radial on the front right of the car, and a bias ply on the front left (ummm....don't drive it, this is a static demonstration ), then bounce on each fender. It's night and day. The radial acts like a cushion, the bias ply is hard as a rock. There's no sidewall flex at all with a bias ply.


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Hey Mike, check out these non-flexing sidewalls...

[mockingbird812]

Nice squat!!! Particularly the TA. Rob - what pressures are those guys running to get the "wrinkle" and presumably better bite?

Thanks!

[SmallHurst]

They are running pressures down to 15-18 PSI to try and get the wrinkle. THIS IS NOT WHAT THESE TIRES DO!!! This will destroy the integrity of these tires in short order. Short term gain, long term loss!!!

[67 Nova Boy]

Now..."Thats" What I'm talking about!! Will the Red Lines do that at that Pressure?
Very nice! I think I smell Racing Gas..

Dave
67 Nova Boy

[wheelhop]

I'm going with the diamond back red line radials on my next project. I've used both (bias ply and radials) on my chevelle and feel the radials are far superior for drivability. If you want originality, then go back to the wooden wheels we used on our wagons back in the wild west!

[StealthBird]

Well, I was talking about bouncing on the fender, and you'll see the bias ply sidewall does not flex verses the cushioning/flexing occurs with a radial. But the best thing is that we got a few cool pictures from this debate.

I've run my bias plies for a few months in the summer, and they're real teeth rattlers compared to the radials. As for ruts in the road, I've had the wheel yanked out of my hand a couple times when I've hit uneven pavement. Those spots in the road always seem to occur within the shadows of trees, you know?

[CDNL-78]

Hey Rob
Kwool pictures there, post somemore if you got them. I won't be doing that with the Nova, however, there maybe a slight wrinkle in my wifes face when I tell her how much I paid for them I may have to get a picture of that. They should be here by the end of this week according to UPS tracking. Still gotta wait for the street sweeper to clean up the roads before I get it out though.

[camarojoe]

Don't mind the naysayers... you'll be fine, your car will look like it's supposed to, and i think you'll be pleasantly surprised at how your car drives with bias plies. Many here have put 1000's of trouble-free miles on them without any problems.

[427TJ]

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For the next question, would you go with the E70-14(original size), or go for the next size up, which would be F70-14 I believe ?? Fill in the wheel wells a bit, or what do you all think.

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I went with the F70x14 Coker redlines for my '67 RS/SS 396 Camaro. The Ds, although the original size, are too small for my tastes and the Fs do fill-out the wheel arches much better. Yes, the car hunts around on grooved roadways but they did that in 1967 too. My only gripe with my Cokers, bought in 2002, is that they don't clean and shine as easily as other tires. I use the Bleche-White and Armor-All method (the ONLY thing I use A-All on is tires) and they look good but over the winter they tend to leech-out whatever is in the tire compound and the sidewalls get 'gray,' for lack of a better description. There are threads on here as to how to clean/care for Cokers if you do a search. Lastly, the look of the belted tire cannot be beat, especially on a stock/stock-look car.

[SmallHurst]

To remove the gray from your tires (as well as some stains from your white/red stripe, RWL) you can use a little lacquer thinner on a rag and sparingly wipe the tires down. It will bring them back to black in no time and does not leave a shine. It is the A-All that it graying up on the tires. Just remove it and start over.