deejaydu

Do Bias tires age out and run the risk of blowing out like Radials?

Thanks

66BBCoupe

Yes - they will fall apart - aged out are dangerous!

deejaydu

Thank you

reno stallion

Yep

dplotkin

My understanding from two friends who are lifelong GoodYear operators is that bias ply tires do not use steel belts and are therefore immune from the rusting and tread separation that comes with old radilas, say over 7 years. Bias ply tires are subject to dry rot and flat spotting which also comes with age. However radials have a finite shelf life where bias plys can go for as long as you have satisfactory inspections. I'm running 2007 bias ply on a Superstock. I'd never do that with a radial tire.

Dan

deejaydu

So Dan I could do local driving without the risk of a Bias ply coming apart regardless if there is some dryrot on the sidewall. Tires have never been driven on but they are well over 10 years old. Does anyone know what size whitewall is correct for a 67. These tires are Goodyear that I am talking about.

Thanks Jay

Brian VH McHale

If there is visible cracking its OVER. End of story.

dplotkin

Whenever I doubt the quality of a tire I let one or the other of my tire friends look carefully at the side walls and in between the treads for signs of dry rot and cracking. I would encourage you to do that before you go anywhere on old tires. The point I wanted to make was that what is true of radials is not necessarily true of bias Plies, but you must have someone that knows what a good tire is look at it and tell you that.

Dan

65 Pro Vette

I have been running biased ply tires for many years without ever an issue. They are nothing like the modern tires that do come apart with age, especially the newer ones where the rubber is made in China, as long as I don’t see dry rotting in the sidewall or tread I run the tires. The ones on my 63 right now are 31 years old and I drive a lot and because they’re not exposed to ultraviolet light. They look as good as new.

Bill Pilon

I have never run anything but bias-ply tires on my 60 Vette and 55 T-Bird and the only reason I have had to replace them is because they wore out. I have never had a bias-ply tire come apart in the 65+ years I have been driving, however I have several radial tires come apart no matter if they were new or old.

Bill

deejaydu

What is the correct width of a 67 whitewall ? Thanks

CorvetteMikeB

I'm kind of bias towards purchasing radial tires.

dplotkin

I'd say 3/4" whitewall for mid 60's.

We all know radial tires are better handling and perhaps better at braking. However they are difficult to make look correct on some old cars. Bias ply tires often make a car drive as though on skates, tramlining and following road imperfections. On the other hand radials have a definite shelf life of around 7 years while bias ply tires can last as long as dry rot and cracking don't present themselves, sometimes over 10 years or more. Bias ply tires make old cars stand proud, they way they did when new.

Dan