Weird. What help is seeing a string of pictures of fenderless cars with radials really? Just man up and own it run whatever tires you want. These radial/bias threads are in pretty close alignment with discussing politics. Everyone has to yell their preference and reasons at the top of their lungs and in the end... the people running bias are going to keep running them, the people running radials are going to keep running them, and the fence sitters are going to keep waffling... looking for reassurance one way or another all the while hoping someone else makes the decision for them.
I think it's reasonable to ask for pics, especially if the posters also list what size/brand tires they're running. It can help others see radial combos that can pull off the "bias-ply look"....as well as ones which can't! I'm one of the people who is on the fence about tire construction for my car. I'd prefer to run a radial, but only if it can pull off the right look. If not, I'm comfortable running bias. So this thread is very helpful for someone like me. Tommy
More like preferring drums over disc. Both are fine for the job, discs and radials seem to handle higher performance better. But the others are fine if driven within their limits. And there is no denying that short of some of the Coker's radials are just plain ugly on an open wheeled traditional car.
Yes Coker radials require a tube. I'm told they are a truck tire. I know they are really heavy and 6 ply or something like that. I like the way they look and perform on my coupe and will continue to use them.
Running radial's on the 34, roads around here are not in the best of shape so its easier to replace when you slice one up.
Nankang (cheap chinese) radial has a nice looking tread, not blocky like most. I plan on switching mine out someday.
I've kind've noticed that a lot of the posters chiming in seem to be from what I refer to as the "salt belt" part of the nation... in other words... they use so much salt during the winter that it literally ruins the roads due to expansion/contraction... and the bodies of our daily drivers. We've a lot of roads here that are unecessarily fubar'd...
Hate to put a shameless plug in, but be sure to PM me if you need those tires, I have them available (and I'm in IL) $50 ea for 165R15-brand new
Here's my old driver roadster that we just put over 1400 miles on last weekend on our 10th Annual Lake Area Roadsters Reliability Run. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=478680 I love the look of bias but since this car has been on the road for 10 years radials are all I have ever run on it, and I do run it pretty hard! <table style="width:auto;"><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From 2010 10th Anniversary Lake Area Roadsters Reliability Run to the Black Hills</td></tr></table> <table style="width:auto;"><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From 2010 10th Anniversary Lake Area Roadsters Reliability Run to the Black Hills</td></tr></table> And what I like the best is that out here you can run all day long at this speed (and I do!) and not worry about the tires! <table style="width:auto;"><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From 2010 10th Anniversary Lake Area Roadsters Reliability Run to the Black Hills</td></tr></table>
Brilliant observation Kevin. There was a car in Street Rodder an issue or two ago, and I didn't even notice it had radials. That was pretty shocking for me because I loath radials on open wheel cars. As someone else stated, the biggest problem is the wheel size. Most run wider wheels with radials than the bias ply guys, and that itself adds to the different look that the bias ply folks HATE. I don't know if it had the Excelsiors or not, but that is a HUGE step in the right direction, as long as you don't want white walls.
Good to hear, what size? Are they the 7.50's in the back? What in front? They look a little bigger than the 4.50/4.75's bias plys? I'll be due for tires in the next year or so and while I don't know that I can be swayed out of the bias plys, those definitely fit the profile.
Ratbone, I think this thread of yours showing the before and after of your coupe is a great example for this thread. Your before is a typical radial tire look. Where you've ended up is so much better visually. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=263625
Wow, I can't believe that I read this whole post...Next let's discuss why a altenator is better than a generator, or why an open wheel car with radials and a altenator driven by a woman with implants is better than a open wheel car with bias ply's and a generator driven by a woman with natural headlamps....what?
Here's mine ... with Coker Classics. And sundry other non-traditional shit -- like disc's, rack, and A/C -- that make it a truly great-drivin' car. All you gotta do is get over the fact that some folks ain't gonna like it. But did you build it for them????? Do you owe them money??? Are they serious buyers???? If the answer to these questions is "No!" ... then what do you care about their opinions.
Here's a shot of my fronts..all 4 are the same size. 7 inches wide...Hoosier street type radials. Excellent rain tires. As a side note, notice that when you turn the KC landing light covers 90 degrees you get a crescent moon above a bird. I have run this car without fenders but don't have any pics.
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