Google is failing me today, I can't find out when the DOT numbering scheme became mandatory. There is no DOT number visible on this tire. It is made in the USA, so my best guess is that it is over it is over 40 years old.
"Luckily, decoding a tire and determining the tire's age is a pretty straightforward process, as a standardized 10-digit Tire Identification Number (often called a DOT number) was mandated by the United States Department of Transportation in 1971." I think it may be cooked.................
That is one nice looking bias tire that you have. I am sure that carbon dating can be used to verify the manufacture date on that OLD tire. At least the tire is not all cracked up, unlike most 6 year or older radial tires are.
Thanks. I was hoping the writing might tell the story. It could be the original 1956 tire, stored in the trunk, but yeah not hard and no cracks. It smells like rubber.
It's probably better than any other tire manufactured in the last 20 years. It probably was made before the industry decided to add the ingredients that make them blow out at 9 years old.
Ha, thanks, but not even sure what to do with this one. Kind of a shame to use it. Maybe get a new tire and rim for a safe spare and make an end table..
you mean...steel belts? If it holds air, which it should, I'd use it as a spare, no question. First of all, you're very unlikely to need to use it, and second, it's in great condition. You can tell when bias tires are getting bad, they start to bulge, cords show, etc.
The one in the trunk of our '56 Chrysler looks to be in nearly the same condition as that one, and I am fairly certain it is the original spare.
I have a pair of Shell brand bias tires, mounted and still holding air. Still has a sticker on one of them; never saw the road. If I can find a Shell display thingy, i'd uh, display it.
I bought a used trailer to haul my Mysterion around. It had a brand new/old spare inside, never been outside the trailer, let alone on the road. I set it outside ready to replace an old worn tire the next day. This is how I found it after one day in the sun. Tire shops refuse to work on tires over 7 years old for this reason. The rubber dies. Be careful even airing it up. I uses these old Inglewood Pos-A-Traction recap slicks on my Mysterion. Perfect copies of the originals found them on ebaY and they were never used! I even ran them on the back of My Willys a few miles to a rod run which in retrospect was not the smartest move. Saving grace is the only require 10psi air pressure. Great application on a museum piece, NOT on the road.
It probably is the OEM spare. Ford switched to 14" wheels in '57 until '65, and the 'gum dipped' Firestone was OEM on Fords of that vintage. I've got the blackwall mate to it out in the shop, it had bits of a 1957 newspaper stuck to it when I pulled it out....
After looking at it again, I'm not so sure. The wheel isn't correct for a '50s Ford, they had the large hole for the valve stem and the center is shaped differently. That may be a reproduction...
In my pic the one with the vette hubcap was used on the 57 until it was torn down in the mid 60’s it’s still on an original vette wheel.
Yeah, the older tires will have "Gum Dipped" on them. No long string of serial numbers or date codes.
"GoodYear" actually took its name because of how long a good tire was supposed to last. Yeah, flat tires back in the day were a regular and frequent occurence.
The Jalopy Journal
