Coker Tires - Is it just me??

"Airsoft "plastic BBs work just as well as the Dyna beads and cost less they might even be the beginnings of Dyna beads. Off roaders started using the BBs in big floatation tires years ago with very good results. For regular sized car tires you just measure out 3.5 oz. of Airsoft plastic beads and toss them into the tire through a broken bead or while mounting the tire for the first time.You can buy Airsoft BBs in the sporting good section of your favorite department store or most sporting good stores it's about 12$ for a big container that will do about a dozen tires. Once you use the BBs you can not use any type of tire sealer like Slime or Fix A Flat.

 

Yeah you are right, tie rod is out front. Axle is home built using Sherpa van spindles. these were flipped side to side as the Ross steering box ( from a combine harvester ) was fer left hand drive and axle was from RHD ( normal for UK ). I did heat and bend the steering arms to restore ackerman. Problem was definitly the tyres, 3/8" out up and down and side to side. Wasted ££ ketting them reset on the rims. Some wierd brand radials sorted it, steady at 100 mph now.

 

if the rod sets not driven for a while bias tires bump and bounce until you get them on the road for awhile.

 

Mine are about 23 years old - Firestones 670x15 hard as a rock and still clean up like new. I have tubes in them, but they have to "warm up" to smooth out. I don't go out and run 80 mph on the freeway-don't need to-don't want to. I bet the tires that are produced today will turn to crap in less than 7 years, because of the crap materials they are using. The manufactures don't want there products to last very long - so they can sell more to us. But that's just my opinion, as little as that means.

 

There was a reason the radial tire was developed. They need to make a radial that looks like a bias ply. Hmmm, product idea, who wants to be a millionaire?

 

These will be available later this year from Diamondback and will be in (old sizes) 600x16 700x16 etc---don't know what price will be---I called last week & they told me to call back in a couple weeks & they would have more info then. I will post when I find out anything

 

Well, they'd better hurry up, there are only two days left in this year.

 

Ha ha---got me!
It will be in 2013

 

i have 4 . many years & miles with no trouble ..........

 

You have 4 what??

 

don't ask.......

 

You are running on 23 YO tires? Check back with us after the first one blows...if you are able.

 

Must not do much driving---I wore a set out in 3 summers

 

Coker questions, the manufacture process would be educational.

 

I get about 2 to 2-1/2 years out of mine. I won't roll on anything over 10. Lives are in the balance, not just money, or your opinion about how long rubber lasts.

 

I called Diamondback before you did and talked to Carroll. He said they were shut down until after the first of the year, and he didn't know when the radials would be available, but he would call and check on them and get back to me...he never did.

He also said they have been in talks with a tire manufacturer... and have working on this for over a year, and the only sizes they were going to make initiallly was the 6.00x16 and the 7.10x15.

I asked him specifically if the pie crust sidewall actually looked like the pics on their website, and he said he couldn't confirm if they would look like that or not...sounds to me like they are more than likely the same looking radials that Coker sells now...hope I'm wrong. He also said that Coker Radials are made in Mexico...but can you believe a competitor?...we'll just have to wait and see...

 

Gee he should get his ass in gear---there is a picture of one on the front of his 2012 catalog,that was probably printed in 2011

 

Soon is relative.

 

gotta wonder were bias ply tires this much trouble when that was all a person could get?

 

NOPE---I drove on them for years,& half of them were recapped-----Worked in a gas station in the 50's that sold lots of tires ,mostly recaps & Kellys and only had a bubble balancer---no problems!!!

 

I'll second that, Gary. It was 10 years before I ever drove a car with radials. Maybe I had my mind on other things, but I don't remember any big hassles with bias plys. And, yes, I too drove on many recaps. And I had a cheap bubble balancer that I used on more than one occasion. Right now I'm running used B.F. Goodrich Silvertowns & have really not experienced any hassles. Maybe the prior owner of the set rounded them for me? Maybe that's the key...buy used bias plys. I've been thinking of new wheels & rubber soon & I will not buy any Cokers. I can't imagine going through all of the expense & trouble, only to find out I have to take the damn things to get shaved. I absolutely do not doubt that people are having these problems. If it's in their heads, why are most of the problems fixed after the shave? I hope Coker gets it fixed, because they're a valuable resource to the hobby.

 

As offen and as much as I can. Still not as much as I would like-have to keep in mind of the old tires. 670 wide white is the only choice for this car - bias ply - I just don't have any faith in Cokers now. To spend $170 for just the tire, plus shipping, tax, mount & balance - then go out and have the car jump all over the places - 2 months later see cracks in the WWW - now a bunch of phone calls - shipping expense to return the tire - pay to dismount, pay to remount and rebalance. Sorry I just don't have the money - so that's why I'm driving on 23 year old tires. I keep looking for used ones on here and other sites, but thats taking a chance too - soooo.

 

There's a good article in Old Cars Weekly this week about Coker. He says he does not manufacture the tires, he just owns the molds. SO you know where the liability stops there! He also says 85% of his tires are made in the US. We need him in the hobby. But I wish he made a better product, even if it meant spending more money. His inner tubes are JUNK, they know it and everyone that's ever bought them knows it. He claims to be on our side, wish he really was.

 

The whitewall Coker Classics, 560s and L 78s on my Panel truck are Great, no problems, drove to Bonneville this year,750 miles one way, they drove great! the 450s and 750s I tried put on it now, not so good! I put them on my brake lathe and spun them, the wheels run true (after going through several sets, you guys need to check your wheels,many of these 70 year old wheels have seen alot of abuse and could be some of your problems) and the tires went up and down like a Clown car? thinking about building a tire shaver so I can use them. Chris

 

When I built this A I had used tires on old 40 ford wheels took it around Charlotte speedway and down the backstretch at about 85 she started the death wobble not much fun mind you. I've been around that place at 175 when I worked at Pettys so I'm glad she did't end up in the fence. Called Cokers got 4 new tires the same size now no near death scares. They were great to deal with. Sometimes I think a lot of the problems might be the old traditional junk wheels we try to run. Tuff being a HAMBer an keepin it out of the fence. Jim

 

I thought I had a solution,but NOT!!!---Thought vacation & drive down to Chattanooga to Coker,let them mount & balance tires,then drive around down there for a couple days & if I had problems,I would be there & not have to go thru shipping back etc,etc. Well they want $14.40 per tire to mount & balance plus 10% sales tax!!!So the HAMB discount would pay the tax,but $14.40 each to mount & balance AFTER paying a premium price for tires . Not for me!!!

 

Wouldn't you pay that to have them mounted locally?

 

Locally is $7.00 to $10.00 Lots of places mount & balance free if you buy new tires from them. Hell,I can mount them myself--still have old set of tire irons around somewhere. I don't mind paying for anything---jus don't like being "TOOK"

 

Nice car! What size tires are you running? They look like like Firestones from the pictures.

 

Yes, I hate to.... but, I must agree. About half of the time I have run into "wobbling" Coker tires it has been the tire at fault. The other half of the time it is the 60 year old wheels at fault. That seems like WAY TOO OFTEN to me,
and just about the same as the problems I see with those imported Chinese bias ply trailer tires... hmmm...