Comprehensive Bias-Ply Tire Success/Failure Empirical Evidence Post

I'm about ready to pull the trigger on some rolling stock for the roadster so that I can get fine-tune and finalize the chassis, etc...

So I've been thinking about the posts on here regarding Coker tire failures and bias-ply problems in general.

I came to the conclusion that having the actual, real world successes and failures of the tires all on one post in the form of a poll might be useful.

I mean, we've all read the threads and heard the horror stories, but is it a 1-in-10 deal or a 1-in-100 thing... Is it just Firestones or do BFG and Excelsiors suck too... Is it just that there's way more Firestones on the road or what?

I'm focusing on Bias-plys because basically, I think they're the most appropriate for this forum and I think they may be the biggest culprit.

So what I'm looking for here are the guys with actual first hand experience with modern Bias-ply tires to chime in on the poll... Positively or negatively... So that we as a community, can get an idea what the tire landscape is looking like.

Maybe the makers will find the info usefull too...

I can add more poll questions too I believe, so let me know if the options aren't good enough...

 

Bias ply tires are only good for about 20,000 miles

 

Kilroy, if you dig up my Excelsior thread you will se pretty good reports. No issues like the other Cokers. Only thing is they are a soft tire and wear fast. Posted by guys running them.

 

Yeah that was the start of this for me... I'm actually hoping to draw people out who haven't posted... And try to get them all on one thread so we can get a side-by-side...

I started to think about the people who haven't had anything to say yet...

I mean, if you go just by what's posted, you'd think every Firestone was going to fail and the Excelsiors were all golden...

That may be true, but my head was kinda spinning thinking about everything I've read on here about tires... If we could get it all on one thread, maybe it'd help...

Maybe not...

I've had 2 sets of bfg's and a set of Firestones on my Shoebox and T-Bird and loved them... No problems at all, they rode nice, and handled well...

So that's what I put in the poll...

 

80 views and 6 voters... Does that mean 74 people who actually cared, out of the 60k, have never run Bias Plys?

 

I have a set of Firestone streets on one car, that have been fine, but don't have a lot of miles on them (prolly about 1000).

I also have a brand new set of 'others' that I just put on a project... less than 50 miles. Also fine, so far.

 

I would think 1000 miles might be enough... It seems like failures or horible ride problems are happening pretty quickly...

What 'Others'?

 

Had to get my fronts trued on tire shaver,lost some milage for sure. They were way out of round both 5.60 15's Firestones. 3000 miles plus now I am happy but would like a choice for my next build. Can't beat the look of the stones....

 

bias-ply tires 3-1 vs radials. looks,styling vs longevity.

 

I've fitted Firestones for the 'A' I'm building.Not driven on them yet,so,not in a position to vote.However ,I have heard of people having problems balancing them and even out of round tyres.Mine balanced up OK,fair bit of weight but that could be the old rims.I would be interested to see if the 'problems' are on a specific size of tyre or,if whitewall or blackwall.
Mine are 6.00x16 and 7.00x16 blackwall,no problems ,so far!

 

If you vote for "Others," do a quick post about what they are...

That way, if there seems to be a lot of the same kind, I'll add another couple poll topics.

 

As it with a lot of safety issues, relative experience can prepare us for the unexpected. Having driven on Bias since I was a kid, I recognize a flat coming on, possibly before someone that isn't familiar with them would.
A tube type bias tire goes down very fast, never slowly after the process has begun. With a tubeless tire the pressure can go down from 40 psi to 20 psi and still provide a fairly stable ride, will usually give advance warning of an impending failure.
With a Bias that much loss of pressure will most likely take the bead of the tire off the rim immediately, resulting in great instability.

Another thing; A nail picked up by a tubeless tire might not even result in a leak, but in a tube the flexing of the tire will result in the hole in the tube getting torn bigger and the tire will go flat in a hurry. If not prepared, able to recognize the symptoms, before you know it the tire has completely collapsed and could take one off the road in a flash.

I rarely drive my tubetype bias tires over 70mph, get out on the open road only a couple of times a year. If I were going to do a lot of left lane driving I'd go to Radials.

 

Been running Coker Classics for years and no failures. I have 2 sets on 2 different vehicles

 

It's an old car. Should have bias plys. Old cars with radials ain't cool.......

 

I just put a pair of U.S. Royals on the front of my Hot Rod and love them. They don't have such a pronounced piecrust but they handle better than the Firestones. They run straight and true, no wobbles or vibrations. I cruise at 85mph to 90mph most of the time and only need one finger on the steering wheel, I let a buddy put about 150 miles on my car last weekend and he agrees, they handle great. At least that's my experience with them.

 

I'm running Firestone Dirt tracks front and rear. Love the looks. The ride is what it is for a bias ply tire. I've got @ 3100 miles on them and they seem to wear ok. They do squeal a bit in the turns. I'd put another set on when these wear out. I've had them 90 mph on a 1800 lb. car.

.

 

I love the Firestones, got 750-16 (had several sets) in the rear, and 550-16 (my first set) dirt track tires in front.
I heard good and bad about the dirt track tires, but mine are just fine going at 90 mph in my model a coupe.

 

think i've been fairly lucky with bias plys over the years, had one really bad 16 inch firestone ribbed/dirt track front tire that coker (actually performance plus) replaced, and one bad plain firestone front. probably been through 10 sets of bias plys in the last 10 years, never put more than a few thousand miles on a set as i don't keep cars very long. i really like to run the 700-16 firestone rears with the excelsior 5.25 fronts, tread pattern is very similar and the excelsiors seem to take a whole lot less weight than the stones do.

i wonder if alot of the tread blow out issues come from running them at to high a pressure?

 

Yeah me too, what type of pressure are you running yours, I think I'm running 20psi in the rear and 25 up front.

 

i run around 22psi at all 4 wheels in the 34, in a lighter car down to 16-18 up front.

 

Bringing it back...

 

FWIW, I had a Coker split right down the middle on my chopper.

 

Wow, regarding air pressure in the Firestones. I was running low pressure and had really warm going to hot tread temps with low air.

I run 36 in the front and 32 in the rear now and the temps are better. Hot ashphalt and high speeds still gets them really warm, but not to the point of getting sticky like they did on low air.

Heat is the enemy of tires.

Unlike a radial, You shouldn't use the tire as a spring.. get the suspension to work and air up the tires.

My Champions on the rear behave well, the dirt trackers on the front, well, one is good the other has a little wiggle in it. When I wear them out I'm thinking Exceliors.

Frank

 

Run Firestones and love em. Until I have to replace them after 20,000 miles.
I will buy bias again. Some cars just need them to look right.
I run low pressure 25 pounds. Had two flats on the rear of the pickup last week from a nail. The tubed tire looses pressure in 15-20 seconds and after that if your tires are still turning the tire WILL begin coming off the rim.
I dont even want to think about having that happen doing 65 mph.
Puncture to tire rim separation takes about 30-40 seconds. Scary..

 

I run firestones on two of my cars. Only problem so far is the front tires on my model A (525-16) have started cracking where the whitewall meets the black. They are about 3 years old.
I had a tire come off the rim on my shoebox once last winter, but I believe it was from driving with two low air pressure. I run 30 psi in mine now and so far no problems.
My edsel has Remington G-78-14's on it. They drive like shit compared to the firestones.

 

I have over 7K on my Firestones and no problems except the ones I caused. Everything seems fine. You cna not beat the pie crust look on the Firestone. I am running 22 psi in my A RPU.

 

I have Firestones on my 32 4 door,,they are hard compound tires and wear excellent,,,but ride rough.

The are narrow and follow every uneven rut in the road.

You didn't list Coker,,I have had great luck with the Coker bias-ply classic tires on my truck,,and when the old Firestones one the sedan wear out I will replace them with the classics also.

No real problems with any of the bias tire,,it is true they don't last as long as radials but the radials don't look as good in my honest opinoin. HRP

 

I've had bias-ply tires (don't recall which brands) on my 65 Barracuda and hated driving with them. My car also followed every rut in the road and driving the 401 was not fun.

Only use bias-plies if you're not going to drive your car very far or very fast.