Had a question for those who have experience running both of these . I am currently running the Blackwall bias ply Firestones with the pie crust style outer tread on my 1932 Ford roadster . I daily drive the car frequently .I have never had a chance to run the dirt track style Firestone’s . I know they look completely different from one another , but my question is does one have better drivability than the other ? Or being that they are both bias play will there be little difference and mainly just difference in appearance ?
The tires you are referring to do not have the DOT ref on them, here in Wisconsin have heard stories of Sheriffs checking for that on traffic stops and issuing a citation. As a rule here they don't seem to harass Hot Rodders much, pretty much leave you alone unless you get their attention with stupidity, just thought I'd point this out in case you were not aware tires/DOT marking
My Firestone dirt track tires have DOT certification on them, and yes they ride and feel better than my Firestone Bias plys. Mick
Hmmmm I have pie crust on all my rods. Can someone chime in and tell us aren't "dirt track" tires for dirt? or are these now for street driving?
The older dirt track tires used to have a softer sidewall and softer compound to help them bite the dirt. Used to be a few guys that ran them around here on fast street cars. Worked out really well back in the day. A poor man's cheater street slick.
Depends on who you ask. When I ordered my original Firestone dirt track tires 20 years ago from Weisel Firestone in Pennsylvania I inquired what compounds were still available, he asked me what I was putting them on, when I told him they were for a street roadster (my avatar car), he said "I didn't hear you say that". Yes, Cokers' repops are DOT certified and four ply rated.
I've put a bunch of miles on both. The dirt trackers are a softer rubber, ride nicer, and don't follow cracks nearly as bad. But, they don't last as long, and tend to cup.
Thanks for all the input . I have a new set of wheels that I’m gonna clean up and paint so I will give the dirt track tires a try on them and hang on to my pie crust Firestone’s and have them as a spare set of wheels/tires.
Cool. They are pretty radically different tires front to back but I’ve heard nothing but good about running them on the street on a hotrod. There’s quite a few threads on here about it, sure you’ll be happy with them
I agonized over this choice for several weeks, and then just said "WTF, I like the looks of the dirt trackers, I'll learn to live with the ride." I love 'em!
I've daily driven dirt track front and regular firestones for awhile. My biggest complaint is the dirt track tires in front in the rain. Gotta be a little carefull in the corners.
Currently has 650x16 & 600x16 Firestone blackwalls . I will go larger in rear with the dirt track tires