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Firestone front runners on hiway?

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by squigy, Jan 10, 2011.

  1. squigy
    Joined: Nov 30, 2003
    Posts: 3,915

    squigy
    Member
    from SO.FLO.

    how are these firestone tires on the hiway?
    can you do 65-70 for 1300 miles one way?
    then 1300 miles back?
     

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  2. cabriolethiboy
    Joined: Jun 16, 2002
    Posts: 892

    cabriolethiboy
    Member

    I was wondering the same thing. How about in the rain? I don't care how good they look, I won't have them if I can't drive with them on it. And I don't mean around town or off the trailer to the fairgrounds, I mean get out and really drive.
     
  3. Drp Kevin Lee a PM he ran 'em on his roadster.

    You can always get a grooving tool and cut some sypes in them. But as deep as the grooves are and narrow as the tire is you shouldn't need them.
     
  4. Kevin Lee
    Joined: Nov 12, 2001
    Posts: 7,642

    Kevin Lee
    Super Moderator
    Staff Member

    I drove the hell out of the set I had. No shaving, no wobbles, no bouncing. Just mounted, balanced, and drove.

    The first long trip was over 300 miles and included a few long stretches of freshly grooved highway. (the corduroy looking kind) No bad manners at all.

    Kris Elmer (loudpedal) probably had more miles on his set with no complaints.

    Edit: I probably averaged 80mph over those 330 miles.
     
  5. Master of None
    Joined: Dec 18, 2009
    Posts: 2,279

    Master of None
    Member

    I put a set on a clients car a 28 sedan with a suicide axle. They drive fine at high speeds and don't seem to follow cracks too bad. He doesn't have a ton of miles on them yet(it is one of 4 cars he owns).
     
  6. gas pumper
    Joined: Aug 13, 2007
    Posts: 2,957

    gas pumper
    Member

    I got a pair of 5.00X16's on the T roadster. I run 36 psi. less pressure and they get real hot. They wear like iron. they drive good. they don't wander. Rain is not a problem and I get to drive in a lot of rain. They stop well in the rain, too. no sliding, never. Mine are kinda old, and they have a hop, at 60-65 mph. This issue is not balance. it does look like a runout or out of round condition, but with the higher air pressure it is minimized. This would not stop me from buying another set.

    When you park them hot, the next time you drive they will thump for the first 2-3 miles til they warm up and get the flat spot from resting out of them.

    I have put a lot of miles on mine, and a lot of this is interstates at 75-80 mph. Even in 100+ temps.
     
  7. loudpedal
    Joined: Mar 23, 2004
    Posts: 2,209

    loudpedal
    Member
    from SLC Utah

    They work good if you ask me. They suck going through cruves at freeway speeds in the rain though. You have to slow way down when the road is wet...
     
  8. I've seen a set mounted and balanced and shaved on the car, then watched them bounce down the highway like a basket ball Larry Bird was drving to the hoop.

    You also wouldn't believe the amount of rubber shaved off of them to make them round. Probably good if you are only running a flathead and can't accelerate enough to set them off.
     
  9. denis4x4
    Joined: Apr 23, 2005
    Posts: 4,304

    denis4x4
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Colorado

    I had balance issues with two sets and switched to Excelsors. No problems in the rain with the Firestones.
     
  10. CutawayAl
    Joined: Aug 3, 2009
    Posts: 2,144

    CutawayAl
    Member
    from MI

    A road approved(DOT) tires have a load rating molded into the sidewall near the bead. Tobe safe on the road, make sure the weight of the vehicle the tires are mounted on doesn't exceeding that rating.
     
  11. loudpedal
    Joined: Mar 23, 2004
    Posts: 2,209

    loudpedal
    Member
    from SLC Utah

    Yeah, right :rolleyes:

    [​IMG]

    Most of you guys who have problems don't Road Force mount your tires and wheels. Shaving would be the last resort. Been covered here before...
     
  12. OK, That car was a little faster than a flathead, High 14s?

    So all you have to do is road force balance them and then there are no problems?? I thought I've read people doing that to no avail. Mine ran good for a while and then they wouldn'r run out at all. I've got a picture of my car doing exactly what your car is doing too. You should be able to get more than 3000 miles out of a set of front tires.

    Whenever I was really accelerating and they crossed over pavement they didn't like they went to bouncing. Best thing I ever did was take those tires off my car. Anyone can drive on bias ply tires, that's not the issue. These tires won't balance and they hop and gyrate at speed and under acceleration. That's the issue. Those tires are terrible if you actually drive your car out on the interstate at speed.

    It's hard to get anywhere when you have to keep slowing down hoping your front end doesn't come apart waiting for the wheel to stop bouncing. This isn't just my car and experience, this is also what I am observing on two other hot rods that are currently running these tires. They are both doing exactly the same thing.

    I know, I spent 8 months messing with them. I just hate to see people get their time wasted.
     
    Last edited: Jan 24, 2011
  13. the-rodster
    Joined: Jul 2, 2003
    Posts: 6,959

    the-rodster
    Member

    I've probably got 10-15 K miles on mine.

    They dribbled like a basketball before I had them road force balanced.

    They still bounce, if I put too much air in them, I only run about 16-18 lbs.

    They really do suck in the rain, especially on a really light (1900 lb) car.

    Other than that, I love them :)

    Somebody thinking about driving to GNRS ???

    Do it. they'll be fine.

    Rich
     
  14. loudpedal
    Joined: Mar 23, 2004
    Posts: 2,209

    loudpedal
    Member
    from SLC Utah

    Remember shaving is a last resort... There is such a thing as a bad tire. Air pressure is key as well (see above).

    BTW high 14's on a cold, green race track, lifting at 1000 ft. Not to mention just after watching Dillard put his car in the wall...
     
    Last edited: Jan 24, 2011
  15. rusty76
    Joined: Jun 8, 2009
    Posts: 882

    rusty76
    Member
    from Midway NC

    So explain what road force balance is. I would like to know. Thanks.
     
  16. racemad55
    Joined: Dec 14, 2005
    Posts: 1,149

    racemad55
    Member

    x2!
     
  17. thunderbirdesq
    Joined: Feb 15, 2006
    Posts: 7,091

    thunderbirdesq
    Member





    http://www.gsp9700.com/
     
  18. Chris Casny
    Joined: Mar 13, 2006
    Posts: 4,874

    Chris Casny
    Member

    I love these tires, I didnt have to "shave" them, mine were round.
    I've driven them in the rain (on the freeway, 75 mph) and over 100mph on a dry road.
    4500 miles in, I would buy them again.
    Love them.
     
  19. CutawayAl
    Joined: Aug 3, 2009
    Posts: 2,144

    CutawayAl
    Member
    from MI

    Road force balancing uses balancing to help compensate for irregularity in a tire's roundness. It can't fix a major tire issue, and it's really a band-aid, but in a lot of situations it makes a significant improvement.
     
  20. Aspenridge roadster
    Joined: Oct 13, 2008
    Posts: 40

    Aspenridge roadster
    Member

    No problem! Love them!

    [​IMG]
     
  21. loudpedal
    Joined: Mar 23, 2004
    Posts: 2,209

    loudpedal
    Member
    from SLC Utah

    Do a search for 'road force'. I'm sick of explaining it.
     
  22. Ya know the great Kansas Massacre, the raven on his way to the annual bar-b-que out there he was running well over 100 mph on his and had been running that way for most of the trip.

    Drop him a not to find out about the ribbed tires at speed. He's droven it in the driving rain, snow you name it.
     
  23. The people I know with those tires can't keep up with me out on the interstate. I know of 2 different cars that this has happened, then my experience with them. I guess all you guys are sponsered and get the good ones when they get shipped out. I wouldn't take a free set.
     
  24. The Raven is a pork'n'beaner just like me. No sponsors.

    I think it depends on where you buy them. There are companies that are known to sell seconds and other companies that will not sell seconds. it may also have something to do with suspension setup. The fellas I know of around here are either old pros at it or are mentored by old pros at it.

    Contrary to poplular beliefe you can't just screw a rod together and hope its going to handle for ya. There is a lot of actualy tweeking involved in it unless you just get lucky and get it right by accident.

    Uh no offense intended.
     
  25. Whatever boss man, no offense taken even if you intended it. This must be the "DON'T SAY ANYTHING BAD ABOUT THE TIRES MAN politics"? My car is fine and been tuned, it ain't the equipment. I went through it all. Changed the tires and problem solved. Just trying to save some people some aggravation with the truth. You may get lucky and they may work for a while. Mine worked fine for a bit. I thought "what's all the hoopla", then they went to hell. I drive my car hard and can't afford to have to worry about if the tires are going to run out or not, too much air pressure or not. Running around on implement tires with low air pressure is not such a great idea.
     
  26. Kevin Lee
    Joined: Nov 12, 2001
    Posts: 7,642

    Kevin Lee
    Super Moderator
    Staff Member

    I think therein lies much of the supposed problems with these tires. You've seen... and you thought you have read...

    My opinion is you had a bad setup somewhere and got lucky with the replacement tires. You said yourself they were good... then stopped being good.

    I know I'm not going to change your mind though.
     
  27. Hell Tudor I don't like 'em at all. As far as I'm concerned they are nothing but a tractor tire. I'm just being honest about the ones I know about. Well that and taking advantage of a post to get my message of hot rods are not screw together for the uninformed on the board.

    I'm a '60s guy and still believe that if you can't lock it up @ 130 to hit the ramp, make it to the bottom and go back and do it again it aint worth drivin'. But there are still a lot of these fellas that think that 70 is fast. Maybe they'll out grow it buit as long as they don't I have less competition. ;)

    There is a difference in quality depending on where you buy them. They have blems just like any tire you buy. The difference is that they don't have to put that on them like they do on a modern tire.
     
  28. loudpedal
    Joined: Mar 23, 2004
    Posts: 2,209

    loudpedal
    Member
    from SLC Utah

    Luck... Ha! I've mounted several sets ...myself. I sure went to alot of effort to end up "lucky".
     
  29. notrod13
    Joined: Dec 13, 2005
    Posts: 995

    notrod13
    Member
    from long beach

    i had no problems at all .... they track the same as pie crust firestones maybe even less on grooved roads.... great tires..
     
  30. I am sorry. You are right. It was me. Thank you for setting me straight. Those tires are AWESOME!!!! :rolleyes: You obvousily didn't read what I said and plucked some convenient words to twist what I said. To straighten up your super mod comments, I said thought I have read that people even had problems after road force balancing. One gentleman in this thread even states his tires bounce after road force balancing if they have too much air in them. He says he runs at 16-18 lbs. That backs up the fact that road force balancing isn't the end of the problems for some of the tires.

    I said I have seen those tires continue to bounce after they were balanced on the car and shaved by the local bias ply expert shop.

    But you haven't had any problems so it's obvisouly something I did.
     
    Last edited: Jan 25, 2011

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