| Bill S | -- 03-01-2012 @ 1:31 PM |
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I want to put radials on my 46 ford.Can I use original wheels without tubes.
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| supereal | -- 03-01-2012 @ 2:07 PM |
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The right answer is "maybe". It will depend on whether the wheels will hold air, and if the beads are smooth enough to seal. Loose rivets or corroded beads are not unusual. Using tubes in radials does diminish some of the advantages of radials. I still use bias ply tires because the shocks and springs were designed for them, and they cost less.
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| oldford2 | -- 03-01-2012 @ 3:42 PM |
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I read a lot of posts marveling about the performance of radial tires on early Fords. I use bias ply 600-16's on our 46 and we drive it. Many long trips each year over all kinds of roads from secondary to Interstates. 32# and they perform fine for me. None of the "squicey" turns they write about. Are there any technical tests that indicate better performance on old suspensions? Thanks John This message was edited by oldford2 on 3-1-12 @ 4:24 PM
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| TomO | -- 03-02-2012 @ 7:26 AM |
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Super had a good answer to the original question. Some additional things to consider with tubeless tires on the 46 rims are: The original rims were not designed for tubeless tires and therefore do not have the facility to keep the tire on the rim when the tire goes flat. That little safety feature also keeps the tire from leaving the rim when under-inflated and making a turn. Radial tires are more likely to do this than bias ply tires. Radial tires are affected more by age than bias ply tires. this is a personal observation. After 7 years radial tires seem to fall apart. Bias ply tires seem to last longer. Radial tires do give a softer ride, but my car rides very nice with the bias ply tires. I have driven a few cars from the 40s, both before and after radials were installed. In 2 cars the bias ply tires were so old and hard, that they affected the handling, so the radials made them handle better. In another car, they made no perceptible difference in handling, but did improve the ride. When I put new tires on my car, last spring, I went with bias ply tires. They cost less and I don't drive enough miles to wear out the tread. I guess my Depression up-bringing makes it harder for me to discard a $300 tire that is 10% worn, than a $200 tire that is 50% worn. Tom
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| trjford8 | -- 03-03-2012 @ 8:01 AM |
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Bill, from a safety perspective I would not use the original rims. If you look at modern rims that use radial tires you will see a safety bead on the rim that keeps the tire from moving away from the outer edge of the rim. Your stock wheels do not have this bead. You can get new wheels made for your car that have the bead on the rim, but that makes that set of radial tires a lot more expensive. You do see guys putting radials on stock rims, but I would not do it for the reason stated above. When it comes to wheels, tires, brakes and steering there's no compromising for your safety.
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| 42guy | -- 03-03-2012 @ 5:23 PM |
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I use radials on my 42 but I purchased new rims designed to accept the radials. I personally like the ride.
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