Bias Tires ?

[Ralph B.]

With all the horror stories we've read about handling, saftey concerns and flat spots from sitting with bias tires, my question then is why do I not recall any of these characteristics with my new 1966 and 1969 corvettes that came equipped with bias tires which I drove many thousands of miles and NOT exactly "light footed" either!

Is it that the quality of the original bias tires were superior to the quality of the todays reproductions; or, does it have something to do with the different parameters of alignment set for radial tires; or, all the above?

I would appreciate your thoughts because something is not adding up?

Ralph

[Patrick B.]

Re: Bias Tires ?

OE bias ply tires were probably a little more uniformly round than todays reproductions, but flatspotting and following road surface irregularities were always characteristics of bias ply tires. Radials or at least bias-belted tires have been common for over 40 years so very few of us ever drove a Corvette with bias tires. My first 67 that I bought in 71 and my 70 that I bought in 72 both had Goodyear Polyglass tires on them by the time I got them. Polyglass were at least bias-belted so they weren't as bad a pure bias. Also we didn't park our cars for months at a time, so the flats spots were mild and gone after a mile or so.

[Anthony P.]

Re: Bias Tires ?

Also "thats all we knew" had no Idea that it was unsafe. When you learned to drive at 16 on bias tires all of the negitive traits of the tires were just "normal". I still have Bias tires on my 66 427, and it is all over the road "just as I remember it 40 years ago" oh by the way these tires are 37 year old.

[John H.]

Re: Bias Tires ?

oh by the way these tires are 37 year old.

Anthony -

I hope you're not driving on them past the end of your driveway....

[Anthony P.]

Re: Bias Tires ?

last time out (Fall of 2011) my wife and I drove on a fall color tour around the Lealanau Pennisula had Lunch, and walked around Glen Arbor and back to the end of old mission Pennisula where we live. no problem, I will save them for shows but will invest in new radials this spring (Maybe).......

[Mike F.]

Re: Bias Tires ?

My 70 has Goodyear bias-ply tires on it and it is no where near as bad as most people claim. The car sits on its tires all winter, in the Spring I pull it out, drive it around town, on the freeways, etc., and haven't had any of the horror stories happen to me. Bias-ply tires certainly aren't as good as radials, but I'm not auto-crossing the car either. Besides, it just looks "right" with them on.

[Ralph B.]

Re: Bias Tires ?

My 70 has Goodyear bias-ply tires on it and it is no where near as bad as most people claim. The car sits on its tires all winter, in the Spring I pull it out, drive it around town, on the freeways, etc., and haven't had any of the horror stories happen to me. Bias-ply tires certainly aren't as good as radials, but I'm not auto-crossing the car either. Besides, it just looks "right" with them on.

Mike,
I'm trying to see if there is any positive feed back to help me justify choosing bias tires and your experience is very encouraging! Though your rim and thread width are significantly wider on your beautiful 1970 then my 1966, so that could make a difference not in my favor. To me the bias tires are just so much better looking and correct for the car as compared to today's modern radial tires with their bold graphics and thread design. The only option I have in a radial without the graphics and with the correct 5/8 wide white wall is the Diamond Back 2 which is a Toyo tire with zero graphics on the outside (a smoothie) and they will put the exact white wall (width & location) per 66 specification. Interestingly this tire requires 44 PSI which I'm not crazy about and if I understand it correctly the white wall lays ontop "proud" of the side wall?

Bottom line with me is I hate the thoughts of having (2) full sets of tires and rims, so I will review all the data you kind folks have offered ---------- then I will make a decission and live with it! Right now I'm leaning towards Goodyear Power Cushion white walls because I would love to have the car judged some day.
Thank you all!
Ralph

[Jim D.]

Re: Bias Tires ?

"thats all we knew"

Exactly. We just didn't know any better because that was all that was available. Remember your first T.V. or cell phone? They were the greatest thing in the world at the time but compared to what's available today, they are complete JUNK, just like bias ply tires. I wouldn't run bias ply tires if you gave them to me for free.

[Jim L.]

Re: Bias Tires ?

..... but compared to what's available today, they are complete JUNK, just like bias ply tires. I wouldn't run bias ply tires if you gave them to me for free.

"Complete junk" is a little strong.

In some vintage racing clubs, cars are required to race on bias ply tires. The two cars in the following images, both on bias ply tires, will corner at greater than 1G. They do so smoothly and without drama:





Jim

[Jim D.]

Re: Bias Tires ?

"Complete junk" is a little strong.

In some vintage racing clubs, cars are required to race on bias ply tires. The two cars in the following images, both on bias ply tires, will corner at greater than 1G. They do so smoothly and without drama
Jim

That's a great accomplisment. GM couldn't achieve those results until the C-4 with radials. Just think what your cars would do with tires designed decades later. Sorry Jim, but anyone who states bias ply tires are better than radials has NO IDEA what they are talking about. Been there, done that and ain't goin' backwards and that includes on the track.

[Don H.]

Re: Bias Tires ?

Ralph, It all depends on what you want to do with the car. If you are mainly going to show it and have it judged, the original bias plys will be fine. If you plan to drive and enjoy the car, radials are the only way to go. My $.02, Don H.

[Russ S.]

Re: Bias Tires ?

My 70 has Goodyear bias-ply tires on it and it is no where near as bad as most people claim. The car sits on its tires all winter, in the Spring I pull it out, drive it around town, on the freeways, etc., and haven't had any of the horror stories happen to me. Bias-ply tires certainly aren't as good as radials, but I'm not auto-crossing the car either. Besides, it just looks "right" with them on.

Ditto. I have bias ply repos on my 66 and it drives just fine-even at 90 MPH.

[Bruce B.]

Re: Bias Tires ?

15 years ago I had bias tires on my 62 Corvette and it was absolutely awful.
I took a set of radials off another car I was putting together put them on the 62 and never took them off (until they got to old) and the 62 drove like a dream.
Now on my FI, PG 57 I have a set of bias tires which are at around 10 years old and drive fine on the highway, no flat spots and absolutely no signs of age cracking or other age related defects.

Now don't get me wrong, when these tires need to be replaced, radials will be used as they are no doubt superior with today's technology.

[Gary B.]

Re: Bias Tires ?

Ditto. I have bias ply repos on my 66 and it drives just fine-even at 90 MPH.

Russ,

What bias ply repro tires do you have on your '66? I eventually need to get some for my '66 for judging purposes primarily.

Gary

[Michael J.]

Re: Bias Tires ?

Well I for one remember how bad those old nylon bias ply tires were in the early-mid '60s. I usually could only afford recaps too, so they were awful, but you could smoke them easily. My brother ran a Goodyear tire store in the later '60s, when they came out with polyester and then the belted Polyglas, I got a discount and those both were worlds better than the older nylon bias ply tires. The progression has been continuos and many don't notice, but the polyester/nylon and polyester cord tires are hugely better than the 100% nylon, especially in flat spotting and handling. I have some new repop bias plies, and the polyester doesn't flat spot, the nylon does, same as the old days.