A new thread!! Firestone Bias Ply Tires
 

A year ago my local guys I support ordered a set of Goodyear tires for my 1938 Convertible Club Coupe(white walls of course). After many months of waiting and checking they still haven't arrived and the supplier(I think, Lucas Classic Tires) do not even show them to be available). My question is in the last YEAR! has anyone used Firestone Bias Ply tires through Speedway and what are your opinions! These are I believe from Coker Tires so please inform myself and others as to their quality. Thanks in advance.
GaryU.

And yes we've checked every few months about them!

Re: A new thread!! Firestone Bias Ply Tires
 

Gary, keep in mind that Coker nor Speedway, etc. are making the tires. So, it doesn't matter where you buy them from, they are coming from the same factory.
I have installed a number of sets of Firestone and have been quite pleased.
Tubes? Modern tubes have been "okay" at very best. I've had a couple that were so bad as to make it impossible to balance the wheel / tire. Yes, the tubes were the culprits as hard as that was for me to believe.

Re: A new thread!! Firestone Bias Ply Tires
 

I just bought a set of 600-16. I will probably have them mounted in a week or two and will let you know if I have any issues. In the past, all mine have been fine. Like Kube said, sometimes balancing is an issue but I never bothered to determine if it is the tire or the tube.

Re: A new thread!! Firestone Bias Ply Tires
 

I have bought 3 sets over the past 6 or 7 years with no issues. I’ve not had any balance issues as well. I have a set on wide 5’s another set on 35 wires and another set on 40 steelies. Can’t beat the free shipping from Speedway either.


Pat

Re: A new thread!! Firestone Bias Ply Tires
 

i have a set from Coker and they run pretty well. Get a little vibration from them even when balanced but have heard a few people say I should have them shaved.

Re: A new thread!! Firestone Bias Ply Tires
 

I have the Firestones on two of my 40s. No problem with them.

Re: A new thread!! Firestone Bias Ply Tires
 

I've bought a few Firestones sets and they have always balanced using little weight. Not very much side to side runout watching them spin on the balancer. I bought a used Coats tire machine and a Snap-On computerized balancer. Have the shop center the Firestone name with the valve stem and then center the hub cap too. That's the way my dad always did them, looks real nice.

Re: A new thread!! Firestone Bias Ply Tires
 

Thanks for comments. Had logo of the Goodyears on my pickup centered 2 years ago like that!! My local guys said it was the first time anyone had asked for that! If you look at old Ford drawings they show the Firestone tires with the logo centered on the valve stems.

Re: A new thread!! Firestone Bias Ply Tires
 

The new tires have a small painted dot to mark the "heavy" side. That typically is placed 180° from the valve stem.

Re: A new thread!! Firestone Bias Ply Tires
 

Gary, that's a drawing... NOT reality.

Re: A new thread!! Firestone Bias Ply Tires
 

I have Diamond Back 600R16s on wide 5s @40lbs pressure - handles and rides better. No
more bias ply!!!

Re: A new thread!! Firestone Bias Ply Tires
 

Unless you have a show car and a nice trailer, radials have it all over bias plies. If you drive your car, in my opinion there is really no choice.

Re: A new thread!! Firestone Bias Ply Tires
 

Another vote for Diamond Back. As for tubes after some bad experience with tubes from Coker with no tech help I just have my local tire store industrial tubes which have worked out good

Re: A new thread!! Firestone Bias Ply Tires
 

17" X 500-525 Firestone black wall diamond treads availability?

Thank you.

Re: A new thread!! Firestone Bias Ply Tires
 

Thanks for all the advice. If using the Diamond Back radials do you use tubes with them as well. I apologize because this has probably been discussed before but want to get the real scoop. I loved Kube's comment on drawings versus reality.

Re: A new thread!! Firestone Bias Ply Tires
 

The radials are tubeless tires. Many have used them this way.

Not me. I didn't trust the rims of my old wheels to provide a good sealing surface. Didn't want to get to my storage garage and find a flat from a slow rim leak. "Radial tubes" recommended. (heavy-duty tube, designed to stand up to the flexing inside a radial tire) Extra cost of tubes is small compared to outrageous cost of bias-look radials tires.

Re: A new thread!! Firestone Bias Ply Tires
 

I mounted many new tires in my day and the red dot goes to the valve stem. This was before there were tubeless tires and after the tubeless tires became popular. That's the way Kelly tires did it.

Re: A new thread!! Firestone Bias Ply Tires
 

It sounds funny to me to hear some folks say they prefer a radial tire because it produces a better ride on their 90 year old vehicle.

Re: A new thread!! Firestone Bias Ply Tires
 

Not if you drive past your local ☕️ Shop. And put 100-200 miles on a day .
Night and Day difference for a guy that drives his ride.
Stretch

Re: A new thread!! Firestone Bias Ply Tires
 

Plus the handling is better. When I had bias-plies, every highway cloverleaf was an adventure; now it's easy.