Opinions wanted on 15" Bias-Ply Tires for a Bus...

billyisme

Please don't hurt me for posting ANOTHER tire thread...

I'm in need of 15" tires for my stock-height 1960 panel. I am leaning toward a set of 4-ply tires because I think they are very cool and original looking. I have searched the forums here for feedback on their driving characteristics and tread life, but have not found many opinions one way or the other from people who have actually used them on a bus. Technically the 640-15 tires are closer to stock size, but I am interested in blackwall BF Goodrich 670-15 tires simply because of the increased load rating over the 640-15 tires, and the actual size difference shouldn't be noticeable from stock.

Here's a link to the tires I'm looking at right now (the photo shows a whitewall tire, but the specs listed are all for blackwall tires):
http://www.coker.com/store/customer/product.php?productid=17645&cat=&page=1

Here's the 640-15 tire specs:
http://www.coker.com/store/customer/product.php?productid=17421&cat=&page=1

So... who uses them or has used these or similar tires and what is/was your opinion of them? My bus is "just" my hobby so I won't be pounding the tires on the freeway every day--mostly weekend driving and the occasional long trip to a show. I also live in SoCal, so snow is not a concern, and rain is infrequent.

Thanks for your time.

Billy

Bryan S. · Posted: Wed Apr 07, 2004 11:25 am Post subject:

If you aren't going to be driving it alot on the highway, I'd get them they look nice, and it's a hobby car. Now on the other note it's gonna ride like shit when you do drive it to that vw show,and going to want to wander alot more than radial tires.

DanM · Posted: Wed Apr 07, 2004 12:25 pm Post subject:

i drive my '60 on Firestone 6.40x15's everyday. I drive in every kind of traffic and weather imaginable and have no complaints. (ok, sliding backwards down a hill in 2" of snow kind of sucked but that was my fault) bottom line for me is that these are the tires that our buses were built for. just make sure you slow your ass down on those highway exits!!!
your bus will handle, look, and feel exactly as it should on the right tires.

billyisme · Posted: Wed Apr 07, 2004 1:37 pm Post subject:

hazetguy · Posted: Wed Apr 07, 2004 5:11 pm Post subject:

edgy · Posted: Wed Apr 07, 2004 5:20 pm Post subject:

Being old enough to have purchased 670x15s new for my first car...I'd go with radial tires. Every car manufacturer in the world has switched to radials. I suspect it isn't because bias ply were so good. The are hard, wander, and the treadware is probably faster than you realize. In the early 60's every gas station carried the tires you are considering. The reason they all carried them was they were replaced so often.

If you want a show car, go stock, if you want a hobby, go good.

gatorwyatt · Posted: Wed Apr 07, 2004 6:04 pm Post subject: firestones

i drive just about every weekend on my 6.40x15 set and have no drift also no load complaints.coker is just about the easiest place to score them.hazet guy is correct about having a tight suspension,adjust all of your links pins,grease and should make sure your center link is also tight.hobby or not they drive great when your bus is all stock,besides it was the way the bus came. Idea

splitpile · Posted: Wed Apr 07, 2004 11:18 pm Post subject:

I have 670/15 Nankings on my container van, drove it to Cali and back with out a problem. I thought they felt good, rode fine and handled great in the winds we fought along I 10. Cost less the 60 dollars each mounted and balanced, I wish I could get a few more for my other 15 inch wheeled buses/ I have not found a decent radial in 15 inch to this day that is proper for a bus.
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hazetguy · Posted: Thu Apr 08, 2004 8:01 am Post subject:

Alan Brase · Posted: Thu Apr 08, 2004 11:07 pm Post subject:

campingbox · Posted: Fri Apr 09, 2004 10:47 am Post subject:

I noticed a weird feeling the first time I drove on biased ply tires....it was a different feel than radials.
After a few days of driving the bus the weird feeling went away...never noticed it since.

Lind · Posted: Fri Apr 09, 2004 11:07 am Post subject:

bias ply tires aren't quite as bad as some make them out to be, but they still are not nearly as good as radials. radials just handle much better in rutted roads and on corners. my attitude is that if you are going to drive the bus alot, get radials. if it is a show type car that you are very interested in preserving its originality, get bias ply tires. I have buses with bias ply tires and radials. the bias ply tires don't make it too far from home.
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NorCalWeekender · Posted: Fri Apr 09, 2004 12:34 pm Post subject:

This just occurred to me...when did they make the switch from bias to radials? I mean, would my 67 have originally had bias-plys? Just curious.

-Taylor
_________________
9th Owner of a 1971 Tintop Westy

"Eventually, we sold to a guy for $500 who towed it away to live in it in his parents' driveway. We didn't think it would ever avoid the junk heap on that day." -The 3rd Owner, 1995

dstefun · Posted: Fri Apr 09, 2004 12:54 pm Post subject:

Waah · Posted: Fri Apr 09, 2004 3:04 pm Post subject:

I'm having the same problem. I wanna ride radial wide whitwalls on my '58 SC. I don't want to use inserts.

What about 195/75's? These have a diamater of 26.15 are 5.68 wide and will carry 1477 lbs.

http://www.coker.com/store/customer/product.php?productid=17640&cat=285&page=1

Any thoughts?

dstefun · Posted: Fri Apr 09, 2004 5:20 pm Post subject:

Waah · Posted: Fri Apr 09, 2004 11:41 pm Post subject:

Thanks for the info dstefun. That table is very helpful.

I've been looking at the 205's too, but are they too wide for a OG rim? Here are the measurements from Coker.

Overall Diameter: 27.10
Cross Section: 8.00
Tread Width: 5.80
Load Capacity: 1598 @ 35 psi

The Goodrich 640-15 bias plys ( http://www.coker.com/store/customer/product.php?productid=17755&cat=&page=1 ) measure:

Overall Diameter: 26.88
Cross Section: 6.25
Tread Width: 4.20
Load Capacity: 1190 @ 32 psi

Scotts 63 23 · Posted: Sat Apr 10, 2004 8:53 am Post subject:

dstefun said:

splitpile · Posted: Sat Apr 10, 2004 9:07 am Post subject:

splitpile · Posted: Sat Apr 10, 2004 9:11 am Post subject:

On my 1960 SC I have Coopers, 195/75/15 lt tire. They are rated at I think 1480 and have 2 ply sidewalls. In a never ending quest for a true LT 15 inch, I have found that there really are NONE made. If you look at the true construction and learn to read the codes on them you will find that there really isn't a radial 15 inch tire for a bus. The smallest size I have been able to find is a 215/15 truck radial, but to big for a bus
_________________
Stocking distributor of "The Funky Green Panels"
www.BUSTORATION.com metal and more for your bus
"no more hacking my sig line"


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