RE: IML: Need tires for '48 Crown Imperial

The 5 inch whitewall width is correct for 1948.

I agree, it looks too wide to our eyes today, but in 1948, that was the way they were, in the very rare cases when whitewalls were supplied.

Your car came with 890/15 6 ply tires because of the weight of the car.

The Coker “Firestone” branded tires are probably 6 ply also, from the weight rating, although your car originally specified only 24 PSI tire pressure.

The car manufacturers in those days always specified an unrealistically low tire pressure because they were trying to impress with the soft ride, and they didn’t really care about tread wear or handling. I worked in a tire plant in the mid-50s, inspecting incoming (prospective) recap tires, and in most cases, the tires had been run seriously under inflated, so I don’t propose that you actually use the 24 PSI spec, but perhaps 28 PSI as a compromise.

My 1947 Packard Limousine has 16 inch wheels, but otherwise is a similar car, requiring 6 ply tires because of its weight. I found that Coker sells a “B. F. Goodrich” branded tire that was excellent for the car, and has proven very satisfactory in service, with no balance or roundness problems, something that cannot be said about many of the reproduction “name branded” tires, (which are, I believe, made offshore under license from the original manufacturers, whose brand names are permitted to be put on the tires, although they have nothing to do with making them.)

I previously used Lester tires on the car, and was not happy with them because of yellowing of the sidewall and problems with blowouts in our high desert temperatures and high freeway speeds.

Dick Benjamin

From: mailing-list-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:mailing-list-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Imperial48@xxxxxxx
Sent: Tuesday, October 05, 2004 11:51 AM
To: mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: IML: Need tires for '48 Crown Imperial

I am in need of tires. I am as interested in looks as durability.

The 820-15 Firestones on the '48 Crown Imperial have a 5.5" tread width and I think a 5" tread width is going to look narrow in comparison. They also have only a 2.5" whitewall which looks very nice on it.

Here is what I have found:

Coker: Firestone 890-15   5" whitewall with 5" Tread Width   $170.00 each
     Load Capacity 2210 @ 32 psi (enough)

Univeral Vintage Tire: Lester 820-15 4" whitewall with 5.75 Tread Width     $134.00 each
     Load Capacity 1920 @ 32 psi (cutting it close with 290# less than the Firestone)

-----------

When I measure a 5" whitewall there would be only a little more than an inch of black showing before the tread. That seems like a lot of white to me! What do you think?

Are there other recommended sources?

Thanks!

Ned   48 Crown Imperial
48Imperial@xxxxxxx    (formerly ncpnotes@xxxxxxx)