[FWDLK] Radials vs Bias Ply

["Dan Davids" <ddavids@xxxxxxxxxx>]

I have to agree about improved handling with radials. I raced a car
 professionally
last year and, if you talk to racers or their mechanics, you'll hear a lot about
 the
importance of tire management. The books will even say that a driver is just a
"manager of his tires," meaning his ability to get them up to temperature, get
 them
sliding through the turns (slip angle) and feed information about their
 performance
back to the mechanics. While I certainly don't race on public roads in my
 collector cars,
and consequently don't get any heat in the tires to get them sliding, I can
 definitely
say that consumer radials are much more predictable/safe than bias ply. Not even
 a contest.

A nice way to handle the situation is to put wide white radials on the four
 wheels that
are on the ground, and a Coker reproduction of the original bias ply onto the
 spare in
the trunk. Your driving will be safer, and you can show off that spare at the
 car shows.
Everybody's fanatic about their trunks anyway, right? I bought a 62 Dodge once
 that
still had the original factory spare in the trunk. It had/has never been used,
 as the
mold line around the middle attests. Anybody know where you can find more OEM
 spares?
They aren't safe to drive on, as the rubber is so hardened that they'll come
 apart in short
order. But they are great to put on display or in the trunk.

Dan
Seattle