Otto, I was more questioning original poster if he knew of thin 17" radials since he was asking about them. I had previously searched for white walls that would fit my artillery wheels without luck. So for now, I'm satisfied with my bias ply because at this point I guess I have to be. But I wasn't going over 45mpg, and that's going to change soon due to 235/T5 swap. Everyone says the radials make a huge difference. The next question will be, are the stock artillery wheels sufficient for use with radials?
Thank you for your link, in case I do decide to switch. I also did find Excelsior makes a 17" tire for a 4.5 rim. It's not a whitewall, and it has a Euro-type tread, but it does still have a classic look. Coker sells them.
Also the original question of needing a tube or not remains.
