I have written about this before and am sure I will get pro and con answers. I have 650-16 bias ply tires on my stock 1949 half ton. I wanted (or thought I wanted) radial tires and saw some 215-85R16 but they were pricey and required (according to manufacturer's specs) a 6.5" rim width.
So to alleviate the problem I bought new bias ply tires. Do I like them? Yes. Would I consider radial tires in the future? Yes.
The new bias ply tires (at least mine) do not flat spot, run quietly but do track but it is something you get used to. I normally drive back roads at 35-45 mph but recently have been hitting the highway cruising at 55 mph.
At a recent cruise-in I met two fellows with bias ply tires on their 62 Corvette and 67 Chevelle. Both had gone to radials but did not like them on their applications so switched back.
If I go to radials I would need a wider rim.
I had radial tires on my 53 half ton and they ran fairly well but parking or turning at slow speeds caused a lot of stress on the steering and my arms. With the narrower bias ply it is like power steering when it comes to parking.
