The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Wither the Bias Ply

Evening all,
I’ve been doing research on potential tires for my ‘52 GMC since I got a set of original wheels for it a couple months ago. I discovered earlier this week that you can still buy bias ply tires in the proper size and style for my truck. I’ve heard many stories about how bad bias ply tires were, but considering how infrequently my truck will be driven and the low speeds for those drives, can they really be that bad? Unless someone knows someplace I don’t, even the cheapest (and wrong looking) radials are about $100 a pop. These are going for $85 a corner before shipping.

I bought a set of those tires when they were offered with free shipping (turns out it was only to the lower 48 states and they wanted $3000 to ship them to Alaska), but I got them shipped for free to a freight forwarder and up to me for $180.

I've put a few miles on them and wouldn't call them terrible at all. For an infrequently used truck.

Where can you get them?

I know how my truck drove years ago with bias ply tires and my new radials have made a world of difference in ride and handling. My truck use to dance from side to side when hitting those warn in grooves in the road. But, like you said, if you will have limited driving, maybe bias ply will work for you and save you some cash.

I bought them from Simple Tire But they were under $100 each back then, with free shipping as I mentioned above.

I don't think you could go wrong at that price, just remember your going to need tubes and boots as well.

I didn't use boots when I had mine mounted, although I did go with tubes. Wasn't sure if they would qualify as tubeless with older possibly rusty rims. Boots are typically used on big truck split rims.

While I had my bias plies on, I couldn't bring a cup of coffee for my drive to work. When I got my Michelin radials, I could. The bias tires were herky jearky, making coffee impossible.

Well, I'm told tubes today are not as good as the tubes of even 5 years ago were. A friend who owns a few tire shops here will no longer install nor repair tubes because of liability concerns--he stopped when tubes got so bad. He said only ag equipment and skid steer tubes are still made in the USA now. The rest come from China, India, etc.

He did say if for any reason you have to use tubes (maybe for an older car with spoke wheels) buy the best ones you can find and also a bunch of baby powder and use a lot of it...rub all over the tube, the wheel, your tools, everything. And then put more on everything. He also said sand each wheel inside and paint very smooth and avoid pinching the tube even a bit. And then he added even if it is an old Corvette or Jaguar don't drive it at highway speed.

If you're just driving around town at low speed, you may be okay. I'd look around and see if anyone there is still installing tubes, though. Point being you may not save any money in the end.

If the bead on your wheels will accept tubeless tires, I strongly advise forgoing inner tubes. If you're worried about the wheel itself leaking at assembly welds or rivets, coat the entire inside of the wheel with Flex Seal. There is also a product called Bead Sealer if you're not sure about the beads on your wheels. Tubes will give you nothing but trouble. They're the main reason people used to get flats all the time.

Anyone running bias ply tires tubeless on stock AD rims?
I have been running tubeless radials on stock rims for several years on two trucks and have not had to add air to any of them. One of them is a daily driver which I drive 1,800 miles round trip to Illinois every year. The other one spends most of its time stored in a garage.

I don't think it matters whether the tire is bias ply or radial. All that matters is the shape of the tire bead. I use modern radials on original 1939 Packard rims with no air loss. I used to run tubeless bias plies on my Cadillac as well with no problem.

Modern tires are designed to run tubeless be they bias ply or radial.

I have Power King tires (6.50-16) on my '50 Chev, on original stock wheels, and they are mounted tubeless. Have not had a minutes worth of trouble with them losing air in over four years.

I know I'm late to the convo, but ...

*somebody* has to stick for those poor, maligned bias ply tares. My truck (the '49 3804) is on it's third set of bias plies. Still had the ones it came from the factory with when I assumed ownership. I figured 5 decades was enough so I promptly put a new set on and replaced those about 7 years ago. Tubes, flaps (some of you were calling them "boots") 3-piece rims, even Huck brakes (gasp!!) the whole horrible smorgasboard of antiquated technology that should have killed me 20 years ago but yet ... here I am. I actually have far more issues with the radials around here than the bias plies (I do have tubed radials on the '72 IH)

Over the last 20 years, I have had zero (as in none) problems with my bias plies. I have no issues with highway cruising (I have a 261 and 4.11 gearing back aft). Yes, the truck can be a handful crossing railroad tracks, pot holes, etc. That time chasing Sweet to Billy Marlow's at 72 MPH, I scared the snot out of myself when we hit rough bridge joints going by Ft Meade. I just dropped back to 65 and enjoyed the rest of my day. Part of the charm of driving an old truck for me.

I have no doubt that radials will be the next set of tires. But in the meantime, my BPs are doing just fine. I haven't even needed to add air yet this year. I may be the lone voice in the wilderness, but I just thought BP's needed a friend.

And later today, when I go down the Mountain to Scottsboro, *IF* I have a blow out (which will most likely result in my death due to the roads around here ...) then you can think to yourself "What a moron." Well... you will not have been the first one to call me that