More tire questions

[raidmagic]

So I've found and bought the wheels I want now I'm onto tires. Talk to me about bias ply vs. radial. Can I mix the two. I'm really really wanting the Pro-Trac 445-50-15 or 375-50-15 for the rear and those are bias ply but I don't care for the look of the skinny bias ply fronts so I was looking at a 185-65-15 Kumo for the fronts. Can I do that? Will is cause problems. I'm a little to young to have much experience with the bias ply tires but I used to have them on my older work trucks. Dad has them on his T and it runs out nicely and they seem ok. What do you recommend? Thanks

 

[VegasBruce]

It will work, I ran mine that way for a long time, 165 radials on the front and some L60-15 bias ply on the rear. I have since changed the rears to Hoosier radials.

 

[Francis Blake]

I have no experience mixing tires on a small lite car, but don't do it on a big car. I had two of each on a station wagon and it did the hula dance so bad I couldn't drive it. Dangerous.

 

[EX JUNK]

I have no experience mixing tires on a small lite car, but don't do it on a big car. I had two of each on a station wagon and it did the hula dance so bad I couldn't drive it. Dangerous.

I had the same problem on a '70 Monte Carlo. It was especially bad when changing lanes on a concrete road. That expansion strip between lanes was a killer.

Jim

 

[putz]

I used to sell tires and like Ex Junk says the handling can take you for a ride you might not want to be on. The reason each style ride at different rates and have different handling characteristics. If you stick with radials you wont regret it radials also handle better in the rain even though you don't want to drive in it we all get caught in rain at sometime.

 

[raidmagic]

I used to sell tires and like Ex Junk says the handling can take you for a ride you might not want to be on. The reason each style ride at different rates and have different handling characteristics. If you stick with radials you wont regret it radials also handle better in the rain even though you don't want to drive in it we all get caught in rain at sometime.

So where can I buy a 15 to 18" wide rear tire that is a radial? Maybe it's just better to run bias ply in the front and forget it.

 

[VegasBruce]

31/16.50x15 Hoosiers, from Summit.

 

[deckofficer]

30X12.00R15LT M/T Sportsman radial. Used to have M/T bias in the rear and radials up front, prefer radials on all four corners.

http://www.mickeythompsontires.com/street.php?item=SportsmanSR

 

[putz]

Here is where I got mine. Good to deal with cheap shipping.31X18X15
Mickey thompson S/R