I'm about to buy tires for my F3, I've ditched the widow makers and have a set of stock 16" F2 rims. I'm going to go for either a 7.50x16 or 8.25x16 in a wide white wall. I was keen or radials as this truck will see a lot of highway time but my tire guy warned me off them, claiming they could crack rims and make the steering too heavy. I'm not too worried about heavy steering but can they really crack rims?

 

What??
I've never heard of radials cracking rims.
I would definately go with radials. The truck will drive so much nicer, gone will be the days of the truck trying to follow every little rut in the road, gone will be the flat spots when the tires are cold, etc.
Sure the steering might seem a little harder but I doubt it.

Bobby

 

Never heard of cracking rims. I have bias ply tires because I they were cheaper and I still have manual steering. They make it a bit easier to steer because they don't suck to the road as much as the radials.

 

Find another tire guy and go with the radials. A bit of heavy steering never hurt a man. It will just keep women from driving your truck. Never heard of radials cracking rims. May be that is a down under thing.

 

...LOL...I never thought of that, maybe they turn the other way down under

 

I put radials on my truck in 1999 after I got it back from the body shop. It rode soooo smoooooth. It took railroad tracks better than my wife's mini van. But..... it steered like a battleship when parking, backing, or turning when going slow. I kept the front pumped up with higher than normal air pressure. Because of that they wore crooked and I had to buy new tires to pass state inspection. I got bias plies for the front. It steers like a charm and they look sharp too. The new bias plies are made from better rubber and I only get flat spots if it is parked for weeks at a time.

I recommend bias ply.

 

http://www.dbtires.com/2013_catalog/...log_Web_Lo.pdf

Read what it says here. I'm going with radials with wide whites.

 

I put 16" radials - Same size as 6.50 originals - on my F2 - As my Truck starts rolling I can steer with one hand - I've paralle parked in dowtown - I park it in shopping centers, I've parked in ramps and driven over 45 (RPM limit) on the Highway - It got even better when I replace all the steering connections except the box
HAMB hotrodders don't like radials because they arn't traditional - These are the same wads that have 350/350's or T-5s and Corvett independent rears in the Traditional Rears. - Oops I'll be excomunnicated

 

...LOL....and look at how many of those HAMB "traditional" guys "slam" everything onto the ground with airbags........just sayin'

 

Careful Aussie, Dick is deceiving you.
Have you seen a picture of him?



Radials cracking rims!! That sounds a little crazy to me.

 

I agree! I tried bias ply tires on my 50 Ford sedan ten years ago and quickly sold them. Here is the text of what 56panelford posted a link for:

Some purists think they want bias ply tires on their classic car because they look like the original style tires. Just hold on. Unless you don’t intend to drive the car (except maybe to an occasional show near home), you should be driving on radials. Why? Because they’re much safer. Let’s face it, you’ve got a lot rolling on those tires. I’m not just talking about your invest- ment, but the safety of you and your family.
Radial tires respond much better in an emergency, and that’s
critical with all the cars on the road today. In fact, radials just may save your life. In a quick maneuver, the tire tread stays in full contact the road because of the tire’s construction, giving you maximum control. The radial’s sidewalls can flex, which is what keeps the rubber in contact with the road surface. Bias plies can’t do that, so they inherently handle poorly, and in an emergency, you can easily lose control of the car. Here’s a list of advantages over bias ply tires. You can decide for yourself if they belong on your car.
• Faster response and better control • Smoother ride
• Less wandering, straighter tracking • Less rolling resistance, better MPG
• Easier steering effort
• Less road shock is felt
• Much better puncture resistance
• Better traction on wet roads • Longer tread life
• Better emergency braking
As you can see, radial tires are a smart decision. Anything else doesn’t make sense.

 

Hmmm, you're really starting to sway me. As a truck that will see a lot of it's life at 60mph radials are making sense. Are you guys running tubeless or tubed? I have emailed my guy back to see what's available, he is the only guy within about 500 miles who stocks whitewalls, I kind of have to deal with him.

 

Antique Tyres in Melbourne? or Echuca local??

 

I'm running tubed because of my original rims - The tubes are made for radial tires.

 

You're just envious of my speedo's