Bias vs Radial

[basjoos]

Go watch the car chase scene from a 1950's James Bond film where the car's tires are squealing while they are taking curves at speeds that today's cars would consider to be a normal speed to take a curve without getting any tire squeal. Those were bias ply tires compared to modern radials.

[Rokeby]

A point of order...
The first James Bond film was Dr. No, released on Oct., 1962.

Five more Bond films were released in the '60s:
From Russia with Love, 1963;
Goldfinger, 1964;
Thunderball, 1965;
You Only Live Twice,1967; and
On Her Majesty's Secret Service, 1969. However…

Previous attempts to adapt the James Bond novels resulted in a 1954
television episode of Climax!, based on the first novel, Casino Royale,
and starring American actor Barry Nelson as "Jimmy Bond". Wiki-Bond

So you could have seen Bond in 1954, but it was more likely on the big
screen in the '60s, or a simple typo. (Memory is the second thing to go.)

All that said, bias ply tires are nothing to be nostalgic over.

[Frank Lee]

I think they added squeals that weren't there for effect too.

[rmay635703]

Originally Posted by jamesqf

The link makes a number of statements which in my (somewhat educated) opinion are just flat wrong. For instance

Now it seems obvious to me that the tire's sidewall isn't supporting the car's weight. That's being supported by the pressure of the air in the tire - otherwise, we'd never get flats :-)

???Not exactly

The sidewall must resist the pressure and thus the weight via pressure, if it didn't support any weight/pressure the car tire would calapse and ride on the rim despite air being in there.

Also I have to say I have never had a bias ply tire blow out, wheras I have about 1 radial tire blow the sidewall a year. My father has bias tread on his old trailer and they are ancient. My grandfathers 57? Marmin Harrington county truck has the original bias tires from the year the truck was decomissioned (late 60's) and they are still in OK shape but getting a little bald now.

Not really sure I can complain about "lifetime" tires, if you get the good thick ones from years past.

They are especially usefull for their intended purpose. I wouldn't use them to race but if I didn't want my tires to blow out every year I would get a pair just to putt around with

[rmay635703]

Originally Posted by Frank Lee

I think they added squeals that weren't there for effect too.

The squeeling tires on a dirt/gravel road were a dead giveaway, I can't say I've ever gotten dirt to squeel but maybe someday.

[Mustang Dave]

Originally Posted by rmay635703

The squeeling tires on a dirt/gravel road were a dead giveaway, I can't say I've ever gotten dirt to squeal but maybe someday.

I did, once, power-shifting my '68 Chevelle into 3rd on a very hard-packed dirt road. The squeal surprised me.

[user removed]

I grew up and started driving when radial tires were virtually unobtainable. Lots of propaganda from the tire companies about all the dangers of those radial tires. Renault's imported into the US had radial tires, which usually lasted longer than the car itself.

It was a rare set of tires that lasted 20k miles and yes the traction was pitiful, even though you would think with all that rubber wearing off it would be the opposite, but the wear was due to heat generated by the bias plies.

Remember the Goodyear Polyglas tires of the late 60s early 70s? Significantly better than normal tires but not half as good as radials. In fact radial tires are one of the single most significant mileage improvements of them all.

A 1970 340 Formula S Barracuda was good for 0-60 in 7 seconds. That's right 7 seconds!! A lot of that was tires. My 4 cylinder Altima is good for 0-60 in 7.5 seconds without any tire squeal whatsoever.

I may be the only person here or anywhere else that drove a 1937 Ford with the original cable operated drum brakes, with radial tires. I stopped that car once with my thumb.

regards
Mech

[HighMPG]

I hate tires, they need to invent something better!

[Mustang Dave]

Originally Posted by Old Mechanic

A 1970 340 Formula S Barracuda was good for 0-60 in 7 seconds. That's right 7 seconds!! A lot of that was tires....

Car and Driver tested the 2007 Mustang V6 (4 liters/245 cubic inches) at 0-60 in 6.5 seconds. Yeah, I unintentionallysqueal the tires occasionally, but I get fairly decent fuel economy with it...

[gone-ot]

...my '70½ Plymouth AAR 'Cuda 340/6BBL did 0-60 mph in 5.8 seconds on Goodyear Polyglass E60 (front) and G60 (rear) tires. But, they also "rolled" through corners like mad.