Anyone using these tires ?

[Darren Bedford]

I need a few sets of new tires for my hearses. Both my 1962's could use new tires. One still has the bias ply tires it came with. The other has radials and rides much nicer. Safer over bumps in the road for sure.

It seams harder to find P235/75/R15 radial tires with a 1.6" whitewall these days. Easier to find a 2-3" whitewall but are not correct for a '60s Cadillac.

Firestone use to make an extra load tire and so did Michelin. Both have discontinued them.

I have found Lucas Tires in Springfield OH and Coker Tire both sell the
American Classic for 134.00 each.

I was wondering if anyone has these on their hearse or has any experience with them.


If you have any recommendations for tires, please let me know.


All info regarding tires would be helpful.


Thanks !
Darren

[Mike Stevens]

Darren,
I am planning on putting Diamond Back radials on my 61 M-M. They seem to be able to supply about any width white wall or stripe that you want. I have seen pictures of wide and narrow white walls on early 60s cars. That seems to be the transition year(s) to the narrower type stripes. My 61 is on BF Goodrich 235 75R 15s now. It does ride and handle better than when it was fitted with the old bias type tires. Diamond Back has a tire that is a radial but has a more square molded sidewall. It looks a bit more like the old style bias tire but is a radial. They also have a few tires that are rated for extra load. With the weight of our coaches extra load range tires is probably a good idea. I had bias Cokers on my 61 for several years. They were good tires. They just wanted to follow road ruts and always seemed to need time to warm up before the thumping would stop. The steering and stopping and just overall ride is better on the radials.
Mike

[Paul Steinberg]

Diamond Back tire will install any size whitewall on any tire that you want. They will purchase the tires that you request, and then they vulcanize the white rubber to the casing and machine it smooth. They do a great job, and I have never heard of anyone that wasn't satisfied with the final result. When our cars were new, most often they came with an 8 ply rated tire, which back in the day was equivalent to a truck tire. Back then, the tire manufacturers would make truck tires available in white walls to the automobile manufacturers. I distinctly remember the tires that came on our new 1969 Superior Ambulance, were distinctly marked on the side wall...... Ambulance Use...... I have often wondered if the tires used on the hearses were similarly marked....

[John ED Renstrom]

I think Dan had found a different source of the extra load 235 he listed them in a different thread. me I would love to have a set of bias ply tires on my car. in the right size and load range. I'm thinking of having diamond do a set for me off the 700 x15. I had a set on the 72 when I got the car and it handled great. the 235s work but are small. on Jim's 66 I have notice that the speedometer is right on with them though. it's off 5 mph on mine. for no more then I drive the cars the thought of tread separation of the steel belted tires is to me a real fear. one never knows about good "old " tires with them. the bias ply ones can be weather checked to were you see the cords and you can still drive on them. if I drove it a lot and could wear out a set of tires then the radials would be the way to go.

[Daniel Scully]

I tried these , so far so good. (http://www.professionalcarsociety.org/forums/showthread.php?t=2190)

[John Royark JR]

As Paul stated Diamond Backs are great. I have them on my 49 S&S and am VERY happy with them.
Everyone discontinued the one inch white wall on a 14" tire (my 85 Superior FWD, and 14's are original size) so I will be buying Diamond Backs for them next.

[Doug Wooley]

John, do you know what would have been the proper whitewall width for '49 era hearses? Thanks in advance. Doug

[John Royark JR]

John, do you know what would have been the proper whitewall width for '49 era hearses? Thanks in advance. Doug

I would have to look when I get home, but that may be a few days at least so be paitent. I cant even think of what is on there now but it is close. Also, they are radials. The '49 commercial chassis used 16" rims which mine still has, starting in 1950 they were 15".
I know, Im not much help at the moment.

[Patrick J. Martin]

Darren,

In answer to your original question, I have a set of the American Classic 235 75 R 15 with 1.6" whitewall on my 1991 Cadillac Brougham rear-drive six-door limousine, and have no negative issues with them. I have had them on my car for about a year now, and my limo is also my daily driver, and they are holding up just fine. My only comment that even comes close to being a complaint, is that they feel a bit slippery in wet weather to me, but not enough for me to consider it a problem. Assuming that you would be placing these on a nice weather only collector car, I don't think the comment I just made about slipperiness would be a concern.

Another tire that was discussed here on the PCS board a few months back is called the Runway Enduro 75, which is also a 235 75 R 15 with a 1" white wall. They are also much more affordable than the American Classics. I put a set of these on my 1980 Superior Cadillac hearse last fall, just before putting the car away for the winter, so although I have limited experience with driving on them thus far, I am impressed with how they appear to have held up the weight of the coach over the past few months. One thing that disappoints me, though, is that even just sitting there, the whitewalls have browned over the winter, so I suspect that keeping them clean and white may be a future issue.

And speaking of keeping white walls clean, I don't know if this is news to any of you, but its a new discovery to me. I have found that the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser does an unexpectedly good job of cleaning up whitewalls. Unfortunately, my experience so far has been that one eraser will only clean three tires before it falls apart, so I don't think they are a long term cleaning answer. But I do think that since water is all you need with them to clean, that throwing a couple into a travel car care kit would be a quick and easy way to do a last minute whitewall clean at a show.

[Darren Bedford]

Thanks to all that have posted comments or suggestions !


There is a guy here in Ontario who deals in Diamond Back tires.
He said they usually are Cooper Tires and he mentioned to me that they had a problem last year with the tires "browning".

He mentioned that there is a layer between the black tire and whitewall to prevent the whitewall from "yellowing" which would be fantastic.
It looks nasty when you have a whitewall that has yellowed or even browned.


I will look into Diamond Back Tires and see what I can find.


If not, I may try the American Classics.


If anyone else has any comments or suggestions regarding tires, Please post them ! Im sure everyone in this awesome club will be looking for tires at some point soon.


Thanks very much !
Darren

[John Royark JR]

Thanks to all that have posted comments or suggestions !


There is a guy here in Ontario who deals in Diamond Back tires.
He said they usually are Cooper Tires and he mentioned to me that they had a problem last year with the tires "browning".

He mentioned that there is a layer between the black tire and whitewall to prevent the whitewall from "yellowing" which would be fantastic.
It looks nasty when you have a whitewall that has yellowed or even browned.




Diamond backs browning? I think they are guaranteed from doing this and will replace them if they do. My Diamond Backs are Hankook tires.

They recommend cleaning with simple green and a green scotch brite pad, and it works great. I have has them on the car for over 5 years now and they still look new, with many miles on them. One more thing is the whitewalls are very smooth, unlike regular wws that seem to be more porus. If they get scuffed the scotch brite pad will clean it right off.

[Paul Steinberg]

No matter what brand of whitewall tire you finally settle on, never, ever use Bleach White Whitewall Tire Cleaner on them. It will destroy the white rubber compound and make the whitewalls chalky. I learned this lesson the hard way, having used Bleach White on my 1964 Chevy Corvair tires many years ago. Back then, I hadn't learned about how destructive to the tires that Bleach White was. It was only after talking to some tire manufacturer representatives that I learned why the whitewall became chalky after just a couple of years... Now I only use Simple Green....

[Tim A. Fantin]

I put Runway 75's on a few cars and had good luck with them. They come in 215/225 or 235. The white wall is 1.25, not as wide as the 1.6 but they are half the price too. I also have a set of American Classics on my 83 S&S, they look and ride good. Never had a problem with any of them.

[Jeremy D. Ledford]

Ok. Everybody is talking about Diamondbacks. Who sells them and how much do they seem to run?

[Paul Steinberg]

Ok. Everybody is talking about Diamondbacks. Who sells them and how much do they seem to run?

They are sold by Diamond Back Tire (http://www.dbtires.com/)......

Diamond Back Classic Tires
Conway, South Carolina
888.922.1642

Oh........ they don't run :stop: ...... they roll.... :angel:

[Russell Dalziel]

They are sold by Diamond Back Tire (http://www.dbtires.com/)......

Diamond Back Classic Tires
Conway, South Carolina
888.922.1642

Oh........ they don't run :stop: ...... they roll.... :angel:

Only Jeremy would Run after Tires LOL (PS Jeremy they Run Alot)

Russ

[Darren Bedford]

So I ended up ordering a set of Diamond Back tires from Bill the owner who answered the phone today.

What I was recommended was the 235/75/15 Diamond Back Fury made by Cooper tires. They will have a 1.5" whitewall starting 1" up from the rim.

The price was 208.00 each and 66.00 UPS to Michigan, 898.00 total.

I was going to go with the American Classics but thought I would try these instead.

I will get them from a friends place when I go to the MM reunion and book signing May 21-22 in Piqua.

I mentioned they were going on a 62 Cadillac Hearse and wanted something that would handle the extra load. He said they were for good for 2100lbs per tire.

Hopefully all goes well and I like them.

I was going to order two sets at the same time, one for each '62 I have, but I decided to wait and check them out first. I can order the second set later and pick them up in Albany in the summer.

Thanks again for the info and suggestions.

Take care and keep posting tire stories to this thread !
Darren

[Tom Hoczyk]

I have Firestone 721's on my '53 flower car, '60 hearse, and '76 hearse. I've had great success with them, with the single exception that one of the 721's on my '60 Eureka blew out near Newton Iowa in 2005, returning from the Des Moines CLC Meet.

As part of the restoration of my '54 Eureka, I wanted very wide whitewalls on it, but still wanted the safety and ride of radials. I chose a set of Cokers, the specifics of which I don't remember. Suffice it to say that the tires I bought did not seem to tolerate the weight of the hearse. I had two major episodes of tread separation, but no blowouts. Two of the Cokers are still on the front of the hearse, showing the wider white, but the rears have been changed to some spare 721 Firestones I have. As many years had gone by, I never contacted Coker to attempt any warranty, even though I felt I didn't get my money's worth with the tires I bought from them, as the tires actually had relatively few miles on them. I'm hoping that their quality of manufacture has improved enough to be able to handle the weight of our commercial chassis cars.

Tom

http://www.bippusautostorage.com/54_45angle.jpg

[John Royark JR]

John, do you know what would have been the proper whitewall width for '49 era hearses? Thanks in advance. Doug

Sorry it took so long to answer. An original 49 CC tire I had is a 750x16 with a 4" WW. I now have 215/85R16 (which is a 700x16) with a 3.75" WW from Diamondback Classics (Hankook tire). I believe they have the correct replacement size also but when I bought my 49 it was running 700x16 and I didnt know at the time the correct ones were 750x16.
Hope this helps some.

[Doug Wooley]

Thanks. This gives me a head start when looking for WW tires. Doug

[Mike Stevens]

I called Diamond Back today. Talked to James. My new Cooper/Fury tires are on the order sheet. I decided to go with the extra load tires. With the weight of the coach and mine there was little left for margin of error. James says the delivery time is running about 3 weeks now. So if you want new DB tires for the summer get your order in soon.
My original size tire according to the Cadillac shop manual for 1961 was a
8.90x15. That is a 235x75Rx15 today. They are about the same height as the old tires. Guess the GPS will have to tell me how much the speedometer is off. I know it will be off some.
Now to get the original wheels cleaned up and ready for new 'shoes'.
Mike

[John Royark JR]

Mike, I think my wait time was around 3 weeks also. Good call on getting the rims cleaned up. I did that while waiting for mine, I had the rims sandblasted and powder coated.

[Darren Bedford]

Mike

What width whitewall did you get ? I asked for 1 1/2"

Sounds like we got the same tires coming !

Let me know,
Darren

[Mike Stevens]

Darren,
I got the 3 inch white wall. James said the Fury extra load tires is what he would recommend for a heavy car like a hearse. This coach had wide white walls on it when it came to the family in the 70s. I put Coker L78s on it and liked the look. I just was not satisfied with the way the bias tires followed road ruts. Some of the wander was no doubt due to the front end needing work. With the work done I got the BFG radials and liked them very much. I just never bonded with the wire wheels and narrow stripe tires.
After asking several tire shops questions and reading all I could find the DBs seemed to be the best overall tire for the money. Most all radials about double in price when you say you want the extra wide white wall. So DB was competitive with other suppliers like Coker and Universal tire companies.
Mike

:drive2:

[John ED Renstrom]

I'll deal you out of those cokers if you want to get rid of them.

[Darren Bedford]

Mike

I have a friend with a '60 MM with wire wheels and 3" whitewalls.
Looks fantastic.

Im trying to get him to Albany with that car.
No one has ever seen this car and its outstanding.

Take it easy,
Darren

[Mike Stevens]

An unseen 60 M-M? How much help do you need to talk your friend into a road trip? I am sure we can get some help here. I vote they go to Albany with you and bring the 60. More votes please.
ED we did save the Coker L78s. 2 still have tread across the width of the tire. 2 are worn smooth on the one edge from the front end being in need of (now done) work. When they started showing wear they went quick. All 4 had air in them when I took them to the tire shop for removal. I will see what my son wants to do with them as he spoke first.
Mike

[John ED Renstrom]

if they are that worn I most likely can't use them. I was looking for a set close to the spare in my Seville but I would need them serviceable. :specool:

[Kenn Evans II]

I have a set of Cokers on my 37 Packard and my 52 Kaiser Manhattan, I have not had any issues with the tires. I use mink oil on the sidewalls to keep them fresh looking and on occassion for the car show I'll get out the old shineola white liquid shoe polish. My 65 M-M caddy 3-way manual table had Ambulance service tires on it when we bought it in 74 with 3000 miles and sold it in 1998 with 38000 miles and still had the original tires, belts and hoses. If your going to be putting a bunch of miles on your vehicle and drive it to shows maybe get a second set of rims and run econo radials then swap them when you get to the show. My dad and I do this on our 63 Galaxie 500 XL Conv. and his 72 Chevelle SS Conv. It keeps the tires correct for judging at the show and I don't worry about throwing a hubcap.

[Kevin M. Parkinson]

I know this may be too late. It sounds like you have already ordered but I found a 1.6 advertised.

http://www.opgi.com/product.asp?ProdCode=CH28005&VendorCode=&chapterid=237&grpcode=18820&topcatid=237&yearrange=&currentTab=1

[Darren Bedford]

Here is a follow-up to the original postings...


I finally had the Diamond Back Fury extra load tires installed on my '62 Landau hearse. I got them a month or so ago but never got around to having them put on.

I ended up getting a 1.5" white wall. There is 1" of black between the rim and whitewall.

I was quite happy with the look and how it made the car look classy with keeping with the thinner whitewall size of the '60s.

As for the drive... way smoother and straighter than the bias ply tires that were on it ! Turning is so much easier and smoother. No following the road grooves or jumping a couple feet sideways when hitting bumps now.

I have to say that I really like the look of bias ply tires but after having radials on I wouldn't have it any other way.

Two of my good friends, both from Michigan, who love old Cadillacs wouldn't have it any other way with their cars having bias ply as they say the cars were designed for that type of tire. One is a PCS member and the other isn't.

Funny story... the guy installing them said the tires on the back of the car were older than he was ! They were from 1982. On the car for 28 years. The ones on the front he says were from the early '70s ! On the car for about 38 years !!! Likely the second set of tires ever on the car from new. The first ones likely got changed about 10 years after it originally sold.

Crazy ! So glad I got the new tires. The rubber is so soft and flexible.

I will be ordering another set this week to pick up in Albany at the PCS meet for my other '62 Limousine Hearse. That way they will have the same tires for times when they get shown together. Also for the safety aspect as well of having new tires on the cars.

I plan on doing lots of hearse driving and want to make sure my contact with the pavement is as good as it can be. There's a lot riding on those tires afterall !


Thanks for reading.


Enjoy the ride,
Darren

[Paul Steinberg]

I would suggest that you get at least one spare to match, so if you ever damage one, you will still have an original to replace it with. Nothing worse than having 3 matching tires, and not being able to find a 4th. Tire companies drop tread patterns frequently, so even if the same tire is offered, the tread design might be different 2 years from now.

[Doug Lemon]

Can you provide a link for where you are getting them from in Albany.

[Darren Bedford]

Paul

Thanks for the info.
I originally asked for 5 but he said something which I can't remember and I ended up ordering just the set of 4. Wish I could remember what he said.
Oh well. Maybe I will order 6 to have a spare for each car.



Doug

Im ordering them from Diamond Back tires and having them ship them to the hotel. Not a local tire store as I order a custom whitewall size.

Plus they have a layer between the black and white to prevent yellow or browning.

The link for Diamond Back is in the beginning of this post.


Looking forward to seeing you and the Canadian ambulance in Albany !


Darren

[Kelly Martin]

I bought a set of "Broadway Classic" 235/75R/15's from Belle Tire in Michigan. As I recall, it was only about $400 mounted and balanced in 2004. Working out well. Radials, 2,000 lb. load rating, used on a 1957 75' series sedan.
Kelly Martin

[Tim A. Fantin]

The Runway Enduro 75 and the GT Tire Champero has the same white wall as the Broadway Classic. a 1.3 inch. They sell them at our local Mr. Tire for $71.00 each installed in a 235/75/15. I know they come in other sizes too.

[Jeremy D. Ledford]

What I'm running on 4 vehicles right now are the Alpha Dean 365 235/75 R15 radial tires. They are 4 ply with a load rating of 2028 lbs per tire (8112 lbs total) and a pressure rating of 35 psi. The oldest set is on the 73 combo which are about 2 years old and the newest set is on the 77 M-M and are about 2 months old. We also have them on the 94 S&S limo (Elmo) and I also have them on our 2001 Ford E-150 flower truck here at the FH as well. The ones on the 77 cost me about $380.00 mounted and balanced. I've been very pleased with the Alpha Dean's in how they ride, handle and the quality of them and I've had no problems with any of the sets we have what so ever! And there is no load range problems using these under a pro-car ether! And when the time comes for one of the other hearses around here needing tires, they will be Alpha Dean's!:17875:

[Darren Bedford]

Jeremy

Are they black one side, whitewall one side ?
If so, what width whitewall ?

I have 2 friends who needs a set and these sound like they will work for them.

Maybe there would be a tire shop in Albany that I could get a couple sets from. What is the tire shop name you buy them from ?

Thanks for the info.

Darren

[John Royark JR]

Here is a follow-up to the original postings...


I finally had the Diamond Back Fury extra load tires installed on my '62 Landau hearse. I got them a month or so ago but never got around to having them put on.

I ended up getting a 1.5" white wall. There is 1" of black between the rim and whitewall.

I was quite happy with the look and how it made the car look classy with keeping with the thinner whitewall size of the '60s.

As for the drive... way smoother and straighter than the bias ply tires that were on it ! Turning is so much easier and smoother. No following the road grooves or jumping a couple feet sideways when hitting bumps now.

I have to say that I really like the look of bias ply tires but after having radials on I wouldn't have it any other way.

Two of my good friends, both from Michigan, who love old Cadillacs wouldn't have it any other way with their cars having bias ply as they say the cars were designed for that type of tire. One is a PCS member and the other isn't.

Funny story... the guy installing them said the tires on the back of the car were older than he was ! They were from 1982. On the car for 28 years. The ones on the front he says were from the early '70s ! On the car for about 38 years !!! Likely the second set of tires ever on the car from new. The first ones likely got changed about 10 years after it originally sold.

Crazy ! So glad I got the new tires. The rubber is so soft and flexible.

I will be ordering another set this week to pick up in Albany at the PCS meet for my other '62 Limousine Hearse. That way they will have the same tires for times when they get shown together. Also for the safety aspect as well of having new tires on the cars.

I plan on doing lots of hearse driving and want to make sure my contact with the pavement is as good as it can be. There's a lot riding on those tires afterall !


Thanks for reading.


Enjoy the ride,
Darren

Thanks for the update. I knew you would be more than pleased with Diamond Backs! As I have stated before, mine have lots of miles them (5 years old) and the whitewall still looks as bright white as when new.

[Jeremy D. Ledford]

Jeremy

Are they black one side, whitewall one side ?
If so, what width whitewall ?

I have 2 friends who needs a set and these sound like they will work for them.

Maybe there would be a tire shop in Albany that I could get a couple sets from. What is the tire shop name you buy them from ?

Thanks for the info.

Darren

Yes, these tires are black on one side with a 1 inch white wall on the other side. On the flower truck were running those with the black walls out. I buy mine from a local shop and the put therm on there. Both the limo and the 77 M-M we had in Piqua last month had the Alpha Dean tires on them. Hope this helps!

[Jeremy D. Ledford]

Heres a link to the tires that I'm using, http://www.deantires.com/html/products/tires_passenger.aspx?page=dean_tires_passenger_alp ha_365

[Darren Bedford]

Jeremy

I looked through that site yesterday.
Lots of Dealers all over and many in Niagara Fall area, close to me.

Looks like I will get a couple sets of these for friends.

I ordered another set of the Diamond Backs for my other 62 so they match
and a spare for seach car too.

Alpha Dean's would be half the price of Diamond Backs.

Thanks again for the info.

Darren

[John ED Renstrom]

just checked on line and you had better get them now I find some places that have discontinued them.

[Dwayne Brooks]

I put Runway 75's on a few cars and had good luck with them. They come in 215/225 or 235. The white wall is 1.25, not as wide as the 1.6 but they are half the price too. I also have a set of American Classics on my 83 S&S, they look and ride good. Never had a problem with any of them.

I ran the Runway Enduro whitewalls too, they held up great & are now on Chief Ron's former '77 Soverign. They handle a load & are very affordable. Here's what they look like for reference:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2051/3536681303_39be362978.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2422/3537495868_37731887a1_b.jpg

[Mike Stevens]

My Diamond Back wide whites are on the 61 M-M. They now have about 1500miles on them. They are Fury II tires. If I remember correctly Diamond Back told me they were built by Cooper. These are very good on the road. No noise. They seem to stick to the road wet or dry and that is always good. I am well pleased with them. They also are rated for extra load as compared to other 235x75Rx15 tires. The 3 inch white walls are easy to clean and seem to stay cleans and bright white longer than other white walls I have had.
No cleaners containing bleach for Diamond Back tires. They say to use 409, or Simple Green for cleaning.
Mike

:clap:

[Mike Stevens]

Dwayne,
That is a great picture. It should become a poster or maybe a calendar picture.
Mike

[Patrick J. Martin]

I thought I'd revisit this old thread as I now have two years worth of experience with the Runway Enduro tires mentioned here. Overall, I'm going to have to give them a grade of D- .

I have no complaints about the tire's abilities. They hold the weight of a hearse well, and even though the car they're on has only been to and from car events over the past two years, there's no noticeable wear on them.

But the whitewalls over time are horrible! And let's be honest, the only reason someone would buy these tires are for the whitewall. When the tires were newly installed on my car, I was beyond pleased. I thought I had found a tire for my entire fleet. Now I'm so very glad I didn't go hog wild and actually do that.

Within six months the whitewalls started browning, and only serious scrubbing with abrasives got them white again. But then it would only be a matter of a couple weeks before they were brown again. Now, after two years, they are permanently brown. I have given up trying to get them white any more. Its a losing battle. It seems to be an internal issue with the tire itself between the black and the white, because they really never get dirty just going to car shows, and no matter how much time I spend, what I use, or how much scrubbing, they are just permanently stained brown now.

I almost can't wait until I wear them out so I can get something else, but since I've only put about 1000 miles on them in two years, that's going to be a long wait. I wonder if anyone still makes whitewall paint.

[Randy Roberson]

It is getting hard to find whitewall tires (or even blackwall, non-truck tires) in the sizes typical for larger cars which were common in the 1970s. Lots of the Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow owners are recommending the Khumo and they seem to work out, and they are not expensive at all. The Shadow is a heavy car and the tire is rated high enough for the weight. Tires with heavier construction seem to last longer and make a heavy car handle csome better (handling? my car did not come with that...)
There is a Hankook whitewall as well, and I have seen some Firestones and some of those you have already mentioned. The manufacturers have specs available on line which list the load rating and overall diameter for each size.
Alas, it looks like soon we will have to buy the often expensive collector-car tires to avoid using truck tires.
As for cleaning whitewalls, you can use Scotchbrite or fine wet-dry sandpaper to really get them glowing. The sun messes up the outer layer and yellows it, and the abrasive removes this.

[Tom Hoczyk]

I had a set of Coker Classics on my '54 hearse as part of its original restoration. They were purported to be able to handle the extra weight of the hearse but it turns out they weren't. THREE of them separated the treads at different times while on the road. I still have the 4th one which is the lucky survivor. Therefore I would not recommend these for a hearse.

As on the '60 Eureka I put a set of bias ply Cokers on the '54 and so far have had much better luck. True, they don't drive as smoothly as radials but they sit the correct height and look really good. It doesn't take too much to get used to the handling characteristics. I can't be sure, but I'm almost positive this picture shows the bias plys on the car. Tom

[John ED Renstrom]

now if they would only make them in a narrow white I would have them on my cars.

[Kenn Evans II]

I found a set through my tire guy and to compensate for ambulance service I went to a LT 235/75R 15. They have available 1 1/2" - 3" wide white walls. They are made by GoodYear and are an all season radial 8 ply. They were $1531.00 for all five deliver to my door.

I need a few sets of new tires for my hearses. Both my 1962's could use new tires. One still has the bias ply tires it came with. The other has radials and rides much nicer. Safer over bumps in the road for sure.

It seams harder to find P235/75/R15 radial tires with a 1.6" whitewall these days. Easier to find a 2-3" whitewall but are not correct for a '60s Cadillac.

Firestone use to make an extra load tire and so did Michelin. Both have discontinued them.

I have found Lucas Tires in Springfield OH and Coker Tire both sell the
American Classic for 134.00 each.

I was wondering if anyone has these on their hearse or has any experience with them.


If you have any recommendations for tires, please let me know.


All info regarding tires would be helpful.


Thanks !
Darren

[John Royark JR]

It is getting hard to find whitewall tires (or even blackwall, non-truck tires) in the sizes typical for larger cars which were common in the 1970s. Lots of the Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow owners are recommending the Khumo and they seem to work out, and they are not expensive at all. The Shadow is a heavy car and the tire is rated high enough for the weight. Tires with heavier construction seem to last longer and make a heavy car handle csome better (handling? my car did not come with that...)
There is a Hankook whitewall as well, and I have seen some Firestones and some of those you have already mentioned. The manufacturers have specs available on line which list the load rating and overall diameter for each size.
Alas, it looks like soon we will have to buy the often expensive collector-car tires to avoid using truck tires.
As for cleaning whitewalls, you can use Scotchbrite or fine wet-dry sandpaper to really get them glowing. The sun messes up the outer layer and yellows it, and the abrasive removes this.

For standard whitewall tires I have always used Hankook, and am very pleased. I have always gotten 65-70,000 miles out of them. I have Kumhos on my 91 M-M Lincoln (the Hankook were out of stock at the time) and like them equally as well so far.
For wide whites Ive said this before and I will again I recommend Diamond Back Classics. They are guaranteed never to yellow. I have had mine since 2005 with an average of 5,000 miles a year and they still look like they were just put on. They are also Hankook tires (215-85/16 with 4"ww) I would NEVER buy Cokers.

[Danny Ryder]

If you don't need the wide white wall I use the 235 75 15 kuhmo extra load tire with standard white wall and have had great luck. They are about $115each.

[Tim A. Fantin]

I thought I'd revisit this old thread as I now have two years worth of experience with the Runway Enduro tires mentioned here. Overall, I'm going to have to give them a grade of D- .

I have no complaints about the tire's abilities. They hold the weight of a hearse well, and even though the car they're on has only been to and from car events over the past two years, there's no noticeable wear on them.

But the whitewalls over time are horrible! And let's be honest, the only reason someone would buy these tires are for the whitewall. When the tires were newly installed on my car, I was beyond pleased. I thought I had found a tire for my entire fleet. Now I'm so very glad I didn't go hog wild and actually do that.

Within six months the whitewalls started browning, and only serious scrubbing with abrasives got them white again. But then it would only be a matter of a couple weeks before they were brown again. Now, after two years, they are permanently brown. I have given up trying to get them white any more. Its a losing battle. It seems to be an internal issue with the tire itself between the black and the white, because they really never get dirty just going to car shows, and no matter how much time I spend, what I use, or how much scrubbing, they are just permanently stained brown now.

I almost can't wait until I wear them out so I can get something else, but since I've only put about 1000 miles on them in two years, that's going to be a long wait. I wonder if anyone still makes whitewall paint.

Patrick,
I have had three sets of these tires on my cars, with one of the sets "browning" while setting in the garage. I cleaned it and just like you said it came back. Here is what I did. I scrubbed the tires with a stiff brush very well with a lot of soap. Then I used bleach white on the white wall,let is set for about 45 seconds then wet it a little, then used an SOS pad to clean it, then washed it off, the next day I did the same thing again even though the WW was clean. After that they stayed white. I think if you follow those steps that will solve your problem.
I don't think those tires are made now. Mr. Tire no longer has them and an internet search shows a few at easy-tire but they don't even have them in all the sizes. They stock 235/75/15, 215/75/15 and some 14 inch.
I think it was a great tire for a great price if you can keep the white walls clean. It seemed to me that the brown was coming from something that was on the black of the tire. The trick is to scrubb the tire as soon as possible. I have that set on my 90 Ford wagon now and they stay white. The GT Radial Champiro 75 is the same tire as the Runway by the way.

[Tim A. Fantin]

I did some checking and the Runway's and the Champiro 75's are no longer availible. So does anyone know of a "off the shelf" 1.3 or larger white availible with spending $200.00 or more a tire?

[Josh Gentry]

I ran the Amarican Classics on my 67 M-M, and was very happy with them. It was a I beleave a 1.5 whitewall, and they were about $740 shipped to my door. Thinking about buying the same tire for my 71 Superior.

Josh

[Patrick J. Martin]

I have a set of American Classics on one of my cars too, and I agree with you that they are a good tire. Its just a case of with the cost of the tire itself, shipping, and having them mounted, I have a hard time swallowing almost $1000 for a set of tires, hence my preference for a budget whitewall. But everytime I find a budget whitewall, it gets discontinued.

[John ED Renstrom]

I gather that cooper still makes one. the last time I was at tires plus they had a 235x15 with a white wall about that size for 90 bucks carry out. I checked the side and they were good for 2045 at 35 psi. the would be heavy enough for most of the cars

[Tim A. Fantin]

I gather that cooper still makes one. the last time I was at tires plus they had a 235x15 with a white wall about that size for 90 bucks carry out. I checked the side and they were good for 2045 at 35 psi. the would be heavy enough for most of the cars

I just had a set of Cooper Trendsetter SE's 235/75/15 put on my 1995 Cadillac Hearse, but they only came in a .8 inch white wall. Ed, if you can find a name for this other tire I would be very interested in checking it out. As it looks now the American Classic's with the 1.6 inch WW are running about $153.00 each. Like Patrick said it would be nice to find a alternative to spending close to $1000.00 for a set of tires.

[John ED Renstrom]

got to digging out in the far corners of my mind and this set of tires were at Peerless tire. I was looking for something for the 70 and just stoped in. Firestone has discontinued there white wall and on the way out I thought I would check here. I can't tell you the brand name on it but I'm sure the man at the counter told me they were made by cooper. they were not a extra load but still had that over 2000 lb rating. but at 35 psi not the 50 we are now seeing on most of the extra load tires.

[John Royark JR]

I have a set of American Classics on one of my cars too, and I agree with you that they are a good tire. Its just a case of with the cost of the tire itself, shipping, and having them mounted, I have a hard time swallowing almost $1000 for a set of tires, hence my preference for a budget whitewall. But everytime I find a budget whitewall, it gets discontinued.

I know the feeling. They discontinued the Dimention 4s that I run on my 85 Superior. They were the only ones I knew that made a 205-75 R14 with a inch white wall. Guess next time I have to go to Diamond Back classics for these too.:cry:

[Kenneth Orr]

I put a set of Hankooks on my 89 Broughm in July. Only whitewalls I could find on my trip back from Texas to Calif. Bought them from Americas Tire in Albuqurqure N.M. Less than $400.00 installed with stems and balanced. Size is 225 75 X 15 Whitewall is approx 3/4". 80 MPH across the desert in 100 degree heat no issues.

[Loren Baldwin]

I picked up a set of Firestone 8.90x15s from Coker a little bit ago and haven't had any issues. I must caution everyone though who switch from bias-ply to radials if their rigs originally came with bias. The sidewall on the bias is much more rigid so if you switch to the softer sidewall radial, you run the risk of cracking a rim if you had a hard bump...

[Terry Lange]

Last month I spent close to an hour speaking with a restoration shop owner who specializes in Buicks of the '50s and '60s. He was very adamant in his opinion that radial tires do not belong on cars that were equipped with bias ply tires as OEM equipment. This goes beyond what looks "correct" for a car that is going to be judged in a show. He told me that everything about the chassis and suspension design, and associated components, is set up around the characteristics of how bias ply tires were intended to perform, and using radial tires compromises how these components interact. Some of his detailed explanations were a little over my head, but they made sense at the time. He did convince me to go back to bias ply on my '59 Comet Olds.

Terry

[John Royark JR]

I have always used radials in place of bias and never had any problems. I have also heard other mechanics say its fine to do so.

[John ED Renstrom]

I can't get into the bias versus radial debate either. I have had both on the same car and it handled will with ether set. but as with anything you will need to tune the air to the tire and the car. worn bias ply tires will give you bad handling not doubt about it. now then has anyone ever worn out a set of radials or just had perfectly good looking tires blow out the side wall and lose your wheel cover? if I'm going to let a car sit in the garage and not drive it but rarely I'm looking for bias ply to let it sit on. I trust them I don't trust a radial tire even when they are new. now can some one say what is the difference between trailer service only and regualer tires

[Scott Avnaim]

In case nobody ever noticed, I have been running bias on the rear of my 69s ever since I found out that there is no radial equal that keeps my speedometer accurate. Since mine are vintage, they have a habit of throwing chunks of rubber off. They all get tubed as old rims tend to leak and they help the tire last longer. I am always looking for more if anyone has any that need a good home. 8.90-15s in case there are other sizes. :thumbsup:

[John Royark JR]

I think I would rather have a speedometer that was a mile or two off than have junk unsafe tires that throw chunks of rubber off them.

[Danny Ryder]

I think I would rather have a speedometer that was a mile or two off than have junk unsafe tires that throw chunks of rubber off them.

Now John, you ain't lived till you hear those chunks hitting the side of your car. Rare they blow out, just bounce along after that. Been there and done that alot in my early days at the funeral home.

[John Royark JR]

Now John, you ain't lived till you hear those chunks hitting the side of your car. Rare they blow out, just bounce along after that. Been there and done that alot in my early days at the funeral home.

No they are not going to blow out, he uses tubes in them. He says that old rims leak, I have owned many old cars and none of them had leaky rims. I dont even run tubes in my 49. I think the leak is comming from the old tires. I know I dont want my car damaged if I follow him and the whole tread comes off (Ive seen it happen before) especally since he already admitted they are already rotted enough to throw chuncks.