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When did bias ply tires stop being put on new cars completely? I seem to remember them still being sold at tire stores in the mid to late 1980s?
When did the shift from traditional high profile tires (for soft ride) go to lower profile tires (better cornering) for even the cheapest of economy cars?
Has anyone (car mag or website) ever tested a factory original 60s or 70s muscle/sports car handling and acceleration with modern low profile radial tires compared to it's factory spec bias ply tires?
For the most part bias ply tires (which by the 70's were mainly belted bias ply's) were gone by 79. Trucks held on to them a little longer. Since I don't have much 80's car info (my specialty is the 70's) I can't answer when the switch to lo profile tires began. I can say that 80 series sidewalls disappeared by 69/70 (my 70 Maverick had those) and the switch from 78 to 75 series began around 78/79 in general. I know the 78 up Monte Carlo's used 75 series tires. 60 and 70 series sidewalls, as well as some 50 and 55's were available in the 60's as bias and bias belted construction. As for road tests, yes, the September 1967 issue of Car and Driver tested 70 series radial's, Michelin X and Pirelli CN72 and Dunlop Sports radial against Goodyear Wide tread, Firestone Wide Oval and US Royal Tiger Paw tires on a GT350 Shelby Mustang. I think that issue is on Google Books. Also around here in Wichita Falls, I can remember bias ply's being sold in the late eighties. If you were a low mileage driver and could handle them wanting to follow the road grooves, they were a nice inexpensive way to go. When I bought my 76 Pinto in '98 from the original owner it had bias ply tires on it, come to think of it. So maybe they stayed a little longer. Also when I bought my 78 Pinto sedan in 2001 It still had it's original A78-13 Firestone Deluxe Champion white sidewall tires including a unused spare that still had the white lettering on the tread. It was wrecked in 79 and the owner bought it back from the insurance co. and stored it inside. Except for one oil/filter change, everything on it was original. Of course he took the battery out and drained the gas and coolant. It's like a time capsule. All the tires were still inflated, even the spare! In fact the spare is in inside storage and still inflated but three of the tires on the car have split their sidewalls.
Last edited by stilldriveem; 03-18-2015 at 11:04 AM..
Reason: More Information
bias ply, and bias belted tires went away in the early 80s as standard equipment. once people tried radial tires, and liked them, they would switch, and when they bought a new car, they would pony up the money for radials.
as for the switch to lower profile tires, that started in 1979 i think with the TRX suspension package on the mustang. however the 390mm wheel diameter was an oddball one, and as such it went away. it was picked up again in the early 90s when 16" wheels hit the marketplace. people seemed to like the feel of better response, and as such they again wanted more.
I'm not sure. I had a 68 Galaxie with bias ply. I then had a new 76 Grand Prix which had radials (as well as "Radial Tuned Suspension". That was an advertisement hook and the car even had a little stick on above the heater controls that said it.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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Until a few years ago I had a 1972 El Camino 350 with some high performance mods (223 hp) and upgraded to disc brakes, and all new suspension and steering parts as it was "wandering" on the freeway. With the high performance radial tires rated at 160 mph in a slightly larger than stock size and wider, it handled just fine.
Good day everyone,
I'm looking for the name of the company who put out the first performance tires in 60 series, they were 4 ply nylon. In the
early 70's, there main advertisement was lower tire height to lower your gear ratio. They were advertised in most of the car
magazines and were special order everywhere. Small company.
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