Goodbye Old Friend - Tire Report.

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Rich Eagle
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Goodbye Old Friend - Tire Report.

Post by Rich Eagle » Thu Apr 09, 2020 2:11 pm

I promised to report when my Coupe tires gave out. This week one lost it's air in the driveway. Many thoughtful soles warned me not to drive on them for the past 20 years or so. After showing serious breaks in the rubber exposing the cord I vowed to drive them to the breaking point as a research project.
FireSt1.jpg
FireSt2.jpg
I bought new Firestones in 1964. They ended up costing $46 a piece. I was led to believe they would be around $28 like comparable Riversides but on arrival the story changed.
My '25 Touring did not ever run well enough to put much wear on the tires.
The Speedster was a different matter and I ran them until the tread was gone. The new Firestones that I replaced them with were much different and I was plagued with flats. They would slide on the rims and get cut. Added pressure didn't seem to help. After rim cutting 10 of the new ones I switched to Universals and also started using flaps.
We didn't put many miles on them with the Runabout but they have been on the Coupe for 7 years. That is about 8,000 miles. There have been crack lines showing for the last 30 years. If my math is right they would be 56 years old.
I also have 4 spares that would have been purchased sometime in the '60s and mounted on a 2-cyl Buick that have just a few thousand miles. Those will serve as spares along with 4 Riversides about the same age and some of the later rim-cut tires.
Firet32.jpg
The flat tire holds air but I'm not sure for how long. I may pursue boots and put it back on for further testing. I was sure it had blown out but not so. I also will keep track of the other 3 and report if anything interesting happens to them
Rich
When did I do that?


Herb Iffrig
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Re: Goodbye Old Friend - Tire Report.

Post by Herb Iffrig » Thu Apr 09, 2020 2:24 pm

Thank you Rich. Keep up the research. Inquiring minds want to know.


Colin Mavins
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Re: Goodbye Old Friend - Tire Report.

Post by Colin Mavins » Thu Apr 09, 2020 5:40 pm

The tires on our 1912 touring were put on new in 1953 made by Good Year they were still on the car and working well until 2012 ,we had a wear issue on the right front. They had small cracks in the side wall and about 20,000 miles . At this time I was driving the car 15 miles into town on the hi way for shows we though this was a good time to replace them. Some how I don't think the T Driver tires will last that long. The tires came off and went on to a car that sits in a museum they are a little stiff.


Colin Mavins
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Re: Goodbye Old Friend - Tire Report.

Post by Colin Mavins » Thu Apr 09, 2020 5:44 pm

At the time we went with the Universal T driver tires because they were the same tread pattern as the Good Year But since than have herd the T Drivers don't last , is there a tire that has reputation for longer life .
Last edited by Colin Mavins on Thu Apr 09, 2020 8:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.


jiminbartow
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Re: Goodbye Old Friend - Tire Report.

Post by jiminbartow » Thu Apr 09, 2020 5:59 pm

In 1971, I bought five (5) new 21” Universal tires from Mark Auto, only because as a 17 year old High School Student, perpetually low on funds from restoring my ‘26 coupe on my hourly wage of $1.65, bagging groceries after school, they were the only ones I could afford. After 49 years, they are still on my T, have good treads, no cracks and are still driveable. In 2017, I bought a new set of five (5) 21” Firestone’s which I haven’t gotten around to installing yet and feel no urgency to, since my Universals are still doing fine. I think I will keep them on until they no longer hold up the car. Jim Patrick.


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Re: Goodbye Old Friend - Tire Report.

Post by John kuehn » Thu Apr 09, 2020 6:28 pm

This is a neat post about old tires!
Makes me think back to my elderly neighbor who was moving from his farm and told my father he had 2 new Model T tires I might want to use since I had a T.
I went to his house and he informed me they were in his attic.
I crawled up in the attic and found the 2 tires which had been in his attic over 30 years!
They were new but were hard as concrete from baking in his attic for so long!
A nice pair or 30x3 1/2 Firestone’s which were unbelievable hard!

My break over tire tool wouldn’t even open up them up if at all. Just a good memory to share.

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RichardG
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Re: Goodbye Old Friend - Tire Report.

Post by RichardG » Thu Apr 09, 2020 8:06 pm

RICH, YOU[ GOATA] BE THANKFUL THERE WAS SOMEONE UP THERE LOOKING OUT FOR YOU, HEY JOHN JUST WAIT TILL THE SUN SHINES NELLY AND SET THEM OUT ON SOMETHING DARK SO THE SUN CAN DO ITS THING, I WAS GIVEN A SET IN THE SAME SHAPE, I TRIED EVERY THING, I THOUGHT, I DARN NEAR PUT A EYE OUT , THE FOOT LONG SCREW DRIVER SLIPED AND HIT JUST ABOVE MY LEFT EYE, THAT'S WHEN I PUT THEM IN OLE SOLS CARE FOR THE BETTER PART OF A VERY HOT DAY,IN FACT THEY WERE SO HOT I HAD TO PUT CLOVES ON, BUT DID THEY SOFTEN UP NICELY. SOME GOOD TOOLS MAKE THE DIFERANCE TOO. GOO LUCK.

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Rich Eagle
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Re: Goodbye Old Friend - Tire Report.

Post by Rich Eagle » Thu Apr 09, 2020 8:37 pm

I worked for Firestone two Summers as a kid. One brave fellow was sitting in the bosses office with his feet up on the desk. The boss walked in and asked what the hell he thought he was doing. He told him he was waiting for some tractor tires to warm up so he could mount them. He didn't get fired because he was one of a few who could mount the big ones.
It was tough work and I'm glad I stayed in school.
When did I do that?


got10carz
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Re: Goodbye Old Friend - Tire Report.

Post by got10carz » Thu Apr 09, 2020 9:19 pm

I just removed 2 Non Skids from the front of my 14. They had plenty of tread, but the side walls scared me. They were on the car since before 1953.I hate flats on non demountable tires.


JEC
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Re: Goodbye Old Friend - Tire Report.

Post by JEC » Thu Apr 09, 2020 10:20 pm

My 15 runabout has old fashion 30x3 1/2 wheels.
If I have A flat it will be AAA time.


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Re: Goodbye Old Friend - Tire Report.

Post by Scott_Conger » Thu Apr 09, 2020 11:20 pm

The beauty of running tires from the '40s-'50's is that it is hard to tell when they're flat, because the rims rarely hit the floor even if they are. They wear like iron because they are almost that hard. Driving on sharp gravel roads, the set on the front of my '19 are wearing at a much much slower pace than the new rears. The rears are new(er) only due to my having been sideswiped years ago and the driver's side rear rim was bent to the point of exposing 2 inches of tire bead. I even finished the trip on that tire with no hint of a blowout or even a bulge starting. With 2 cracked spokes, the wheel eventually got rebuilt and the rim was straightened. The tire didn't survive my fury at trying to remove it, and though it still held air while on the rim, it took a saw to remove it. Too bad. I've gone through two sets of rears since then and barely worn the tread from the old fronts. Don't sell old tires short.

Of course, I am one of those 28-30MPH fuddy-duddies who is perfectly at ease with a Model T being a simply a Model T. If I wanted to go fast, I'd fire up my old Healey and not screw around with trying to make a T something that it isn't.
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Re: Goodbye Old Friend - Tire Report.

Post by Allan » Fri Apr 10, 2020 1:53 am

Another good thing about old tyres is they can be keeping some very nice tubes from damage. I helped a fellow restoring a 26 tourer a few years back, and he had accumulated lots of spares from around the countryside. Before he really knew what he needed, he took to a set of hard, perished old 30 x 3.5 tyres with a hacksaw to get them off the rims. He lost 4 as new Olympic butyl rubber tubes that day. I nearly cried when I saw them.

It taught me a lesson though. I bought a pair of rims, with diamond tread Good Year tyres, at our local swap meet. I very carefully broke those hard old tyres off the rims, to reveal two as new, thick, red rubber Good Year tubes with their original metal valve stems. They are on one of my T's and doing sterling service. I just can't remember which car they are on. I suspect those two rims, tyres and tubes were bought as new spares and never used. They had been discovered hanging on the wall of a stone shed on a well known pastoral property.

Allan from down under.


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Re: Goodbye Old Friend - Tire Report.

Post by bobt » Fri Apr 10, 2020 6:08 am

While on the tire topic---HELP! I made a post early this week about replacing foam filled tires. I have four new Firestones, four new tube and four new flaps, all from Coker tire. Yesterday, I sawed off one front tire and cleaned up the rim. It's a 1915 touring with stock demountable rims. I did my research online and watched utube videos on how to mount clencher tires. I wrestled with the installation all afternoon and finally quit.I tried the plastic bag trick, go-jo, soap and water and baby powder. I tried leaving the wheel on the car and tried it off the car HELP!! I could hardly get out of bed this morning. I live close to Richmond,Va and today I'm going to TRY to find a tire shop that will mount them. I have been a car guy for my whole 70 years and consider myself very mechanical but this one is kicking my butt. Any tips would be great. thanks, bobt


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Re: Goodbye Old Friend - Tire Report.

Post by Adam » Fri Apr 10, 2020 7:58 am

Bobt, Are you sure you have the right tires for your rims?


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Re: Goodbye Old Friend - Tire Report.

Post by Gonenorth » Fri Apr 10, 2020 8:17 am

Bob, Check with some of your local tire centers or gas stations. My local guy has a newer variety of tire changer that grabs by the rim not the hub. He can and does change clincher as well as 21" tires. He's done of some of mine and I will never bother beating myself up for few bucks doing that again.


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Re: Goodbye Old Friend - Tire Report.

Post by Rich Bingham » Fri Apr 10, 2020 11:28 am

Back to the history of Rich’s “antique” tires, I’m reminded that back in ‘62 when I started messing with the Model T, I scrounged “old” tires from sheds and off Hoover wagons. They gave spotty service, and I’ll bet I never went 40 miles without having to fix a flat. The tubes were often very good, old red “real” rubber - the kind that made killer slingshots ! I figured they were really ancient, but in fact, none would have been even forty years old at the time ! 😳
"Get a horse !"


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Re: Goodbye Old Friend - Tire Report.

Post by John kuehn » Fri Apr 10, 2020 5:01 pm

Since the subject is ‘old tires’ here’s my contribution. This is my spare on my 1919 roadster. Another neighbor gave it to me in the late 70’s when I started gathering parts for my 1919 roadster. It’s a Samson which has probably been on the rim for at least 50 years. It was hard when I got it and surely still is.
It has about 20 lbs of air in it and it’s probably enough to get me home since it’s so hard. Maybe!
I’m afraid to put more in it but not for sure! Tap on the pic to make it right side up. Sorry it came out that way.
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Rich Eagle
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Re: Goodbye Old Friend - Tire Report.

Post by Rich Eagle » Fri Apr 10, 2020 7:00 pm

Perhaps it's my fascination with colors or maybe it's having been around them since the ‘60s like Rich Bingham mentioned but there is a certain beauty in these tired old soles. I definitely have a respect for all the miles they saw.
Rotten1.jpg
Rotten2.jpg
While my curiosity leads me to use these things and learn from them I certainly don't recommend anyone risk life and limb trying to drive on them. This discussion is offered as a look at these as they are. Always keep your safety and that of others in mind.
Thanks
Rich
When did I do that?

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Rich Eagle
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Re: Goodbye Old Friend - Tire Report.

Post by Rich Eagle » Thu Apr 22, 2021 12:55 pm

While working on the frozen spindles I see another of my 57 year old tires is nearing the end of it's useful life. It would be fun to see how long it lasts but I can save the inner tube by moving it to another tire.
57tire.jpg
While I don't recommend driving on tires this bad I do believe it has been a study of either the duration of tires or maybe just my stupidity and persistence. As I mentioned earlier, these were purchased in 1964 and have endured only a few thousand miles but lots of UV rays and inclement weather.
Stay tuned, two more to go.
Rich
When did I do that?


Dropacent
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Re: Goodbye Old Friend - Tire Report.

Post by Dropacent » Thu Apr 22, 2021 1:11 pm

I believe tires have feelings. To keep it ford related, my grandfather traded his Fordson and $$ for a couple year old Farmall A in 1946. I bought it from his estate in 1995. I was the first to ever use the PTO. Front tires were pretty sketchy when I got her. Used it for heavy mowing and snow plowing until about 5 years ago. I even used duct tape to hold the inner tube hernias in.
I got it out and loaded it on the trailer a couple years ago, taking it to an auction to sell. I walked back in the house, and BOOM, a front tire gave out. The original tires did pretty well!


speedytinc
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Re: Goodbye Old Friend - Tire Report.

Post by speedytinc » Thu Apr 22, 2021 1:37 pm

Tip on preventing sidewall cracks. I used to work in a hardware store that sold classic wax products. The rep told me to use vinal top wax on tires. Seals the rubber & stays pretty much untill rubbed off. Been using it ever since. Its no longer available, but some you tubing & found that mop & glo liquid floor wax worked. Tried it. Has the same look & feel as the old vinal top wax. Seems to work very well. I have used it on older tires & cracking is not getting any worse. I put it on about once a year.

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RustyFords
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Re: Goodbye Old Friend - Tire Report.

Post by RustyFords » Thu Apr 22, 2021 2:08 pm

cool....I love your coupe Rich.
1924 Touring

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Steve Jelf
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Re: Goodbye Old Friend - Tire Report.

Post by Steve Jelf » Thu Apr 22, 2021 2:27 pm

My experience with NOS tires persuaded me that I won't be using any more of them. :)
The inevitable often happens.
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Re: Goodbye Old Friend - Tire Report.

Post by Wayne Sheldon » Thu Apr 22, 2021 4:39 pm

One year, one week, and several days between posts! A nearly seamless continuation.
Great stuff!
At the speeds driven, the country roads, and a capable driver? No serious risks running on such tires.


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Re: Goodbye Old Friend - Tire Report.

Post by Phoenix88R » Fri Apr 23, 2021 9:25 am

My 26 touring came with a set of early 1990’s vintage Goodrich Silvertowns with full tread and fair condition. After a couple hundred miles of very local driving they are showing some signs of wear. Should last until I can get the rest of the T up to snuff but wouldn’t be comfortable touring on them. Watching for reports on how well the 21" Blockley tires hold up.

About 20 years ago someone gave me a good-looking old bias Goodyear tire for another modern old car (65 VW Beetle, which I still use as a daily driver). It had full tread but was obviously dried out. At the time I had 6 or 8 old tires from previous projects I was trying to use them up. Most would give 10-15,000 miles service before getting down to the wear bars. The goodyear was way better than any of the other tires in the set, so I put it on the right rear. Two months later I noticed it was completely bald and worn into the cords. Though I was in a parking lot decided it would be wise to change it on the spot even though it was only 5 miles from home. The old Goodyear went through 3/8” tread in only 1,000 miles.

Be sure to keep a close eye on old tires!


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Re: Goodbye Old Friend - Tire Report.

Post by brian korth » Sun Apr 25, 2021 10:26 am

purchased a new set of tires for my model a ford in 1972. the brand is garfeild. after 50 years of driving they still look almost new


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Re: Goodbye Old Friend - Tire Report.

Post by Cordes_jeff » Sun Apr 25, 2021 2:45 pm

Years ago we were driving our 27 truck home from a church picnic. My dad and brother were on back the truck. The tires were WW2 vintage. Coming home we heard a loud boom. Got off the truck expecting to find a flat but there was none. We drove on home and it was 2 days later before that old blown out rear tire went flat!

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