About to buy tires - are recent vintage Riversides holding up well?

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Scott_Conger
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About to buy tires - are recent vintage Riversides holding up well?

Post by Scott_Conger » Tue Jun 30, 2020 10:14 am

I have been very pleased with Firestones for the last 5-6 years but am contemplating a purchase of Riversides due to $$ constraints right now.

I know "they're all made in the same place", and don't need that reinforced.

Simply looking for actual use an wear reports. Thank you.
Scott Conger

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Jeff Hood
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Re: About to buy tires - are recent vintage Riversides holding up well?

Post by Jeff Hood » Tue Jun 30, 2020 5:04 pm

I'm happy with them. I know that they are all made in the same factory out of the same rubber, but something must have changed in the last several years. My last tires were Universal T Drivers and they seemed to dry out and crack very within a short time after purchase, especially sidewall cracking. As the Universals became unserviceable I replaced them with the Wards and have had some for almost five years now without any sidewall cracking. The Wards do "sing" going down the road but that is just because of the tread pattern. It's hard to tell, but it also seems like they are wearing more slowly than the Universals did, but that may also be due to the possible new rubber formulation that is keeping them from cracking so soon.


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Re: About to buy tires - are recent vintage Riversides holding up well?

Post by Scott_Conger » Tue Jun 30, 2020 5:31 pm

Thank you Jeff.
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Re: About to buy tires - are recent vintage Riversides holding up well?

Post by DanTreace » Tue Jun 30, 2020 6:13 pm

Today just put on a replacement Firestone 30 x 3 1/2 on the '25 touring, the rear tire had sat flat in the trailer for too long, and cracked the sidewall.
I try to jack stand the chassis to keep tires from doing that.

Anyway the new Firestone is a bit larger in tread width than the 1984 Firestones that are on the T, but easy to mount.



The flat tire also took out the tube, note the circle above and below the brass stem, it cracked the rubber from sitting on the valve stem, so the tube was shot. Replaced it with another brass stem tube from the shelf.

IMG_2499.jpeg
And for those that don't think moisture gets in your tire casing from the valve stem opening or from temp changes, hot to cold, note the corrosion around the brass stem and steel washer, caused by moisture inside the tire.


New Firestone tire
IMG_2508.jpeg
Last edited by DanTreace on Tue Jun 30, 2020 6:19 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: About to buy tires - are recent vintage Riversides holding up well?

Post by DanTreace » Tue Jun 30, 2020 6:15 pm

Scott

Forgot to mention, I too have some new Wards Riverside on order, going to put then on disc wheels, have always like the Wards tread pattern and the old tires off the disc wheels were old school Wards, so it was only appropriate to put on the same shoes :D
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Re: About to buy tires - are recent vintage Riversides holding up well?

Post by Susanne » Tue Jun 30, 2020 6:27 pm

I really liked the "original" repopped Riversides (From New Zealand) - wore like iron and gripped like a cat's claw... the only reason I changed from them were the radius cracks that told me that, after decades of service, they were at the end. I'm not overly enhusiastic about the current offerings of tires from Viet Nam, having had issues with wear, balance issues, and cracking within a year of installation, but am hopeful about the Blockleys... especially since the Dunlops (pricey as they were) are now extinct.

I'm also then curious about the new Riversides... they were a great tire before, and if they have the quality that the originals (and earlier repops) have, then I'll be happily enthusiastic!

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Re: About to buy tires - are recent vintage Riversides holding up well?

Post by Budreau » Tue Jun 30, 2020 10:12 pm

I installed Riversides on my Tudor about 8 year ago. I believe they were from Vietnam. I added thousands of miles to the tires. No sidewall cracking, good wear.

Chad
[b][size=130]Chad Budreau[/size][/b]
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Re: About to buy tires - are recent vintage Riversides holding up well?

Post by Scott_Conger » Tue Jun 30, 2020 10:15 pm

all very encouraging.

many thanks to all respondents...I think this will be a done deal.
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Re: About to buy tires - are recent vintage Riversides holding up well?

Post by Steve Jelf » Wed Jul 01, 2020 1:40 am

I've had the new Riversides on my 1915 for both drives to Detroit and back, first trip by way of Chicago, Wisconsin, Iowa on the way home, second more direct. They appear to have at least two more such trips in them. When it's time for replacements I intend to try the new Blockleys. At £149 they cost 19% more than Wards. If they wear only 20% longer, I'm money ahead. Hartford tubes have been OK for me. I won't be buying any more Custom Classic tubes anytime soon.
The inevitable often happens.
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Re: About to buy tires - are recent vintage Riversides holding up well?

Post by Scott_Conger » Wed Jul 01, 2020 10:12 am

Steve

interesting that you mention the Hartford tubes. I really like those things, myself. I had to change 4 tires for a friend on his Torpedo and he needed all 4 new tubes. I was quite pleased with the Hardfords and he has had nothing but success. In fact I just specified one to a supplier the other day (who was out of them), and I am now looking elsewhere for it.

That's great info on your perspective of miles used and miles left on your tires. Thank you very much for that.
Scott Conger

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Re: About to buy tires - are recent vintage Riversides holding up well?

Post by R.V.Anderson » Wed Jul 01, 2020 12:07 pm

Scott, did/do the Hartford tubes come with correct (usable) metal stems or did you install originals? Or leave the rubber stems on?


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Re: About to buy tires - are recent vintage Riversides holding up well?

Post by Scott_Conger » Wed Jul 01, 2020 1:35 pm

RV

they come with the "wrong" metal stems vulcanized very nicely into the tube. They worked great on my friend's Torpedo, and of course take the Repro nuts/hardware. I've done a lot of study of these things, Smith and Jelf being among the two best at unraveling it for me. I've even sleuthed out all of the proper taps/dies to clean up and repair original correct stems. Brother that was a goose chase until I figured out the recipe to that secret sauce.

Anyway, no, I'm not fitting my old hardware to these new tubes. My reasoning on that is this: this car will be driven hard and left unwatched for periods of time. I prefer to lose repo hardware to road loss and the occasional thief rather than good original covers, etc. Otherwise, I'd be buying the rubber stemmed tubes and fitting original hardware like you originally asked. That's my next project.
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Re: About to buy tires - are recent vintage Riversides holding up well?

Post by DanTreace » Wed Jul 01, 2020 1:56 pm

Having the metal stems likely helps prevent valve stem tear, so on one T use the 'modern' size, but the old original dust caps still fit the new rim nut, so looks old, most would not know the long threaded stem is larger than originals, since all you see on the outside is the dust cap. :lol:

On the recent order, got Hartford rubber stem tubes from Coker Tire, $20.90 ea. and the new Firestone 30 x 3 1/2 @ $203.

Installed the Hartford in the Firestone.

Like to spread orders around to the many vendors when I can, so ordered the new Wards Riverside 30 x 3 1/2 from Lucas, @ $152 ea., they had rubber stem tubes @ $15 ea. so ordered a couple to test. The Custom Classic rubber stem tube got from Langs, bit higher @ $32.95 ea. and they are lightweight, so on the shelf for emergency.

Oh, and flaps are coming from Smith & Jones, same price , $30 ea. as other vendors.
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Re: About to buy tires - are recent vintage Riversides holding up well?

Post by jachady » Wed Jul 01, 2020 7:42 pm

I just ordered tubes from Lucas as well. I was leary of the $15 price. Seemed to be very thick rubber. I aired them all up prior to install to check for leaks and had none.

I'm gonna need new tires before winter so I'm reading this thread with great interest.


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Re: About to buy tires - are recent vintage Riversides holding up well?

Post by VinTin23 » Wed Jul 01, 2020 9:31 pm

Never ordered tires before from Lucas, is shipping reasonable?


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Re: About to buy tires - are recent vintage Riversides holding up well?

Post by Norman Kling » Wed Jul 01, 2020 9:40 pm

I bought a 22 from an estate sale. One of our members passed in 2003. I must have bought the car about 2004 or later because we had been evacuated in October 2003 for a fire and it was not here then. Anyway, they told me car had been restored in the 1960's when we were engaged in the Vietnam war. So I believe the Riverside tires were made in the U.S.A. Anyway they still had good tread but since they were so old, I bought a new set from Lucas Tire. Those new tires were made in Vietnam. I saved one of the old tires for my spare. So the talking point when I have the car out, was this tire was made in U.S.A. during the Vietnam war and these tires were made in Vietnam. Those tires are about 15 years old now and have quite a few thousand miles on them. Since I park in the garage when not driving the car, there are no sidewall cracks. The tread wear is almost none. They look identical to the old ones which were sold by Wards. I called Lucas in Long Beach and the tires arrived the next morning. Alpine is about 150 miles from Long beach.
Norm

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Re: About to buy tires - are recent vintage Riversides holding up well?

Post by Steve Jelf » Thu Jul 02, 2020 12:00 am

I'm not ready to trust the Indian (Custom Classic) tubes again. According to one of the guys in OZ (Allan I think) there was a run of them folded and packed before they were sufficiently cooled, and they tend to split. Being a slow learner, I patched one seven times before I figured out what was going on. Maybe those are no longer in the supply chain, but until I'm sure of that I'm sticking with the other brands.

IMG_2293 copy.JPG
Note the patches are all on the fold. Having to patch a split patch should have been a hint.
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Re: About to buy tires - are recent vintage Riversides holding up well?

Post by Alan Long » Thu Jul 02, 2020 4:17 am

I believe someone asked if one brand had an issue with balance more than others??
The new Blockley Tyres are checked for balance prior to Leaving the factory and like tyres for modern vehicles the side wall
is marked indicating where the lighter area is.
This enables the installer to fit the tube so the stem is adjacent to this mark.
By adding a little extra weight at that spot it will improve the total balance of the Tyre / Tube component.
Blockley also proudly emboss their name on their Tubes and Tyres and not hide behind vague random letters.
Alan in Western Australia

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Re: About to buy tires - are recent vintage Riversides holding up well?

Post by DanTreace » Thu Jul 02, 2020 10:22 am

VinTin23 wrote:
Wed Jul 01, 2020 9:31 pm
Never ordered tires before from Lucas, is shipping reasonable?
The shipping to FL for that Lucas Wards Riverside adds $19 to cost of the $152 tire. Normal times would get a set at a swap meet and pickup there for free off the vendors tractor trailer. But Covid did that in :( :(
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Re: About to buy tires - are recent vintage Riversides holding up well?

Post by Quickm007 » Thu Jul 02, 2020 2:40 pm

Personally, I bought my tubes and my white Firestone tires from Lang's, more expensive but they garanteed them. And I always have 5 stars service from Lang's.
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Re: About to buy tires - are recent vintage Riversides holding up well?

Post by Rich Bingham » Thu Jul 02, 2020 3:40 pm

Us Model T guys tend to be notoriously cheap. Well, to be kind, let’s say “thrifty”. ;)

Oddly, we tend to wax nostalgic for the “mom ‘n’ pop” independent providers of goods and services, writing paens of praise for the personal attention, prompt service and honest integrity they represent. Then, at point of purchase, too often we’ll opt for the lowest price above all else and run to the “box stores” where none of these amenities so fondly recalled are to be found.

Mario, good on you for realizing a trusted, conscientious vendor’s guarantee may very well be the best economy in the long run !
"Get a horse !"

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