MTFCA Forum

I am trying to find a match for three older, BLACK, 30x3.5 non-skid tires I have. Can someone (who has bought new Non-skid's in recent months from the suppliers) please take a clear photo of the side wall font style, and post them here for me? It would be very much appreciated. I have sent two emails each to Universal and Coker, and neither outfit has the courtesy to respond.

When you look at the canned photo's that the suppliers have on their catalog pages, they do not show the side wall lettering and lastly, they all use the same photo (of a 33x5, or something like that). What little detail I can see appears to show that the Font in Firestone is now solid filled, and does not have a raised border around each letter like you see in my tires above.

Lastly, if anyone has a single, trouble-free 30x3.5 tire like mine that is a good match, that is new, or barely used, I'd be interested.
Many thanks in advance.

James

Don't believe that famous outlined script Firestone has ever been solid letters on these reproductions.

Here is current photo (zoomed) on Jeg's Performance website of that Coker supplied tire.

Dan... Thanks. I tried to manipulate those photo's but wasn't able to get the clarity. I didn't want to spring 400 bucks and end of with a mis-match, but that does look correct!
Jim

Dan/All,
See attached. This is from the sellers on Ebay. This looks like a solid letter to me.

Here is the Ebay link:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/175280456122?_ ... BMuLnt6-Jk

James

Better luck to phone call the supplier you wish to purchase from, and email using isn't answered as fast, how many time have you visited a store and the clerk interrupts your purchase to answer the phone Calls work best.


Here is the website you posted, note it says photo is only representative image, and may not be correct.

Dan - That's precisely why I posted this and why I want to see a photo of the actual tire they sell for my size. I can't trust the stock photo!!

Do some people put Non-Skids on all four wheels?

I don't recall ever seeing any on any place other than the front wheels.

James, here is what I was sent by Coker. I'm a bit disappointed that they will have to be stretched to mount them.

J1MGOLDEN wrote: ↑

Mon Nov 11, 2024 8:42 am

Do some people put Non-Skids on all four wheels?

I don't recall ever seeing any on any place other than the front wheels.

Well there is good reason for having "NON-SKID" tires on the front wheels.
Guess it took awhile to realize that treaded rear tires were good for rear traction but smooth front tires made steering an issue in wet conditions. Their cost may be the reason why they are just used on the front today
-- --
Theses ads indicate that the word "FIRESTONE" was also incorporated in the raised letters on the tires. Might be hard to validate
-- This ad also implies their use on the rear making tracks

Ed, the safest way to stretch a BE tyre is to fit it over a deflated 14" modern rim/tyre and then inflate the tyre to stretch the clincher tyre. I stretched a set of old stock Olympic tyres that had shrunk 2.5" in circumference by fitting them over a series of modern tyres, each being a little bigger in diameter than the last.
Alternatively, if you just need to stretch it somewhat, you could use a Chev/other 23" split rim. Fit the tyre over the rim and jack the rim out with a rim tool. This was the last step I used on the Olympics. I ended up jacking the split rim join almost an inch apart for maximum ease of fitting. Hot weather is your best friend. Proper tyre fititng lube is a close ally.

Hope this helps.
Allan from down under.

RE: stretching clincher tires

My father has a 1910 IHC Model F roadster which he acquired in 1951.

It has 27 inch wheels and came with 34 x 3.5 clincher tires from the factory.

34 x 3.5 tires weren't available when he restored the car and I don't think they are available now.

To remedy the above, he bought metric 875 x 105 Dunlop tires (34.45 outer diameter and 26.18 inch inner diameter) and put them one at a time around a deflated truck tire and rim, inflated the truck tire to stretch the bead and let it sit overnight. That did the trick and he was able to mount them.

Here's a photo of stretching a clincher tire Dan Hatch posted on the forum a while back.

Note that this procedure works for clincher tires because there is no wire in the bead. However, it will not work with straight side tires because they have a wire in the bead.

Thank you Eric and Allen.
It annoys me that spending 2K on tires and tubes for my 23 TT doesn't buy a better product. Model T folks are notoriously cheap, and I'm no exception.

Ed, you'd have had no such problems with Blockley tyres. Thet are a dream to fit. I have another set to pick up at the Bendigo Swap meet this weekend.
Allan from down under.

Some people object to Blockley tyres because they think the tread is incorrect for the Model T era.

1922 Goodyear

2023 Blockley (with a bad tube)