ryan22

The Diamondback site has a page write up on this topic. I've never
heard this opinion before. Bill Chapman of Diamondback does not agree with it. Just wondering if CF members thoughts are ?

From the Diamondback site;

The following paragraph is from Old Cars Weekly – 12-6-07 issue. Here’s a condensed version of what someone has written:

“Rims for bias-ply tires and radial tires are made out of different alloys. Rims for bias-ply tires cannot be used on radials. The forces exerted by bias-ply versus radial-ply are different and needs rims made specific for each application. Otherwise there is over flexing leading to rim metal fatigue and breakage. One can tell bias-ply, radial-ply and disc brake rims by their markings.”

MikeM

I remember when radials became somewhat common in the late '60's and some qualified people were warning rims designed for bias ply tires were not to have radial tires mounted on them for the reasons stated above.

I don't know anyone that bought special rims to mount radials on their cars back then and I never heard of a rim failure associated with mounting radials on bias rims.

But, we were warned.

54greg

Someone's trying to sell rims

jim lockwood

I've heard (and completely ignored) this claim for decades.

chris ritchie

I remember that back in the day. Nobody paid any attention to it then. I don't see any reason to pay attention to it now.

One thing you might consider. Many of us use riveted rims on our C1s, and not the welded ones. Some of those riveted rims may have been designed for tires with tubes. If you're going to use a tubeless tire (Aren't they all tubeless now?), you might consider smearing a little sealer around the rivet head on the inside surface of the rim in order to make sure it has a good air seal. Yeah, it's probably paranoid overkill. But it doesn't take much effort, and it's hidden.

Frankie the Fink

My '61 and '63 both with original rims are running radials - many thousands of miles.
No issues.

Plasticman

If it had been a real issue, I would of expected the tire stores to be all over it, as both a liability issue, and an opportunity to sell new rims..............

Plasticman

MikeM

The lawyers weren't all over TV back then like they are now trying to sniff out potential class action suits.

JohnZ

That's 'cuz it was ILLEGAL for lawyers to advertise until sometime in the 70's - guess how that law got changed....

MikeM

Yeah, I started to add that but wasn't sure about other states. The '70's is when they could advertise on TV here.

I saw on TV this morning that Morgan and Morgan is now soliciting people to come forward that have been injured in a place of business by some crime taking place. Allegedly, the business owner is supposed to know he is in a crime ridden area and if he doesn't provide proper security, the "victims" could possibly recover damages.

What a load of crap!

After38Years

Original tires on my "66 were bias ply. Probably made it 30K miles max. Ran radials for the next 100,000 miles or so. Same rims are on my car now...

Donny Brass

whoa! you are lucky to be alive

gbvette62

The standard wheel on all 69-82 Corvettes was the Kelsey-Hayes 15x8 rally wheel, coded AZ. From 69-72, the wheels came with F70x15 bias-ply tires on them. Starting in 73, the same wheels came with GR70x15 radials on them. The wheels were never changed in any way, even though they had bias-plys mounted on them up until 72, and radials on them from 73-82.

GM A-Bodies used the 15x7 FW rally wheel with both bias-ply and radials, and the 15x7 5-spoke Z/28 wheels, were used with both types of tire construction too. Actually, many of the GM wheels of the 70's, were used with both bias-ply and radial tires.

Apparently GM didn't think it was necessary to change wheels, when they switched from bias-ply to radial tires.

DZAUTO

GOOD GRIEF, give me a break!!!
I can't believe that this kind of crap even comes to surface!
If OLD wheels and NEW technology radial tires were dangerous, we would known about the risk MANY, MANY years ago!
I can't believe some of the crap that some people come up with.

TCracingCA

With the advent of very high speed ratings, aluminum rims can actually be forged or god forbid-- turned out from billet. Because cast is considered inadequate!

Only if you were to put one of those fancy Ferrari kit bodies on like Don Johnson, should you worry about such things! when I have my Pagoni Zonda R delivered next week, I definitely will check what aluminum manufacturing process they decided to source.

tuxnharley

My '67 has the original rally wheels - and has had radial tires on it since at least 1971 with no problems. I think this is a non issue...........

Frankie the Fink

Where would you get different wheels for radials that would have the C1 'nubs' to hold hubcaps anyway. Not sure such a beast exists...

MikeM

https://www.sema.org/files/attachmen...el-Fitment.pdf

Dar53

I dont know about the old rims being unsafe but i did put radial tires on my 53 with the old rims. After driving i would notice the hub caps were rotated in the wheed causing the tire valve stem to be at a 45 degree angle. I would rotate the hub caps back into the correct position and again they would rotate again in the wheel. I now run without hub caps for fear of losing a hub cap or cutting the valve stem. After looking for information on this it seems the added grip with the radial tires cause the old rims to flex causing the hub caps to move.

Frankie the Fink

Now - I will have to agree with this observation, but perhaps not the cause. Twice I have remounted my 61 hubcaps after tire balancing and after several thousand miles noticed the valve stems were tight up against their hubcap notch - and I always center them in that notch. Whether its radial tires, wheels worn or hubcaps marginally loose and moving about somehow I can't say.

But, it doesn't keep me up nights...