Tire Brand and Correct White Wall Width 1959 Skyliner

[droptopford]

Welcome to the Skyliner forum Bill.

I'm running Coker Classics P215 75R14 with 2-1/2 inch white wall. When I bought them (in 2010), they were the closest thing to 'correct' in size and WW width available in a radial tire.

I opted for radial tires because I like the way they handle better than bias ply tires and I am happy with that aspect. They look nice and the white walls haven't faded or spotted the way an earlier set (of non-Cokers) did.

Biggest problem I have though, is with the actual dimensions of the tire. Even the tallest profile radial does not offer the same overall diameter of the bias ply tire. The speedometer shows a few MPH higher than actual speed. And the width of the radials is also a concern. Removing or replacing the rear tire/wheel assembly is nearly impossible. There is barely enough clearance between the lip of the quarter panel and the brake drum to slide the tires on and/or off. It's a real time consuming wrestling match in the driveway. I can't imagine trying to do it on the side of the road.

If there is something new out there with the handling of a radial and the actual, true dimensions of the original bias-ply tires, I'd be interested to learn about that too.

We'll both wait patiently for responses . Things run a little slowly around here at times.

[billboos]

droptopford, thanks for the reply and heads-up on the P215 clearance issue. Do you know of a reference for the correct whitewall width. I want to get the closest.
These cars don't need tires very often so I'm not expecting a lot of replies. But I know there is someone out there sitting on a wealth of information.