is it safe to use NOS tires?

[jake wells]

i got some tires and would like to know if they are safe to use they have no cracks or problem area

[3r!c84]

what do you mean nos tires? after a few years on or off a rim the tires go bad.they have a shelf life

[jake wells]

they have never been on a car they are still in there wrappers

[cableguy0]

How old are they. The rubber deteriorates over time. If they have been sitting for a long time they will just about show cracks instantly after being mounted due to dry rot.

[jake wells]

10 years old they say polyglas the guy i got them from said he special ordered them for his truck but it got stolen so he couldn't use them. they have been in cool dry storage with no sunlight and they look awesome

[cableguy0]

You dont want to use them anyhow. They are bias ply and not a good tire to drive around on. Get a modern radial. Bias ply tires havent been used since the 70's for a reason.

[jake wells]

ok but im trying to go original and plus with these tires my speedo will be correct but i guess ill just leave the radials on it

[cableguy0]

Unless your doing a concourse restoration theres absolutely no reason whatsoever to run bias ply tires. They absolutely suck to drive around on. A modern radial is a lot safer and will last a lot longer.

[3r!c84]

i wouldnt do it

[N2TRUX]

Jake look close at the sidewall. There should be a date code somewhere on there. It will give you an idea of how old they really are. I agree with the guys here. Tires don't age well, and are probably not what you want on your truck.

[jake wells]

well its a little to dark outside but i looked at them really close and the say COKER H7815LT

and some little code that said 0106 is that the date?

[N2TRUX]

I don't think that is the date that they were made. I know they stamp it with a code that allows them to know, but it usually isn't in a date format. You won't see 07/04/10. Instead it will be a sequence of numbers and letters.

[jake wells]

i will go and get a close look right now

[jake wells]

all i could read was 026423 Coker Goodyear power cushion Polyglas H7815LT 2 ply sidewall 4 ply tread gum dipped polyester 2P fiberglass belted 4P 32 P.S.I max 1970 max capacity load range B

that all it said but i did mount them on some 5 lug rims i had laying around for my truck for spares and they hold air and they seen no cracked areas and spots they have a rib type tread.

[grinch4om]

these would be cool for shows only...drive on the radials for every day...these are Coker repops, not original

[gchemist]

Mount them on the rear. Make slicks out of them.

[cableguy0]

Yup they are Nos tires. They are reproductions. It looks like they were made the first week of 06. They arent that terribly old but still not what you want on your truck. Bias plys are good for one thing. Going fast in a straight line. They get real sticky when you heat them up but for everyday driving a radial tire is the best choice.

[dropd80s]

yeah the date code reads week number and year. So 2409 would be 24th week of 2009 ect.

[big10ratrod77]

dose your trck have power steering? couse alot of the "old guys" (the men who meet at harrdees or bojangles every saterday morning yall know who im talking bout) around here say they like biasplys "better" is becouse they steer easeir than radials. now weather thats true or not i dont know they might have just not wanted change... but like others have said dont use bias plys on the street ya could throw on a set the day befor the car show and cruze there and back with them but i wouldnt keep them on my daily. my 2 cents

[jake wells]

Originally Posted by big10ratrod77

dose your trck have power steering? couse alot of the "old guys" (the men who meet at harrdees or bojangles every saterday morning yall know who im talking bout) around here say they like biasplys "better" is becouse they steer easeir than radials. now weather thats true or not i dont know they might have just not wanted change... but like others have said dont use bias plys on the street ya could throw on a set the day befor the car show and cruze there and back with them but i wouldnt keep them on my daily. my 2 cents

i don't have power steering but i have power brakes
i used bias tires on my 68 with no power steering and it made it a lot easier to steer.

[jake wells]

i have trucks with bias tires and i think they are better
this is how i done it
power king super highways on the front
power king super traction tires on the back
of course they were 7.00-15 tires 6 ply and it rode like a covered wagon. but bias tires can handle a load a lot better
and everybody know some tires are not worth crap in rain

[Doug Garland]

5 years is what the useful date of tires is listed as. Anything older, and you are taking chances.

[LONGHAIR]

Originally Posted by jake wells

but bias tires can handle a load a lot better

That is a very broad statement that is not necessarily true. A tire's ability to handle weight is based solely on it's "Load Rating".

Bias-ply tires are long gone for the most part, the only ones still around are "specialty" applications.

The biggest reason that some say bias ply tires "steer" better is because of the effort required to turn the steering wheel at low speed, like parking. This is because of the increased size of the "contact patch" of the radials. But in any car/truck with "power steering", you would never notice the difference. They actually ride better and you don't have to worry about "flat spots".

The conversion to Radial happened in the mid 70s and everything sice is intended to have them.

[78 Chevyrado]

Originally Posted by jake wells

i have trucks with bias tires and i think they are better
this is how i done it
power king super highways on the front
power king super traction tires on the back
of course they were 7.00-15 tires 6 ply and it rode like a covered wagon. but bias tires can handle a load a lot better
and everybody know some tires are not worth crap in rain

My 78 had old 7.50-16 powerkings on em... They were 10 years old when i got the truck and i had to drive on em for about 2 months before I got the new wheels. I had no problems out of them other than flat spots after sitting for so long, but they were kept aired up so even the flat spots werent too bad. I took a chance and it worked for me. Sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't. Just have a spare handy and a jack. I've seen 15 year old tires last till they wore out, and I've seen 3 year old tires dry rot and crack and get a golfball tumor in the sidewall and tread... its pot luck.

[irishman999]

Bias ply tires are not just great for your trailer you never use, in fact i think they are awesome for high speeds in hot temperatures, I think they were built for high speed free ways on heavy full size trucks. Im sure they are not produced anymore because of some conspiracy, they just kick way to much ass. The cornering is so great, i just wish i could get a set for my Mustang.