CO53Super88

I've searched the forum and can't seem to find exactly the answer I'm looking for, so ...

Can anyone tell me the recommended tire pressure for the BF Goodrich 760-15 Tubeless Bias-Ply tires I have on my 1953 Super 88? The info embossed on the sidewall states a max inflation pressure of 32 psi. I am currently running them at 32 psi for lack of better info. They seem to track well at that pressure but I hate to run them for several hundred miles and discover I've induced a bad wear pattern.

Allan R

That's the maximum the tire is recommended for.
I'd back that off. Usually back in the day most cars ran with 24 psi. The stiffer sidewalls and tubes provide a completely different ride and roll than modern radials. Most radials nowadays you wouldn't think twice about putting that pressure in. On a classic tire like that I sure wouldn't run it long like that. Have you asked the manufacturer you bought the tires from?

You should also check your owners manual and see what it says. Do you not have a label in the glove box that says how much pressure to use?

CO53Super88

Hi Allan - thanks for the reply. No I don't seem to have a sticker in the glovebox. I do have an owner's manual but don't recall anything on tire pressures. I'll check again. Since these tires are somewhat different than the OEM (tubeless) would that make a difference from any original published data?

oldcutlass

26-28 lbs is what I used to run on bias plys back in the 70's. You really don't want to max out the pressure, as driving creates heat and can actually add pressure due to expansion.

Allan R

How are your tires different than OEM tubeless? You're still runing a tubeless bias ply tire. Wouldn't be much different if you were back in 1953 and needed to buy replacement tires. The rubber and process used to make the reproduction tire are likely similar to back in the day. That's one of the reasons I suggested asking the selling dealer about them.

I'd try 24 to start and see how the car rides/handles. If it's just too soft I'd bump it up 2 or 3 pounds but that's about it for normal driving. The max rating was used when the car was fully loaded (like in a whole family and going camping) to keep the sidewalls from bulging and overheating.

With bias tires, your car is definitely going to handle differently than if it had radials.

Highwayman

The recommended tire pressures on my 56 are 24lb front and 22lb rear (cold).

Recommended pressures are a starting point. Get one of those tread depth gauges and check the depth at several points across the face of the tread every 500 to 1000 miles. It will pick up uneven wear before you can see it with the naked eye. You can correct uneven wear by adjusting the pressure over or under slightly and/or by rotating the tires. You'll be able to dial in the right pressures for your car with that set of tires and the normal loads it carries.

CO53Super88

I think OEM were tube-type tires, weren't they? I could be wrong. But, yes, everything else about my tires would be just about identical to the originals. The tires were on the car when I inherited it so I'm not sure how old they are or where they were purchased. I think dad bought them through Coker and they suggest referencing the door sticker for recommended pressure - don't seem to have one of those. The tires are in great shape, though, with lots of tread depth left and no sidewall cracking or anything. They were all about 26-28 psi when I first checked them but the contact patch looked a bit large and the tires rather squat at that pressure so I added some air. Maybe the bias-ply tires sit a little different than what I am used to seeing in a radial. But sounds like dad probably ran them around 26 psi so I think I will adjust them down to that and see how ride/handling and tire wear work out over the next few hundred miles.

Thanks all for the input. Much appreciated.

Ozzie

I don't have information on the 1953, but here's what the owner manual says for 1955:

Tire Pressure - Tire pressures should be checked when the tires are cold and all tires should be inflated to 24 pounds pressure on the front and 22 pounds pressure on the rear. It should be remembered that it is normal for tires to build up 3 to 4 pounds pressure during operation, therefore, if tires are checked and found to be high while warm, do not remove any air. (Be sure that your gauge is reasonably accurate - some are not!)

Allan R

Tube tires were phased out as part of a safety standard. In 1953 when your car was built there's an excellent chance it came standard with tubeless. By 1955 ALL cars were equipped with tubeless.

If you're at all curious about tubeless tires, google 'tubeless tires'. They existed as far back as the 30's but just didn't enter mass production till much later.

Highwayman

I don't think there was any such thing as a door or glove box sticker back in the fifties.

The squat on a bias ply tire will be noticeably different than a radial. Back when radials first started to show up, most of us thought folks were running their tires low on air.