Kaiser Frazer Owners Club Forum
General Category => Kaiser Forum => Topic started by: 51Deluxe on September 13, 2014, 08:10:47 AM
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So what's the correct tire pressure for a '51? The tires are modern radials, 205 75r 15. Maybe 28 lbs?
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Original specs is 24 psi if I remember right, but that is bias-ply. I would assume you would want more in a radial.
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I had radials on my 53 and 28 lbs seemed to give the best ride while maintaining acceptable steering effort.
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Look on the tires.
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nothing replaces reading the directions!
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On modern cars, door jam tire pressure recommendation always trumps what is on the sidewall, so I was wondering what K-F recommended
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I had radials before on my 51, they would give me a good ride at around 30 psi.
I now have bias ply which I first inflated like the radials to find a harsh and unconfortable ride. Checked Kaiser book which recommands 24 to 27 depending on load, I keep'm at 25 and it's OK.
I never rode on Bias before (I'm not of that era) and now know why we're all riding radials !!! Much better road handling.
I only drive the car locally so I'm stickin to authencity with the bias but kept the radials not to far away as spares !!!!
So for me, 30 was good enough (not 35 like newer cars) with radials and had to decrease to 25 with bias, thought I'd share this.
I'm going to one of the last local show in my area today, forecast is for cloudy skies and 55F , perfect for those cars !!!! ;)
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For what it is worth, I have a '51 Henry J, slightly modified,it is dropped 2" in front 3" in the rear.we run on 915 60 15 radials, on 0 offset Ford rims. We run 25lbs. In front and 22lbs. rear.
We have made 3 trips to Port Clinton from the Chigago area and many local area shows including the Newport Hill Climb.
We have no overdrive so we rarely run it 55mph,it has always ridden fairly well and drives fine on the highway, it also gives it a good looking stance.
It is otherwise bone stock and we are very happy with it, I will post pictures of it when we figure out how to.
Don Holt#1913
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Sorry, 215 60 r15s in former post.
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I run 32 all around on my bias ply. That's what it says on the side of the tires.
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I run 32 pounds on the Radials on my 51 Kaiser. Handles well.
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I have 215 r 15s on mine. I can barely turn the wheel when it is sitting still. really really high effort.
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Kaiser-Frazer never had radials so why are you looking for a factory specification? Contact your tire brand's customer service department to ask for application data. They should be able to give you nominal specifications.
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The PSI figure on the side of the tire is the maximum pressure the tire can take cold. Along with it is shown the maximum weight that one of these tires can carry at that pressure. Tire manufacturers have charts showing the weight a given tire can carry at different pressures. I don't know where to find these charts but I have seen them.
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Good point, Rialto. Don't just assume that you should put the tire at the max pressure, as there are many factors that will affect what that pressure should be.
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I've got bp tires on my Kaiser. They ride and handle well. The car (a1949) steers like a dream. Feels like it had power steering. Even standing still it turns easy.
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What PSI are you guys running on the late model Kaisers (51-55) with BIAS PLY tires?
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Before I had Radials, I ran my Bias Ply on my 51 at 30 pounds.
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I've got bp tires on my Kaiser. They ride and handle well. The car (a1949) steers like a dream. Feels like it had power steering. Even standing still it turns easy.
Wow, mine is impossible to turn at standstill- must be rolling a bit. They are also 3/4" whitewalls. The hitch is I'm not sure if I want to spend $900 or so to replace perfectly good tires. And, I feel a lot more secure about driving to Jackson on steel belts. I remember the bias ply days when ANY nail meant a flat.
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I know what you mean. I had bad tires on mine but could have bought black walls for half as much. It is a painful price to pay but I knew the car would look better with white walls and that if I put black wall tires on it I would regret it each time I looked at the car.
Not sure why yours steers so bad or why mine steers so good. I doubt it has anything to do with the tires. Mine turns very easy and handles good. I don't drive long distances yet. Still getting where I trust it. I did drive it at 55 mph on a 30 minute drive with no problems.
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I think yours steers easy because you have bias plies. Radials put a lot more rubber on the road but are harder to steer with manual steering. I think mine will improve when I up the pressure a bit.
Until recently, it was possible to get belted tires that weren't radials- might have to check into that.
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Are you going to Jackson? I plan on coming and bring the car but looking for a trailer to haul it on.
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Definitely going if the car will get me there. Uhaul has car haulers for rent for about $55 a day.