Kaiser Frazer Owners Club Forum
General Category => Willys Forum => Topic started by: WillysTom1 on January 26, 2017, 06:59:20 PM
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Does anyone have any experience with radials on the Aeros?
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Yes, when I was driving my Aero in the early/mid 70's I worked at a Firestone store and had the opportunity to regularly try used radials on my car. The best fitting ones were Michelin XAS 180HR15 radials. Never knew much about them, came in on a car getting a new set of tires and I snagged them.
Fit well (an issue on front coil springs) good traction and they steered easily. I recently did a thorough search for new tires, would've loved to get some properly sized bias look radials but struck out, either too large or too small.
These are still around from classic tire dealers and unlike other "classics" are still made by Michelin but sold exclusively through "classic" dealers due to not having to go through DOT tests. From what I understand, they were designed in the mid 60's for non power steering cars, note the the rounded tread.
They're H rated which is a waste on an Aero, and expensive, but I've found nothing better and that matches factory size so closely.
I haven't bought yet, but that's what I'm getting again.
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I had the opposite experience with radials on my 54 Eagle Custom. Steering at slow speeds took quite a bit of effort and the ride quality in my opinion was not much better than with bias ply tires. A switch was made to bias ply tires and it made a world of difference.
I guess which style is up to the owner and their personal preference.
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I put radials on my 54 Eagle. Finding any tire for pre 55 Aero is a challenge. Coker lists a tire for ALL Aero's as a 195. That will only fit 54-55 models with the 226. They are too wide for the front end of a pre 54-55 car with the original design front end They ended up taking them back and replaced them with a 165R-15. I just looked and they did not correct that error. The tire I have may be a little narrower than stock, but I am very pleased with the ride and handling.
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Looks like I am where I started. I probably stick with the bias tires. My 55 takes the 640X15
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You should be fine finding tires for a 55. If you are looking for bone stock original, bias tires are the way it came.....and it will ride the way it was built. Radials do alter that a bit. To me it handles much more like a modern car with them.It really boils down to personal preference.
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Main thing to remember if you're going to put anything other than 6.40X15 bias ply tires on your Aero is that a wider tire will rub on the tie rod ends, cutting a groove in the inner side wall of the tire. I did this years ago, drove it a mile or two and switched back to bias plies.
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Aeroman is correct on the rubbing issue, if the tire is too wide. I do not have this issue with the final set of tires :)
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Thanks all, I will stick with the bias.