Driving on Goodyear Speedways

[Bob Gaines]

I had a 67 GT K fastback with the new Firestone Wide Oval tires on it, Cooker tire offers both Bias Ply and Radial....I chose the radial tires which the sidewall lettering was the same as the bias tires and wow did that car drive nice!!! I wish you could get small letter Goodyear tires that were radials.

That is why the companies that make the glue on Goodyear lettering are in business  .

[68krrrr]

Thanks I'll try lowering the pressure to 28 but I swear they came with a big sticker that said don't go over 40 psi

[Bob Gaines]

Thanks I'll try lowering the pressure to 28 but I swear they came with a big sticker that said don't go over 40 psi

When you store the car for the winter or don't drive it for a few months you run the pressure up on the bias ply to 38 psi so as to help not flat spot the tires.

[shelbydoug]

Thanks I'll try lowering the pressure to 28 but I swear they came with a big sticker that said don't go over 40 psi

The sticker probably said, "don't use more then 40 psi in mounting them to the wheels".

That is a safety issue. People have hit them with full tank pressure in mounting and some are dead. Tires will explode under certain circumstances.

I never ran more then 30 with those tires ever and they were still like concrete tires.



Radials are a different story. You start at 40 and work your way down. Probably around 35 is where you will wind up with the running pressure on them.

There is a different issue with radials. With too little pressure on a radial, you can roll the tire off of the rim, fairly easily. On the track with radials, you also tune the suspension with varying the air pressure.

If you want the car to pull to the right for instance because of one hard right turn, you would have less pressure in probably the right front.

The 289 Cobras were tuned this way racing. You tuned the suspension with an air pressure gauge and that is what the practice time on the track was about.



These tires will flat spot fairly easily. In cold weather it only takes a few days. Don't be surprised if you think you are immagining them acting as dum-dums until they warm up?

I'd recommend you keep the car up on jacks stands and off of the tires if you are going to park it for more then a few weeks. It depends on what the air temps are where the car is.


26 with the Speedways is probably as low as you want to go if you drive the car hard because of the risk of rolling the tire off of the rim. The useful pressure window with them is narrow.

[557]

But they ALL make those "pretty black lines" when you push the right pedal,correct???

[madeulook]

.....what is the matter with white knuckle driving....you steer with your right foot anyhow

[Steve McDonald Formally known as Mcdonas]

i once talked to a tire guy about the "original" style tires, he said, "They're black and they hold the rim off the ground". He went on to say all the bad things, poor grip, accelerated wear, constant steering corrections, etc. as for the positive "it will look like it did back in the day" was the only thing he could say. The higher the content of natural rubbers, the easier it is to smoke them, lots and lots of white smoke

[papa scoops]

one thing you all are forgetting, you should re align thhe car back to original specs. I ran bias plys for years , but when I switched to radials, you had a hard tine keeping the car on the road, also check front end parts like ball joints, tie rods, idler arm etc. they wear out quickly. need alignment done by "old school guy"  Loved the glue on white letter, used them on my lawn mower. now, if I can get a foose signature decal for my macco paint job........phred

[madeulook]

I keep the Hoosier TD's at 40 all winter. I love 'em.

And I align to the original spec's - other say my car drives like a dream.

[shelbydoug]

.....what is the matter with white knuckle driving....you steer with your right foot anyhow

I personally don't like to feel it's a bobsled run and I'm trying not to hit the walls. That's just me though. You might like it.

I wouldn't be very happy if you sideswiped me because you couldn't keep your car in your lane.

[pbf777]

.........you steer with your right foot anyhow

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