coppercutlass

So a friend of mine gave me some front runners with only one season on them. the are 26/ 7.50/15 the maxium rim width is 6.50. can I run this on a 7 inch rim ? on .50 wider. Im not positive I have a front 7 inch rim but I like to throw caution out there for my self.

oldsmobiledave

The tires will be fine on a 7" rim but they are bias ply. Do not run them with a rear radial.

oldcutlass

Are you running radials in the back? Cause you don't want to mix. The tread width is only 4.8, I know that it's only a 1/2 inch, but your pushing it with the 7 in wheel.

coppercutlass

Why can't I run radials up in the back? I seen lots of guys run drag radials and sportmans up front. My friend ran cooper cobras in the rear and sportmans up front. I'm not arguing the point would just like to know. At this point I'm runing then because my current front tires are wayyyyy out of round.

yankees

I run sportsman 28" fronts with 295/65/15 Mickey drag radials and see no issues whatsoever. So why not???

young olds

I dont know about the width question but I have been looking up what people run as front runners with drag radials on the back. Most people are running bias ply front runners, although not encouraged it is more accepted to run bias on front radial in back when mixing. There are radial front runners but not as many sizes.

coppercutlass

many of my local olds guys run radial slicks with bias ply front runners. I just remembered that lol. Im still curious as to why it's not recommended.

nsnarsk65cutlass

I don't know about race radials and sportsmans but i do know street tire mixing radials and bias is a not good just try it you'll know why.

coppercutlass

I still want to know why. Im not cutting corners or trying to handle better. I drag race this car and cruise it around town some. disregard this last comment I did some reading and the most stable configuration is bias ply up front and radial out back.

nsnarsk65cutlass

From my experience the car wandered,thats the best i can explain it.

coppercutlass

I have manual steering and it's steering box from 1969 so it has some slop Just the nature of the beast. I can live with that.

oldcutlass

None of the tire manufactures approve of mixing the two. It boils down to tire construction and handling characteristics. Are people doing it yes, some like it and some don't. I have never mixed them because for all my years it was a rule of thumb not to.

380 Racer

Tried running radials up front & bias in the back on a Nova a few years ago. That lasted 1 day, it wouldn't turn a corner the same twice in a row.

yankees

I guess it all depends on what you are looking for when driving your car. If it's built to drag race/street car (partially), then I think it works just fine. Even if you only take your car out every 2 weeks for a 5 mile ride then it will be fine. If you're looking at cruising for hours (I don't this is Copper) or traveling along the PCH and taking corners at 20 mph then that's a different game. The problem is you have car enthusiasts mainly on here that are not racers. I mainly use DRR or Yellowbullet for these type of questions. This isn't the site to one usually goes to in order to setup or receive feedback for an Alf Wiebe suspension on their A-Body.

oldcutlass

Even on Yellowbullet and other websites this question has come up, the answers were just as mixed.

oldsmobiledave

Why not call Mickey Thompson & ask them?

coppercutlass

Because they will tell me what the book says. I need real life experience. I know people have ran them on the street with radials out back

oldsmobiledave

Just becasue people do foolish things does not make it safe. Mixing radial & bias ply tires will ALWAYS be a bad idea no matter how many people you talk to who are doing it. Why tempt fate just to save a few bucks?

young olds

Before I got new tires on my delta I had ran radials up front and bias in back, it felt like it was pretty windy out but for the most part drove fine and didnt bother me. My dad has bias slicks on the back of his nova with radial tires up front and when riding in that you would never guess it. On my nova I have bias plys all the way around and the whole car wonders on rough roads especially the front, I do need to replace a ball joint though. from those three examples and always having heard that bias tires follow groves in the road I would rather have my bias out back, but I have yet to experience it the other way around. In any case definitely go two and two, I had a 280z and needed to take a bent rim off and the only thing I had to but on was an old wheel with a bias ply, 3 radials and 1 bias on the back made for some scary driving. Anyways those are my experiences and opinions. Another thing you may want to know is, and I dont know personally, ive heard the bias front runners are not dot approved.

oldcutlass

Sportsman front runners are DOT approved. There are 2 versions available in that size, 1 is an 8 ply.

Here's what M/T states:

WARNING: Mickey Thompson Sportsman Front tires are Bias Ply. It is not recommended that radial and non-radial tires be mixed on the same vehicle.

coppercutlass

That's like the warning label on ciggarettes. Is everyone who buys those tires gonna run bias ply all the way around. I doubt it. I was worried about the width mainly. I asked my friend he said he didn't feel a big diffrence running the skinnies up front and coper cobras out back.

J-(Chicago)

I wouldn't even bother with em personally. They look cool on dragsters, but on big ol street cars, they make em' look like a fat girl with little *****.

oldcutlass

There is a reason for that warning label not a good comparison. Are those the 8 ply front runners, pn 1573 or the 1572? I'd say you'll be fine on the 7" rim but feel your pushing it.

You're probably fine running the radial bias ply mix on the track, it's the everyday driving that I think will be an issue as far as handling.

coppercutlass

I would love to run the right tires but spending 200 right now is not easy I got these for free so they will have to make due. Same reason I'm sticking my possibly hurth th40 back in. I don't have money to buy. A new pan the needed ammount of fluid and all that stuff. A few bucks here n there is fine but I gotta make due.

oldsmobiledave

Since you got those tires for free perhaps you can sell them for a profit & put the money towards a radial front tire.

MT makes this front tire that is an excellent mate to the drag radials. I & many others run this H speed rated tire upfront on fast street cars.


Sportsman S/R

A Must For Any Street Rod or Street Machine Builder




This modern day version of our classic Sportsman tire features radial construction and an unique flamed tread pattern. Extra wide rears and matching fronts, make this tire a must for any street rod or street machine builder!

• Unique Flamed tread design that Provides Improved Wet Traction
• Radial Construction for High Mileage and Smooth Ride
• H-Speed Rated up to 130 m.p.h.
• Fronts can be used with our ET Street Radial

part #6650 26X8.00R15LT mounts on a 5.0-7.0" rim.

they also have

part #6652 26X6.00R15LT mounts on 3.5-5.0" rim

coppercutlass

I don't like to sell stuff I get for free or for cheap from friends id rather put it to good use. I think I'll be fine. This is like the 90/10 shocks and trick spring question. I drove a friends car that had 90/10 and trick springs and it wasn't bad but people swear they are unsafe.

coppercutlass

Yep I got 90/10's a some trick springs and 50/50's for free too and I plan to use them . I do have another member here who is donating some trick springs from an sbo equipt 72 the ones I got are for bbo cut one inch.

yankees

They are noisy though. It will sound like wheel bearing howl.

coppercutlass

Yeah that's good to know currently im tracking down some noises in my drive train possibly a hint of detonation. Not too sure on that one. Which is why im putting on these tires to get rid of the horrible high speed wobble , I also dropped my trans to replace the flex plate which also had a wobble, Im also putting on my new back up alternator to rule that out, and racing fuel. Not to derail the thread but I got that and a bunch of other little things I gotta do yet .

coppercutlass

alright . So tonight I actually measured my wheel width. I took my wheels off and used some 15. in. steel stock and measure under the lip from the outside so essentially inside the bead plus the width of the aluminum if that makes sense. I was under 7 inches, given the width of the aluminum I probably have a 15x6 width wheel. Im taking em to work and having them mounted .

coppercutlass

Well good news the one of the mechanics at the dealership mounted my tires. turns out I have a 5.5 wide rim. Although I owe him lunch because due to the tire design it took him some time for the bead to seal up.

coppercutlass

I almost forgot to give my feedback on driveability. It does wander a bit but a firm grip of the wheel fixes that At high speeds like 80mph it is a bit scary specially on the street where little bumps will greatly affect it but I don't drive 80 mph all the time lol. The steering as far as that goes high speed steering sucks even cornering but street driving like town street no biggie. Off ramps I gotta take em just right other wise im fighting to steer the car. I do plan on going back to radials eventually but for now the ride is not that bad once you get used to it and figure out it's idiosyncrasies. Plus they look bad ***.