MTFCA Forum

I need to get new tires on my 14. does anyone have experience with smooth tires, I was wondering if they wear out faster than a treaded tire. I have ribbed now and they have been good, but I drive the car quite a bit, so I am curious about the life of them.

Rick

Treaded tires normally last longer than smooth tires.
What brand is best?

Let the debate begin.

Art Mirtes

Art M wrote: ↑

Sat Jan 25, 2025 10:01 am

Treaded tires normally last longer than smooth tires.

How can you tell ??

I would never run smooth tires on my T (or on anything else that I did not intend to race). I appreciate that our T tires are not as wide as modern tires so the squeegee effect isn't that much, But most of us have been caught in the rain... I want all the help that I can get.

Older post on smoothies, from a T'er who drives a lot.

By Eric Hylen- Central Minnesota on Thursday, June 07, 2018 - 08:44 pm:
I love the way that white smoothies look on any brass era car. I ran them on my �14 Touring for several years. They looked great and ran quieter on pavement than treaded tires do. The downside, is twofold; they�re expensive and they wear quickly. I found that they cost about twice as much as treaded tires, and only last about half as many miles. I got about 3,000 miles out of each of the two sets of white smoothies that I ran on my �14.

DanTreace wrote: ↑

Sat Jan 25, 2025 1:52 pm

Older post on smoothies, from a T'er who drives a lot.

Short of the cord showing through, I’d still like to know how one tells when they’re worn out ?

I put smooth grey tires on my ‘13 when Coker offered them at a close-out. More miles off-road and on dirt than on pavement, I did almost get stuck in the mud once, that’s about all the difference I notice between them and the mostly bald (and rock-hard) Universal T drivers that came off. I wouldn’t pay a premium to run smoothies though.

They cost twice as much and last half as long! That makes the one quarter as good as normal tyres. That is a heck of a premium to pay for looks.
I'd go for the traditional diamond pattern tread on Blockleys.

Allan from down under.

short of the cord showing through, I’d still like to know how one tells when they’re worn out ?

Once bought a set of 'used' smooth whites to put on my faux '09 runabout. When looked over, the center tread area was really thin, could easily press finger into the tire casing and almost see thru. Figure that it worn out to me. So bought a set of Non Skid as this T was to be driven, and didn't want tire trouble on a T with no spare!


On newest T, the '12 open express am running those Coker close-out blem smooth gray. Seem to be good tires. But will check wear by the same test, deflate tire and press on the casing and see how thin is the tire.......unlike treaded tires, you can't use a penny and measure with Lincoln's head

thanks, everyone! I like how my grey Ribbed tires look the best

Rick

Excess wear in the center of the tread area often indicates that the running pressure is too high for the load being carried. Of course, high pressure tires require higher pressure to be safe.
I read somewhere that adding lampblack to the tire compound made tires far more wear and weather resistant than they had previously been. Obviously, white or gray tires would have little or no lampblack.

I have worn 3 Lucas 4.40/4.50 X 21 tires to the cord and had no issues. I have to go 3 miles on rough, crushed rock roads to reach pavement. These are inexpensive, lightweight tires, but they give very good service under far less than ideal conditions, especially when price is considered.

Rich P. Bingham wrote: ↑

Sat Jan 25, 2025 10:46 am

Art M wrote: ↑

Sat Jan 25, 2025 10:01 am

Treaded tires normally last longer than smooth tires.

How can you tell ??

When the air is showing through.

A friend of mine had smooth black tires on his '13. He got caught in the rain and the car nearly slid off the road. He uses treaded tires now.

Stan Lucas passed away last week.

If you drive a lot you don't want smooth tires. If you just trailer it to the occasional show, smooth - even white, are fine. I got 12000 miles on a set of Universal T Drivers....I don't think anyone can claim that with smooth tires. There was a reason tires quickly evolved from smooth to treaded.

Its funny how they can evolve from treaded to smooth in little time.

RecklessKelly wrote: ↑

Mon Jan 27, 2025 1:55 pm

Its funny how they can evolve from treaded to smooth in little time.

I remember tire ads in the 60s claimed there was a parasite called a “squirm” that ate tire tread !

Just got a set of the Blockley tires and tubes in. No doubt superior to the "other" offerings.

Bias ply tires suffer from tread "squirm" caused by the casing's deformation against the road due to the car's weight and other loads. It does increase rolling resistance and tread wear, all else being equal, and can reduce lateral traction. Belted radial tires reduce or eliminate squirm by having stiff circumferential belts under the tread, with flexible sidewalls. The tire's tread stays flat on the road under most conditions, with the tread area behaving somewhat like the track on a bulldozer. The tread also resists deformation under lateral loads. Tires used to squeal a lot in stop and go traffic on smooth pavement in hot weather. Tires don't often squeal any more under normal use due to radial belted construction and harder tread rubber compounds. Blue haired old ladies in '58 Cadillacs would generate some tire squeal making downtown right turns in hot weather at very low speeds back in the bias ply tire days.

I drove a ‘58 Edsel on 800-14 bias ply Coker Goodrich’s to college everyday, there is a roundabout at the entrance and no matter how slow I’d try to take it the tires squealed all the way through it. EEERRRRRRRR!

I put four new Firestone Cockers on a 55 Hudson and it sqealed like crazy in the curves. It handled well because the car had a short wheelbase. The tires fit the the style of the car with the pie crust. My T has cocker style tires on it, the style doesnt match the car in my opinion but they are new and the car handles good, so I'll keep them on. I think my fav tread style tire for an early car is the rectangular treads seen on old Bugatti board track racers.

What are Coker Goodrich tyres?

Allan from down under.

“BF Goodrich” Tires made by Coker. They are BF Goodrich in name and appearance only.

*fyi I bought a set around 2017 and have put many miles on them, they are excellent*

Are they B F Goodrich tyres made by Coker, or made FOR Coker? It is good to hear that they do a fine job of these later model tyres, unlike the beaded edge stuff for T's.

Allan from down under.

As far as I could tell they are manufactured by Coker, they claim they are using original molds. My tires all say made in USA and are still going strong after seven years, unlike many offerings for T's.

Why don’t you go up an alley and holler “fish”?