Coker Tires, yes, no, maybe?
#2963056
09/11/21 06:10 PM
09/11/21 06:10 PM
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Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 16,163 Mesa, Arizona
dart4forte
OP
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OP
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Any experiences out there.
“So if it’s on the internet it must be true”
Abe Lincoln
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Re: Coker Tires, yes, no, maybe?
[Re: TJP]
#2963202
09/12/21 11:11 AM
09/12/21 11:11 AM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 20,925 A collage of whims
topside
Too Many Posts
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Too Many Posts
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 20,925
A collage of whims
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Cokers on what ? Radial, bias, what ? For some vehicles, there's no other "original" option.
I have the repro F70s for the Road Runners - Goodyear Speedways as original - and they are pretty crappy vs ruts & such. Seems worse than back in the day - yeah, I'm that old - but the roads aren't any better, so who knows ? I swap radials on, they drive way better even on crappy roads.
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Re: Coker Tires, yes, no, maybe?
[Re: BlueRacer69]
#2964175
09/14/21 09:20 PM
09/14/21 09:20 PM
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Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 10,234 Someplace you aren't
SomeCarGuy
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I Live Here
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Someplace you aren't
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I just got FR70-14 Firestone Redline radials that Coker puts out. About 90 miles on them so far, I’d say they are ok, but the rims they went on are bent all to shet, so can’t tell you that much. Felt ok on some roads, felt rough on others, handled like I would expect. They look so different from the bias plys I would say they are loosely based on them at best. At least they have the red stripe.
Coker has a deal with Lucas(has huge display ad of several pages in Hemings each month) tire to sell the firestones. Lucas was in a lawsuit with them for years, eventually cut a deal. Lucas actually has the original molds for the Firestones, which is another story in of itself. I’m not sure how it shakes out as to what molds Coker is using to make theirs, just that some deal was reached in the litigation.
A lot of the repop tires are made in molds that have had to be repaired over the years, you can see areas where they appear patched. My radials have a section like that.
I want my fair share
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Re: Coker Tires, yes, no, maybe?
[Re: topside]
#2964258
09/15/21 05:43 AM
09/15/21 05:43 AM
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Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 1,655 Cut and Shoot, TX
kentj340
top fuel
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top fuel
Joined: Mar 2011
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Cut and Shoot, TX
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Cokers on what ? Radial, bias, what ? For some vehicles, there's no other "original" option.
I have the repro F70s for the Road Runners - Goodyear Speedways as original - and they are pretty crappy vs ruts & such. Seems worse than back in the day - yeah, I'm that old - but the roads aren't any better, so who knows ? I swap radials on, they drive way better even on crappy roads. When I bought my 1969 Barracuda back in the fall of 1968, it came with Firestone Wide Oval bias ply tires. After only a few years, in 1970, that original set of tires was replaced with, again, new Firestone Wide ovals. But the 3rd set of tires I bought were radials. I vividly recall being totally shocked at how much better the radials were and that it was such a big and obvious improvement. Since 1.2 percent of new cars were delivered with radials in 1970, I'm gonna say radials are just fine for original restoration muscle cars. **quote from NY Times archives 8/27/81: All new United States-built cars will have radial tires as standard equipment for the first time in the 1982 model year, the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company said today. ''This is the first time since the 1968 model year that one tire construction has been standard equipment for all U.S. auto companies,'' said Scott H. Buzby, president of Goodyear Tire. Through 1968 models, the only tire construction used on new cars was bias ply, and bias-belted construction began to appear on 1969 models, the company said. By 1970, 86 percent of new cars came with bias-belted tires, and radials accounted for only 1.2 percent of the original equipment market. The big shift to radial tires began in 1974, when American car makers began making suspensions specially designed for the longwearing, gas-saving radials. Goodyear said the percentage of new cars having radial tires as original equipment jumped from 19.2 percent in 1973 to 43.9 percent in 1974. For 1982, the only bias-ply tires in new cars will be for temporary-use spares, Goodyear said. ++Unquote
If you don't see two dolphins, you need a vacation.
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Re: Coker Tires, yes, no, maybe?
[Re: kentj340]
#2964266
09/15/21 07:04 AM
09/15/21 07:04 AM
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Joined: May 2019
Posts: 6,330 nowhere
Sniper
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When I bought my 1969 Barracuda back in the fall of 1968, it came with Firestone Wide Oval bias ply tires. After only a few years, in 1970, that original set of tires was replaced with, again, new Firestone Wide ovals. But the 3rd set of tires I bought were radials. I vividly recall being totally shocked at how much better the radials were and that it was such a big and obvious improvement. I remember when I put bias plies on my 64 300. It had some cheapo radials on it when I bought it and I "upgraded" to Protracs. I remember how crappily is rode compared to the cheap, wore out radials it had. This was in the late 80's. I got married and at some point my old lady needed to drive the car for awhile. She hated the bias plies so much that she had radials put on it, I was pissed as she just did it then told me. That was the last time she ever drove "my" car, whatever it would have been.
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Re: Coker Tires, yes, no, maybe?
[Re: TJP]
#2964344
09/15/21 11:34 AM
09/15/21 11:34 AM
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Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 1,331 Clinton, NJ
njmopar
pro stock
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I have Kelsey GY redlines on my GTS. They can be a handful on certain roads, but not that bad. Just need to be prepared for some whacky tracking at times. They actually handle curves surprisingly well. I went with tire beads instead of weights, which I think helps. When I went to mount these, they had pretty miserable road force readings on the Hunter balancer. Also required a lot of weight, which is why I went with the beads. After sitting I get a little bit of flat spotting, but within a mile it smooths out.
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Re: Coker Tires, yes, no, maybe?
[Re: BlueRacer69]
#2964368
09/15/21 12:35 PM
09/15/21 12:35 PM
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Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 2,843 Connecticut
FurryStump
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I bought a set of repo Firestone Wide Ovals ( bias-ply ) redline tires made by Coker Tire Co. Mounted them up on a set of 6" Cragar S/S mags. Put them on my 69 Dart and took it for a ride. I was shocked, the car is all over the road now. Even almost went in the ditch twice. Don't know whats wrong with these tires, but they are junk. Stay away from Coker Tire. I wasted $700 dollars on tires from them. If you still have them post them for sale, two groups would be interested. The stock restoration show car guys and the FAST racers. You won’t get everything out of them, but you will get something back.
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Re: Coker Tires, yes, no, maybe?
[Re: FurryStump]
#2964374
09/15/21 12:47 PM
09/15/21 12:47 PM
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Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 19,641 north of coder
moparx
"Butt Crack Bob"
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"Butt Crack Bob"
Joined: Sep 2003
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back in the day before radials, there were tire shops that had "tire truing" machines. these things made bias tires "round" by grinding off the high spots. not sure if there are any of these machines around anymore.
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Re: Coker Tires, yes, no, maybe?
[Re: moparx]
#2964441
09/15/21 04:06 PM
09/15/21 04:06 PM
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Joined: May 2012
Posts: 1,849 South Bend
John Brown
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back in the day before radials, there were tire shops that had "tire truing" machines. these things made bias tires "round" by grinding off the high spots. not sure if there are any of these machines around anymore. That is common practice for circle car racers. They can shave them as little or as much as you like.
July 19th should be "Drive Like Rockford Day". R.I.P. Jimmie.
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Re: Coker Tires, yes, no, maybe?
[Re: second 70]
#2964606
09/16/21 02:35 AM
09/16/21 02:35 AM
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Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 1,655 Cut and Shoot, TX
kentj340
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Cut and Shoot, TX
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Take a close look at the factory Firestone Wide Ovals in this photo of my car taken in 1970. It's a completely different look than today's tires, which is what you might want if you're going for an original look.
If you don't see two dolphins, you need a vacation.
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