Excelsior Radial Tires

[mhsprecher]

I just ordered mine from Jegs. Interesting business model. They order from Coker, who send them to Jegs who then reship them to me with free shipping. From Coker to me, there is a shipping charge. I assume Jegs gets an order by truck with a lot of other items, plus a wholesale discount, so it all works out. I will order my tubes with metal stems from Coker, as it appears that no one else will make metal stemmed tubes for radials.

[Karl]

They are great -The only concern I have is what tubes I should use I'm using new tubes but they are not rated for radials -Is it really a big concern- Karl

[theHIGHLANDER]

Every belted tire equipped car that comes through my shop, with the complaint being how the car wanders, I've found that they're either in need of front suspension service or the tires are over-inflated. 30 cold was the norm on old tires but we've all been "conditioned" by the rubber band tires now found on everything past about 1993. Routine inflation is about 35 PSI. So what would that be once the tire is hot? Probably near 40 PSI easily. My big ol slicks on the racer would gain nearly 2 PSI after the burnout, but the volume is so much less on vintage tires. WAY less on Model A 19" and 21" tires. They fill almost as fast as bicycle tires! Ok, not that fast but you get the point. Radials have merit, no doubt about it, and if you do clock 5 figures a year in your A they might be worth the jack one has to pony up to run em. I don't see my truck ever going 50K miles in my tenure with it. I'd love to see that but the reality is that she's a toy rather than a routine transportation appliance. I guess I might even envy those who drive from state to state every year but running a business and life in general simply won't allow that to happen for me just yet. Some of the folks running the big classics have reported good results too and the ability to travel interstates at 65 MPH. And yet again, for me at least, I'm not sure I want to be rolling a 5K lb classic Packard through freeway traffic. No sway bars, mechanical brakes, punk kids texting. Just an observation FWIW...

[mhsprecher]

Highlander you make some good points. Most of us won't drive enough miles for it to make much of a difference, so the cost/benefit is not there. If I can get some better handling out of the car, it may be worth it. I am getting ready to drive my car to the MARC meet in Canada, so it will be a pretty good trip. My old tires are not up for that kind of a trip, so I am going large with the radials. We shall see.

Safety is another factor to consider, too. Radials grip the road better. What we were told when they first became widely available was that the tire tread had more contact with the road, that you got better gas mileage due to less rolling resistance and shorter stopping distances due to more tread contact with the road.

[pgerhardt]

Interesting thread! I have a question. What is the difference between regular tubes (I put all new ones with metal stems on my tudor last year.) and tubes for radials? If it is just marketing hype I stick with the ones I already have.

[steve s]

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

Brand: Excelsior
SKU: 789651
GTIN UPC: 00842199101881
DOT Approved: Yes
Product Size: 550/600R21
Rim Diameter: 21
Tread Width: 4.00
Section Width (Actual): 5.80
Overall Diameter: 32.10
Load Index: 94
Speed Rating: S
Max Load Capacity: 1477@44PSI
Recommended Rim Width: 4.00 - 5.00
Tube Type or Tubeless: Tube Type


Here are COker's specs on their 21" radial. I think it's wayy too big, which is why I got a set of 19" wheels for my 1929 Town Sedan when I wanted to switch. Everything anyone has said about their superiority is true. I got the 550R19; it seemed clear that the smaller ones were going to mess with my speedometer calibration. Here are some photos of how they stack up and look when mounted. I'LL NEVER GO BACK.

THe tubes are $44 and heavier rubber. Also, the stems are too big. IF I had it to do over, I would order smaller custom stems from Coker, and pay the shipping, rather than Summit and free shipping.

[old31]

I am also ready to get new tires but I wish someone would hurry up and add some whitewalls to the radials. I will try to hold off until that happens.

[Synchro909]

I have a friend who runs these radials and he is not impressed. He gets no longer life out of them and they wear unevenly. A couple of them have worn smooth for about 15" while there is still tread elsewhere. Backup was nonexistant.
We travelled together for about 1,500 miles on our recent National Rally and he had 3 flats. An inspection of the inside of the tyres showed why. They are VERY rough and lumpy.
I'm in no hurry to buy a set any more!

[steve s]

Originally Posted by JohnLaVoy

We have the Excelsior radials on a couple of cars, there will be an article on them in the next issue of the Times. We really like them for ride and handling, plus you get a lot more miles out of a set than the other brands. The picture is on a 1929 Fordor with 21" wheels.

John,
One issue I hope you'll address in your article is rim width. I believe MOdel A wheels are 3". Model A tires recommend 2.5" - 3.0". Coker's radials recommend 4" - 5". Is there a safety concern?

I originally was leaning toward the 500R19 because it seemed like it was the least risky in this regard, but I could find no references to satisfied users for that size and lots for the 550R19, so I crossed my fingers and went with the even more oversized ones. I'm surprised to see your use of the 550/600R21. Do they really clear under the fenders?

Another reason I liked the 19's, is they can be balanced with the usual clip on weights.

[burner31]

Firestone 4.75/5.00 X 19" Whitewall 1930-31
4-tires
4-tubes
4-rim liners
$984.10 total includes shipping
Anyone know of a better deal out there
This is thru Synder's

[wensum]

I'm fascinated by the term "radial tubes" When I fitted radials to my A, I simply re-used the old tubes and have had no issues.
Radials on modern cars appear to have notably soft walls and this is visually obvious. However the radials on the Model A appear to have relatively stiff side walls and I can't see the need for specialist tubes? I run mine at 35lbs and so far have had no issues at all and indeed love the improvements they have brought.

[Gil Sissons]

I bought Firestone bias ply from Summit this past Summer.
Tires only....about $650 free shipping and no tax.
Had the tires here within 24hrs.
Summit Racine also has radials.

Gil. NoCal

[john in illinois]

X2 for Summit. They handle all Coker tires. Here are their Firestone model a whitewall. free shipping.

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/cok-729610/overview/

John

[Dave in MN]

Greetings Guys,
I have been reading the previous posts and all comments except #28 (Synchro909) are positive. I delayed commenting on the Excelsior Stahl Sport Radial Tires until I could obtain photos and speak directly with a friend who has had less than satisfactory results with these tires. Look closely at the photos of the tires...Maybe the tires in the photo are not the same tires as those that are being spoken of so highly in the previous posts.
He purchased 5 of the 5.00R19 84S in 2016 mounted them when he received them and since then has logged about 19,000 miles on them. Early in the life of these tires, he had one develop a flat wear spot and asked for a warranty replacement. Coker did replace one. From the time the replacement tire was installed to now, all of the tires have developed the same wear spots to some degree including the replacement.
The owner reports that with the flat spots, the "out of round" can be felt when at speeds below 25 mph.
The max. pressure rating for these tires is 44# and stated so on the tire. The owner has been running them at 35#. At 35# the tire is holding profile and not looking flat near the bottom as a radial tire often will appear. Update: Coker suggests running these tires at the maximum rating of 44#.

I considered these tires last summer for my touring car, the Phaeton in my avatar, but reconsidered when the flat spot problems became apparent. I purchased a set of '35 wheels and mounted Coker Classic Radials just before we started on our East Coast road trip. I am well satisfied with the ride but they don't look "Model A".

I don't like bashing anyone's product..I am not posting to be negative. I just want a prospective buyer to be aware and to have the "Rest of the story" Good Day!
See attached photos:

[steve s]

I wonder if I ( and most other folks, who bought the 550R19 tires) dodged a bullet. That looks like the same tread pattern (cf. post 26) . Maybe other things are different?? There sure are a lot of satisfied 550R19 users; can anyone else who's used the 500R19 report?

On the other hand, 19,000 miles ain't bad!

One concern I did have about the tread proved unfounded: It looked really clunky and I was afraid it was going to be noisy as snow tires. Amazingly, they are distinctly QUIETER than my FIrestones had been!!

[denis4x4]

As I stated in my original post, I had the Excelsior bias tires and replaced them with the radials. Mine are 16" and I've zero issues with either style. For the record, I'm not running the radial tubes. Can't help but wonder if the storage of the car with lower than called for tire pressure may have contributed to his problems. Tire wear in the photo looks like an alignment issue. Finally, when I have my wheels balanced, I also have the brake drums balanced separately and then as a total unit. This means that I have to install the wheels on specific drums and indexed to the studs.


These tires are mounted on my A powered hot rod and have been used for hill climbs, tours, dyno runs and higher than normal speeds.


There has to be more to the story.

[steve s]

I was interested to notice at the recent MIchhigan Model A Roundup I saw three cars with the 16" radials--all from different manufacturers: General, Goodyear, Firestone as I recall. One other guy had the 550R19's. Unfortunately, didn't get to talk with any of them. If 16 inchers are your thing, you certainly have lots of options.

[steve s]

...... Tire wear in the photo looks like an alignment issue........[/QUOTE]

Denis,
Looks like camber problem to me. What else are you seeing?

Dave,
Did your friend have the same problem irrespective of where the tires were mounted on the car?

Steve

[steve s]

Originally Posted by old31

I am also ready to get new tires but I wish someone would hurry up and add some whitewalls to the radials. I will try to hold off until that happens.

SOmebody reported talking to Coker about this and they said there were no plans for whitewalls. I agree with your sentiment, but life is short and I am already old.

[steve s]

Originally Posted by Synchro909

I have a friend who runs these radials and he is not impressed. He gets no longer life out of them and they wear unevenly. A couple of them have worn smooth for about 15" while there is still tread elsewhere. Backup was nonexistant.
We travelled together for about 1,500 miles on our recent National Rally and he had 3 flats. An inspection of the inside of the tyres showed why. They are VERY rough and lumpy.
I'm in no hurry to buy a set any more!

Is your friend using the 500R or the 550R?