A tire question

[John N Mi]

I have a 1950 Plymouth with four bias ply tires on it and no spare. I have a wheel that will fit on the hub. If I put a radial tire on the wheel and use it as the spare can the radial be used to get home in case of a flat? I think that for a short distance it should be okay to mix bias and radial.
John

 

[Uncle]

It can be used but be advised that the car will pull to one side when running a single radial.
Just be careful and aware and you'll be OK
Brian

 

[Bob Kerr]

Yep it may act a little squrilly, but not too bad if the steering/suspension parts are in good shape. You could drive it that way across the country if you have to, just take it easy and you will be fine. I met a girl once who put over 60,000 miles on one of those doughnuts that everyone talks so bad about. She had a 3 cyl honda. Yep 4 cyl engine threw a rod and the piston stuck in the top of the head and the rod cap stayed on the crank so it still had good oil pressure. She put 20,000 on it like that! She took it to a friend of mine to do a "tune up" on it! She said, I don"t think it is running right , but I have been driving it anyway. Hahahaha! unbelievable but true!

 

[Jerry Coulter]

Expect to drive slowly. I mixed the front tires on a '68 Olds 98 once and could barely keep it between the ditches.

 

[rad]

I once drove a Volksgagen type 3 (Squareback) from Portland OR to San Francisco that had radials in the front and bias ply in the back. Drove like there was a universal joint in the middle of the car. Couldn't steer it, could just barely herd it down the freeway. Will never do that again - not very safe.

For a spare, I'd consider it, but would expect to drive very slowly and get the flat fixed at the next place I could.