Radials on a P2

[dhbuchanan]

Does anyone have direct experience of using radial tyres on a P2? North Hants Tyres, long-time advertisers in Freewheel, are now importing USA-made Excelsior tyres in the 5.50 X 17 size, and I'm seriously considering changing from cross-plies. The motive is safety, not speed: tramlining has always been a nuisance, but on the nearside lane of some motorways and major roads, driving on crossplies is, I feel, starting to become unsafe on account of the deep track ruts being made by HGVs and the cutbacks in road maintenance.

Back in the 80s, I recall, the roadholding and handling of my wife's P4s were transformed by fitting radials, but will what was good with Auntie's IFS work the same magic with the P2's beam axle, token shock absorbers and, wait for it...Willmott-Breeden Harmonic Stabiliser? The purists have always maintained that no problems will be encountered running Rovers on the original cross-plies provided the suspension set-up, tracking, caster angles etc. are all 100%. Well, they aren't on my longship and are never likely to be, hence the interest in converting to radials.

The new tyres represent a major investment, one I don't want to rush into making. Any advice about benefits and warnings concerning possible problems will be much appreciated.

[Dirkco]

Hello,

I can attest that radials will transform the ride. I also agree it is nearly impossible to get the suspension setup correctly that the car will ride as well as radials will make it, I know I tried. So my P2 and P3 as well as my P4 all have radials

All the best
Dirk in the States

[dhbuchanan]

Thank you, Dirk, for responding to my appeal for information. I decided to fit radials to the P2 20 a few weeks ago, and first impressions are that the ride is transformed, as you have discovered for yourself. I tested the dramatically improved roadholding by briefly lifting hands off the wheel at about 55m.p.h., a manoeuvre that would have been near-suicidal on my old crossplies, and the car continued in a straight line.
Fears of heavier steering, as experienced on radial-shod P4s, have not been realised, so I think the change to radials has been a good move. They don't look any different and the car sits only a quarter of an inch lower than on crossplies. The only drawback I can see is the cost: £220 a tyre, inclusive of V.A.T.. As the Excelsior 17 x 5.50s are imported from the U.S.A., and the U.K. supplier currently has a monopoly, I suppose they're significantly cheaper in Dirk's home market in the States.

[jefflee]

Hi,
A cheaper way to fit radials to a post war P2 is to use P3 16" wheels,
although I have a set of 17" wire wheels (for best) for my P2 20
she is standing on 600x16 radial tyres on p3 wheels,
they clear the wheel arch ok and are the same diameter as a 550x17.
16" are available for taxis & light trucks but you need to choose the right tred pattern.
cheers Jeff.

[dhbuchanan]

jefflee's suggestion of going radial at less cost, by fitting 16" wheels to a prewar P2, is one I did consider. However, having seen a P2 thus shod at a rally some years ago, I decided that the smaller wheels simply didn't look right in place of the 17" standard.
It's hard to believe that an inch would make a discernible difference, but the car I saw presented to my eye as squat and somehow under-endowed.

[jefflee]

Hi,
Its a few years since I bought my cheap 600x16" Michelin radials, and checking recently most company's now only make much wider tyres.
There is no longer a cheap option as narrow tyres are only available from classic tyre suppliers.
So I was wrong to suggest fitting P3 16" wheels as there is no longer an advantage now.
Cheers Jeff.

[TimMoore]

This Is a perennial.....since 1985 tramlines on motorways in mainland Europe and England (since we have no motoways in the Highlands...of Scotland.) has been a real pain in the ---- with our 16. I drove like an old movie actir in old films with the steering wheel moving to take account of the cars refusal to sometines drive in a straight line above 45-50 mph....

Yes .....in 1986 we renewed the steering box, fitted new front ball joints and then in 1991 once back in UK I fitted new kingpins and bushes. We have "designed" pre war wear in the front suspension...

Undoubtedly these helped, but as Howard says Crossplies have their merit when up to 4 million vehciles plied our roads in UK not the almost 38 million we have today. Frankly though radials on P2's was previously an anathema.


Last year fitted my last two spare new Dunlop 5.50 x17 crossplies, they last around 12000 miles up here (3-4 years use for us) and so am inclined - if we keep our 16 much beyond 2016 - to purchase radials next time, however the old established rule was if you mix crossplies and radials put radials on the back axle first ( if you cannot afford to replace all four tyres) and never mix radials with cross ply on the same axle.

However all reading this forum know that don't you...!?

Grandmas and sucking eggs comes to mind.......

Tim

[luli]

Good steering ( "the car continues in a straight line hands off") is possible with cross-plies, with a well maintained steering system, and some small modifications. See here: http://wp.me/pXLKy-1AE and here http://wp.me/pXLKy-1zz