SAAC Forum

The Cars => 1967 Shelby GT350/500 => Topic started by: 68krrrr on February 23, 2020, 02:33:09 PM

Title: Driving on Goodyear Speedways
Post by: 68krrrr on February 23, 2020, 02:33:09 PM
I have a fresh set of the Goodyear speedway 350's  because I just love the look of them ,wondering what's others driving impressions on these are ,they seem to be allover the road with me once I get going 60 mph or so ,the car gets real floaty i have to move the steering wheel back & forth to keep it straight & kinda tracks in the lines on our crappy SoCal freeways.Is this how they are I have pressure at 32 psi like it says on the tire ,or maybe my suspension or steering is worn out ,I did notice all the bushings are kinda old & cracked up .Btw keeping the gold ten spokes for now they where done well & seem to be a Pia  to get them refinished  I talked to a guy recommended in another thread & he said he didn't know when he could even get to them,they kinda match the gold Gt500 emblem.
Title: Re: Driving on Goodyear Speedways
Post by: 557 on February 23, 2020, 02:44:44 PM
Yeah,those old "square sidewall"tires love to grab a road groove and "run with it".Not the hot ticket for pleasure driving IMHO....
Title: Re: Driving on Goodyear Speedways
Post by: shelbydoug on February 23, 2020, 03:08:46 PM
They were high performance tires in their day. They are no longer. They are at least terrible if not worse.

They don't corner, cruise, stop or stick. Even worse on a wet road. They're probably life threatening?

The best thing  that you can do is put a set of radials on to drive it and just save those for car shows.

They are a very good looking tire but that's about the limit of their ability.

Oh, they are generally worn out by 10,000 miles.
Title: Re: Driving on Goodyear Speedways
Post by: Shelby_r_b on February 23, 2020, 03:29:19 PM
+1 to the other comments.  I had the same bias ply tires on my early 67 GT350 Magstars and I had a separate set of radials on knockoff Magstars.  Moving from the bias plys to the radials was night and day.  I could drive with one finger when the radials were mounted, and your description of the bias ply tires is spot on.
Title: Re: Driving on Goodyear Speedways
Post by: Coralsnake on February 23, 2020, 03:54:39 PM
Nothing wrong with those tires

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ncJVyu-JQhE
Title: Re: Driving on Goodyear Speedways
Post by: 68krrrr on February 23, 2020, 04:11:54 PM
Thanks I did have these on my KR also I just don't remember them being this bad
Title: Re: Driving on Goodyear Speedways
Post by: Bob Gaines on February 23, 2020, 04:38:57 PM
Many owners are getting radials and putting on the Goodyear glue on letters for the vintage look. A number of companies on line that you can google and get info from.
Title: Re: Driving on Goodyear Speedways
Post by: shelbydoug on February 23, 2020, 05:18:33 PM
The tires on the test cars were prepared with special soft compound tires made especially for better times by Goodyear.

They had an "S" in the designation.

They were somewhat better then regular production Goodyears.

I had the E70's on my 68 when I bought it. I didn't know any better. Radials were something "European" and "not for American performance cars". ;)

I believe that the recommended tire pressure for them cold was either 26 or 28 psi? What does the sticker in the glove box say?


I also found that changing the rear shocks from Konis to Comfort Rides teamed with radials mysteriously kept the rear end in and stopped the jouncing. Seems so simple now. Everything then seemed a secret and proprietary information?
Title: Re: Driving on Goodyear Speedways
Post by: Rickmustang on February 23, 2020, 06:22:13 PM
In my 427 powered GT 500 (600+ hp) I could smoke them in any of the 4 gears. Dangerous. Get radials if you're gonna drive.
Title: Re: Driving on Goodyear Speedways
Post by: Royce Peterson on February 24, 2020, 10:09:48 AM
You have the tire pressure too high which will cause the car to hunt and track poorly. As Doug said tire pressure recommended by Shelby was 28 but you may find 26 works even better.

No doubt modern tires will give more modern handling but who wants that in a 52 year old muscle car? I don't.



Quote from: 68krrrr on February 23, 2020, 02:33:09 PM
I have a fresh set of the Goodyear speedway 350's  because I just love the look of them ,wondering what's others driving impressions on these are ,they seem to be allover the road with me once I get going 60 mph or so ,the car gets real floaty i have to move the steering wheel back & forth to keep it straight & kinda tracks in the lines on our crappy SoCal freeways.Is this how they are I have pressure at 32 psi like it says on the tire ,or maybe my suspension or steering is worn out ,I did notice all the bushings are kinda old & cracked up .Btw keeping the gold ten spokes for now they where done well & seem to be a Pia  to get them refinished  I talked to a guy recommended in another thread & he said he didn't know when he could even get to them,they kinda match the gold Gt500 emblem.
Title: Re: Driving on Goodyear Speedways
Post by: gt350hr on February 24, 2020, 11:33:58 AM
  +1 Drop the pressure a bit like Royce said. Bias ply tires ( obviously) do not follow the same rules as a radial and "crown" with higher pressures unlike a radial with it's belt to keep the tread flat.  I grew up driving on 6.95-14 bias plys in '66 and went through every new design since then. The freeways were worse back then. Try 24-26 in the rear for less "wandering".
  Randy
Title: Re: Driving on Goodyear Speedways
Post by: 67 GT350 on February 24, 2020, 05:22:11 PM
Quote from: Coralsnake on February 23, 2020, 03:54:39 PM
Nothing wrong with those tires

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ncJVyu-JQhE

Don't you love it, the right tail light is out!
Title: Re: Driving on Goodyear Speedways
Post by: 8T03S1425 on February 24, 2020, 07:38:25 PM
Quote from: Coralsnake on February 23, 2020, 03:54:39 PM
Nothing wrong with those tires

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ncJVyu-JQhE

As not much gets past the collective eyes of the forum crowd, I'm guessing that a few more than just me saw that the KR in the road test didn't have the coiled cobra next to the "428 Cobra Jet" fender badging.

And, as the camera pans through the KR, when the car is introduced, the front fender looks to be a color mis-match.

Does anyone know the back story on the missing coiled cobra or the color mis-match, if that is a paint mis-match.

Steve
Title: Re: Driving on Goodyear Speedways
Post by: 68stangcjfb on February 24, 2020, 09:29:55 PM
I heard all the horror stories about bias ply tires. But I really have no issue driving my 68 1/2 with the F-70-14 Goodyear polyglas tires. My car doesn't have power steering which probably makes it a little less darty. And I run 35 lb of air in them. Also, when they showed under the hood in that video, I couldn't help but notice that tower clamp on the upper radiator hose as opposed to the wire clamps that are on the reproduction radiator hoses.
Title: Re: Driving on Goodyear Speedways
Post by: 67 GT350 on February 24, 2020, 10:05:11 PM
I had a 67 GT K fastback with the new Firestone Wide Oval tires on it, Cooker tire offers both Bias Ply and Radial....I chose the radial tires which the sidewall lettering was the same as the bias tires and wow did that car drive nice!!! I wish you could get small letter Goodyear tires that were radials.
Title: Re: Driving on Goodyear Speedways
Post by: Bob Gaines on February 25, 2020, 12:25:24 AM
Quote from: 67 GT350 on February 24, 2020, 10:05:11 PM
I had a 67 GT K fastback with the new Firestone Wide Oval tires on it, Cooker tire offers both Bias Ply and Radial....I chose the radial tires which the sidewall lettering was the same as the bias tires and wow did that car drive nice!!! I wish you could get small letter Goodyear tires that were radials.
That is why the companies that make the glue on Goodyear lettering are in business  ;) .
Title: Re: Driving on Goodyear Speedways
Post by: 68krrrr on February 25, 2020, 12:48:13 AM
Thanks I'll try lowering the pressure to 28 but I swear they came with a big sticker that said don't go over 40 psi
Title: Re: Driving on Goodyear Speedways
Post by: Bob Gaines on February 25, 2020, 01:03:23 AM
Quote from: 68krrrr on February 25, 2020, 12:48:13 AM
Thanks I'll try lowering the pressure to 28 but I swear they came with a big sticker that said don't go over 40 psi
When you store the car for the winter or don't drive it for a few months you run the pressure up on the bias ply to 38 psi so as to help not flat spot the tires.
Title: Re: Driving on Goodyear Speedways
Post by: shelbydoug on February 25, 2020, 06:55:06 AM
Quote from: 68krrrr on February 25, 2020, 12:48:13 AM
Thanks I'll try lowering the pressure to 28 but I swear they came with a big sticker that said don't go over 40 psi

The sticker probably said, "don't use more then 40 psi in mounting them to the wheels".

That is a safety issue. People have hit them with full tank pressure in mounting and some are dead. Tires will explode under certain circumstances.

I never ran more then 30 with those tires ever and they were still like concrete tires.



Radials are a different story. You start at 40 and work your way down. Probably around 35 is where you will wind up with the running pressure on them.

There is a different issue with radials. With too little pressure on a radial, you can roll the tire off of the rim, fairly easily. On the track with radials, you also tune the suspension with varying the air pressure.

If you want the car to pull to the right for instance because of one hard right turn, you would have less pressure in probably the right front.

The 289 Cobras were tuned this way racing. You tuned the suspension with an air pressure gauge and that is what the practice time on the track was about.



These tires will flat spot fairly easily. In cold weather it only takes a few days. Don't be surprised if you think you are immagining them acting as dum-dums until they warm up?

I'd recommend you keep the car up on jacks stands and off of the tires if you are going to park it for more then a few weeks. It depends on what the air temps are where the car is.


26 with the Speedways is probably as low as you want to go if you drive the car hard because of the risk of rolling the tire off of the rim. The useful pressure window with them is narrow.
Title: Re: Driving on Goodyear Speedways
Post by: 557 on February 25, 2020, 10:23:34 AM
But they ALL make those "pretty black lines" when you push the right pedal,correct??? :o
Title: Re: Driving on Goodyear Speedways
Post by: madeulook on February 25, 2020, 12:24:16 PM
.....what is the matter with white knuckle driving....you steer with your right foot anyhow 8)
Title: Re: Driving on Goodyear Speedways
Post by: Steve McDonald Formally known as Mcdonas on February 25, 2020, 12:30:46 PM
i once talked to a tire guy about the "original" style tires, he said, "They're black and they hold the rim off the ground". He went on to say all the bad things, poor grip, accelerated wear, constant steering corrections, etc. as for the positive "it will look like it did back in the day" was the only thing he could say. The higher the content of natural rubbers, the easier it is to smoke them, lots and lots of white smoke
Title: Re: Driving on Goodyear Speedways
Post by: papa scoops on February 25, 2020, 12:45:18 PM
one thing you all are forgetting, you should re align thhe car back to original specs. I ran bias plys for years , but when I switched to radials, you had a hard tine keeping the car on the road, also check front end parts like ball joints, tie rods, idler arm etc. they wear out quickly. need alignment done by "old school guy"  Loved the glue on white letter, used them on my lawn mower. now, if I can get a foose signature decal for my macco paint job........phred
Title: Re: Driving on Goodyear Speedways
Post by: madeulook on February 25, 2020, 01:10:03 PM
I keep the Hoosier TD's at 40 all winter. I love 'em.

And I align to the original spec's - other say my car drives like a dream.
Title: Re: Driving on Goodyear Speedways
Post by: shelbydoug on February 25, 2020, 01:54:46 PM
Quote from: madeulook on February 25, 2020, 12:24:16 PM
.....what is the matter with white knuckle driving....you steer with your right foot anyhow 8)

I personally don't like to feel it's a bobsled run and I'm trying not to hit the walls. That's just me though. You might like it.

I wouldn't be very happy if you sideswiped me because you couldn't keep your car in your lane.
Title: Re: Driving on Goodyear Speedways
Post by: pbf777 on February 25, 2020, 01:57:49 PM
Quote from: madeulook on February 25, 2020, 12:24:16 PM
.........you steer with your right foot anyhow 8)

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