Hi, I want to fit radial tyres to my January '55 oval. Can anyone tell me whether they still need inner tubes? I remember reading somewhere that wheels fitted to ovals weren't suitable for tubeless tyres. Will the wheels take 145's or are 155's best? I've seen some nice looking tyres from Toyo and surprisingly it seems Michelin XZX's are still available. The best look to be Vredestein Classics. Does anyone have any recommendations?

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I've just gone the other way, from radials to X plies.
My car was fitted with Vredestien classics in size 155R, the original factory spec X plies (560 x 15) are narrower equating to a 145 in modern sizes, but they come up significantly smaller in diameter.
In a modern radial to get the correct side wall you need a 175:shock:
155 looked ok but are still nothing like the original.

This picture shows a 155 radial (I took off) against a new Firestone 560 x ply.

You are correct in what you say about early rims requireing tubes, end of 57 the rims were modified for the newer tubeless tyre designs.
These rims had a square depresion around the valve hole (to take the bigger valve bodies used for tubeless) and had the letter 'T' stammped in the wheel centre (under the hub cap area)
Firestone do a range of radials called F560 available from 'Northants tyres' They look pretty good.
I can appreciate X plies are not for every one, especialy if it a daily runner. I oppted for the expensive ones and they still 'bobble' you around, feel like 50p coins:lol:
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Hi, Thanks very much for that information, it's much appreciated. I've just been looking on the 'net and the F560 Firestones are widely available for around £45 each. Tubes are about £8 and fitting is another tenner.
Crossplies tyres look great I agree but driving on them is very disconcerting. They're not so bad traveling in a straight line, say on the motorway, but on normal roads with twists and turns and especially roundabouts, even at slow speeds, they just make you feel as though you're on pram wheels.
I remember a '71 1200 Beetle I bought in the eighties had them fitted and the first time I drove it I thought someone had left every nut and bolt on the wheels and suspension loose :lol:

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