# Used bias ply tires in the Boston area? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 19, 2009, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/used-bias-ply-tires-in-the-boston-area/518174 "2009-11-19T18:25:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Deeg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/deeg/32/2955_2.png) [@Deeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deeg)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/used-bias-ply-tires-in-the-boston-area/518174/1 "2009-11-19T18:25:01Z")
Does anybody have a suggestion on where I can get used bias-ply tires in the Boston area? I’m making a tire swing that involves cutting the tire into the shape of a horse so I can’t use radial tires (they contain steel reinforcements). I’ve called some local tire dealerships but they only deal in radials and neither had a good suggestion for finding bias ply tires. Thanks for any help. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/used-bias-ply-tires-in-the-boston-area/518174/2 "2009-11-19T19:08:52Z")
Check with the smaller garages or service stations. There’s got to be half a dozen used tire guys in the area with a sign out front that says “FLAT FIXD” and a stack of old tires in back. Bonus points if the sign has hand-painted wheels that look like squashed tomato slices. 😃 (In case you think I’m joking, there used to be a tire shop in Sacramento with this sign. Regrettably, I have no pictutre.) ---
**Author:** ![GreasyJack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df705f/32.png) [@GreasyJack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreasyJack)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/used-bias-ply-tires-in-the-boston-area/518174/3 "2009-11-19T19:17:07Z")
The Boston area may make this easier said than done, but you want to find a tire dealer that does a lot of agricultural equipment, as a lot of these still use bias-ply tires. The fine establishments such as **gotpasswords** describes are probably all catering to passenger vehicles and unless they’re selling some _really_ old stuff, all they’ll have are radials. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/used-bias-ply-tires-in-the-boston-area/518174/4 "2009-11-19T19:19:07Z")
You can use a radial tire just not a steel belted one. There are (or where) fabric belted tires. There are also steel belted bias ply tires so read the sidewalk before cutting. Good luck. ---
**Author:** ![SanDiegoTim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@SanDiegoTim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanDiegoTim)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/used-bias-ply-tires-in-the-boston-area/518174/5 "2009-11-19T21:03:41Z")
Try searching for auto/classic car restoration businesses in your area. Restorations of pre-1970’s cars frequently involve bias ply tires. You might find some “throw-aways” at these shops. ---
**Author:** ![butler1850](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@butler1850](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butler1850)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/used-bias-ply-tires-in-the-boston-area/518174/6 "2009-11-20T16:13:40Z")
How about finding some racing companies? I think some of the racing series still use bias ply tires, rather than radial. ---
**Author:** ![Deeg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/deeg/32/2955_2.png) [@Deeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deeg)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/used-bias-ply-tires-in-the-boston-area/518174/7 "2009-11-20T18:22:19Z")
Thanks for the suggestions all, I appreciate your time. Here’s what I found so far… > [@Rick](#): > > You can use a radial tire just not a steel belted one. There are (or where) fabric belted tires. There are also steel belted bias ply tires so read the sidewalk before cutting. > Good luck. I asked a couple of dealerships and they said all the tires they get (new and used) are all steel-belted. > [@SanDiegoTim](#): > > Try searching for auto/classic car restoration businesses in your area. Restorations of pre-1970’s cars frequently involve bias ply tires. You might find some “throw-aways” at these shops. I called a few restoration companies and they don’t use bias ply. It sounded like old cars drove better with the newer tires and they didn’t make any effort to use vintage tires. None of the tires they replace are bias ply. * * * It’s possible that the people I talked to didn’t care and just said whatever they could to get me off the phone. One auto restoration company in Blue Hill was particularly unhelpful. I did finally find some bias ply tires. I was told that trucks and trailers still use bias ply. I called Sullivan Tire in Rockland and they guy who answered (Bob) was very helpful. He said he’d hold any bias ply tires he saw. It sounded like they replaced one or two a week. I hope to pick them up on Monday.