Re: [Chrysler300] 300C front-ends and radial tires

[Nancy Kramer <nekramer@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

In our experience '57 Chryslers and Imperials had frame cracking 
problems.  I kind of doubt that it has to do with radials but have no facts 
to substantiate this.

They crack in the following places:
Convertible like to have the place crack where the upper control arm 
attaches to the frame.  Every one we have has been welded or we had it 
welded.
'57 Imperials and Chryslers like to crack the weld where the idler arm 
attaches to the frame.  Had  a 300 convert and an Imperial do that.  Both 
cars had a good bit of miles on them I think or had been used hard if you 
know what I mean.

I have always thought that it was because the '57 design was new and there 
were some production problems.  Upper control arms are different for 
'58.  Maybe they fixed something there.  Most of the original engineers are 
probably dead by now.  I'm sure some of them would know.

I think we mostly did run radial tires.  Never heard the hard on the frame 
story.  Chic has always used his cars hard.  In some cases previous owners 
used these cars hard or they had over 200,000 miles on the ('57 
Imperial).  Possibly they were never engineered for that kind of use life.

As far as use life I think mid 60s cars had some significant improvements 
over the late fifties cars.  By the early 90s there were more 
improvements.  I have been told my '93 Le Baron may last 300,000 miles if I 
just keep changing the oil and doing tuneups.  It's actually a nice fast 
little car that gets good gas mileage and is very reliable even though its 
been totaled once before I got it and stolen once this summer.  I guess it 
hasn't had an easy life.

Regards,

Nancy Kramer
Webmaster http://www.americandreamcars.com
Free Color Picture Ads for Collector Cars
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At 12:53 AM 10/8/2004, Thomas Miller wrote:


>Ok,I'm going to hypothesize here,  ( but then again, you sort of
>asked....)
>
>I don't see the relationship between whatever sort of tire you happen
>to run and "transmitting shock to the frame" when by design, all four of
>the tires and wheels are somehow supended by an apparatus designed to
>move up, down and *absorb* shock.  Then again, I'm no mechanical
>engineer and that's just my gut reaction to this.  Anybody else want to
>chime in?  I've ran radial tires on not so modern cars for 25 years now
>and have never heard or seen of such a thing.  But then, that's just
>me!
>
>Best Regards to all,
>
>Thomas F. Miller
>300C, 300M Spec.
>tfm@xxxxxxxxxxxx
>
> >>> "L.Andrew Jugle" <lajugle@xxxxxxxxxxx> 10/7/2004 8:44:22 PM >>>
>
>
>I ran Sears/Michelin radials on my white 300 from 1972 to 1987 (same
>tires) for about 30,000 miles. Was careful about alignment. First guy
>to align car warned me, "The radials transmit shock to the frame".
>
>That set of tires met demise by tread separation (shortly after 120
>MPH plus run at Chrysler Proving grounds) and Sears allowed "tire
>failure" with 2/64ths tread wear. I had  my choice of any tire Sears
>stocked at time as warranty adjustment.
>
>When I bought second car in '76, it had shiny bald original
>bluestreaks on car. Replaced them with radials and proceeded to put
>about 40,000 miles on chassis.
>
>By the mid 1990's BOTH cars developed frame cracks and sagging. The
>frame shop that welded up both cars attributes failure due shock that
>radials transmit to frame. White car both sides were cracked, "Crime
>Story" black car had only passenger side go, that side which takes
>more pot holes and abuse. (Not to mention stunt driving in Las Vegas.)
>
>Anyone else experience frame cracks and sagging on 300C converts??
>How many miles of radial use??
>
>L. Andrew Jugle, Elmhurst,IL
>
>
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