I've never driven or ridden in a car with bias-ply tires but nobody seems to like them. What is the problem with them? What advantages do radials have over them?

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1970 Chevy Custom El Camino (http://www.dreamelectric.com)
Originally was & will be Green Mist & Silver w/Green Vinyl Top (now black/black)
350ci/300HP 4bbl & Dual Exhaust
TH-350 - 2.73 Posi Rear - Factory PS, PDB, PW, Tilt, A/C & More
1987 Chevy Caprice Coupe (spare car) (http://www.dreamelectric.com/caprice.html)
Other Restorations - 1967 Sears Custom 600 Tractor (http://www.dreamelectric.com/1967Sears.html)

when they get old they get like lumps in them and they shake the car alot then they just plain suck

I just put polyglas on my chevelle when I compelted my restoration and with the new suspension and everything the polyglas are nowhere near the comfortbility of a new radial. But for orignality I have to have the polyglas tires.

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ACES Member #2987
1972 Chevelle SS (http://www.aaca.org/wraaca/anthony.html)
1987 GTA
1998 Camaro SS (Y2Y)
1978 Pontiac TransAm

Bias-plys have nowhere near the cornering power of radials. Due to the way the belts are arranged, the tire tread begins to lift from the road on the inside of the corner, reducing tread contact. This is why you can feel them losing traction gradually. With radials the tread remains in contact during cornering and so you don’t have a gradual, linear traction loss. However, when radials lose traction it is a greater rate of speed and is much more sudden. When you lose it in a corner with radials you are probably too far in over your head to bring it back.

Radials have far less distortion than bias plys at speed. I have pictures of bias tires at speed and you can actually see a wave in the tread.
Bias also have more rolling resistance and generate more heat due to internal friction. With radials it is said that you can gain about 5% in gas mileage due to the lower rolling resistance, plus you’ll also get much longer tread & tire life due to less heat generation and rolling resistance.
Radials have a low frequency mushiness that was countered by the car manufacturers retuning body mounts and suspension bushings for those frequencies. I’d happily take that over the ‘nervous twichiness’ that you get with bias tires. They sure can wander! Honestly, during the musclecar era it was amazing that such tires were used on them, and often with manual steering and brakes. Surprisingly the low profile (60 series) bias-ply tires have good dragstrip traction if you really pump up the air pressure.
Having said all that, a nice set of reproduction Polyglas GTs or Wide-Ovals look just right on a restored musclecar. The do a great job on recreating that ‘rustic frontier’ driving sensation (better hold onto that steering wheel or install a suicide knob).
There sure have been great advancements in tire technology (tire prices have advanced too!)

Over the years I have changed almost everything under my 64. Like shocks, springs, anti sway bars, Disc brakes and steering box. All these do not add up to when I went from Bias to Radial tires. Everything starts where the rubber meets the road.