La Salle 350 Tires

La Salle 350 uses 700-16 in the years covered here, specifically 1934 and 1936. Every available product listed for La Salle 350 is built around a 16-inch rim, and the products include both traditional passenger-car bias-ply tires and heavier-duty military or truck-style 700-16 variants. That makes the basic fitment simple at the size level: 700-16 on 16-inch wheels.

The practical next step is deciding which type of 700-16 best suits the specific car and how it will be used. A restoration focused on original appearance will usually point toward a classic passenger-car blackwall or wide whitewall, while truck-pattern 700-16 tires are a different category even though the nominal size matches.

On a La Salle 350, 700-16 is a numeric bias-ply size. The 700 portion represents a nominal section width of about 7.00 inches, while the 16 identifies the wheel diameter in inches. All of the listed La Salle 350 products in this size are bias-ply tires rather than radials.

That means the code is giving you the basic dimensional class, but it does not tell the whole story about how the tire looks or what role it serves. For La Salle 350, buyers should compare blackwall versus wide whitewall appearance and separate passenger-car tires from military or truck-pattern 700-16 choices before settling on a final selection.

La Salle 350 uses a 16-inch rim in the years covered here. Several of the available 700-16 products also specify a recommended rim width range of 4.50 to 5.50 inches, which is useful when checking wheels on a car that may have been apart or altered over the years. The important fitment constant is that the tire is built for a 16-inch wheel.

A quick physical check of the wheel is still worthwhile because prewar cars sometimes pass through decades of repairs, parts swapping, or restoration changes. Once the 16-inch rim is confirmed, the choice becomes one of style and application rather than wheel diameter.

La Salle 350 tires in the available range are all bias-ply 700-16 products, and a tube is required. That applies to the classic passenger-car tires as well as the heavier-duty military and truck-style versions listed in the same nominal size. Tube use is consistent with the period construction used for these prewar fitments.

Inner tubes are not just an accessory item on a La Salle 350; they are part of assembling the tire correctly on the wheel. When planning a tire change, make sure the wheel condition, flap and tube compatibility, and overall assembly method match the needs of a vintage bias-ply setup.

A 1934 La Salle 350 uses 700-16 in the fitment range covered here. Since only one tire size is listed for that year, the main confirmation points are that the car still carries 16-inch wheels and that you are choosing the right style of 700-16 for the way the car is being restored or driven. Passenger-car bias-ply tires and heavier-duty truck-pattern versions are both present in the same nominal size.

For a show-oriented or period-correct presentation, most owners will concentrate on classic passenger-car tread patterns and the correct sidewall treatment for the build. If the car has replacement wheels or a mixed parts history, inspect the actual rim and compare its width and condition before committing to a specific 700-16 tire.

La Salle 350 tires are available in blackwall and wide whitewall sidewall styles. The blackwall offerings include classic passenger-car bias-ply tires as well as military or truck-style 700-16 designs, while the wide whitewall choices provide the more formal period look many owners want on a prewar American luxury car. Both styles are offered within the same 700-16 size family.

Choosing between them depends largely on the character of the restoration. Wide whitewalls usually suit a more elegant, presentation-focused La Salle 350, while blackwalls can be appropriate for a more understated look or for specialty-use tires where appearance is secondary to tread type.

La Salle 350 tires are offered here from Lester, Avon, BFGoodrich, Firestone, Tornel, and STA. Those brands cover a mix of classic passenger-car bias-ply lines and heavier-duty 700-16 military or truck-oriented products. The variety gives La Salle 350 owners more than one route depending on whether the priority is appearance, period flavor, or utility-style tread.

Brand choice should come after the size and tire type are sorted out. Once you know the car needs a passenger-car whitewall, a blackwall, or a more specialized 700-16 pattern, the remaining differences are mostly about styling, series, and how closely the tire matches the purpose of the car.

La Salle 350 tires are offered in several series, including Lester Classic Bias Ply, Traction Mileage, Silvertown Classic Bias Ply, Firestone Classic Bias Ply, Firestone Classic Military, Tornel Classic Truck, and Military NDT. The classic bias-ply passenger-car series are aimed at authentic prewar appearance, while the military and truck series use more specialized tread concepts and heavier-duty intent within the same 700-16 size class.

That distinction matters because a La Salle 350 restored as a passenger automobile will usually look and feel most appropriate on a classic passenger-car series rather than on an NDT, NDCC, or truck-type tread. The series name is often the quickest clue that two 700-16 tires serve very different visual and practical roles.

A La Salle 350 should be stored in a cool, dry, dark space with the tires kept away from direct sunlight, electric motors, ozone sources, and petroleum contamination. Proper inflation matters even when the car is not being driven regularly, because underinflation can distort vintage bias-ply casings during long periods of inactivity. Clean floors and consistent temperatures help preserve both rubber and sidewall appearance.

If the La Salle 350 sits for extended periods, move it occasionally or support it in a way that reduces prolonged flat spotting and localized stress. Collector cars with wide whitewalls also benefit from gentle cleaning and protection from staining, since storage conditions affect appearance almost as much as tread life.

Tires on a La Salle 350 should be inspected before each drive and given a more careful condition review at regular intervals throughout the year. On a prewar car running bias-ply tires, that inspection should include inflation, sidewall cracking, tread separation signs, valve condition, tube-related air loss, and any change in how the tire sits on the rim. Cars that are driven infrequently can still develop age-related issues.

The practical habit is to treat inspection as part of preparing the whole car for use rather than as an occasional tire check. A La Salle 350 that only sees weekend or event duty may go long periods without wear, but age, storage, and wheel condition can still make a tire unfit for service.

Tires on a La Salle 350 should be replaced when age, cracking, casing hardening, impact damage, uneven shape, or any sign of structural deterioration appears, even if the tread still looks deep. Prewar bias-ply tires often age out long before they wear out, especially on low-mileage collector cars. Tread depth alone is not a reliable measure of continued serviceability on a vintage automobile.

A sensible approach is to have the tires evaluated as part of ongoing vintage-car maintenance rather than waiting for visible failure. Replacement timing should consider the car’s storage history, driving habits, and overall mechanical condition, because an elegant low-use La Salle 350 can still be riding on rubber that has become too old for dependable road work.

La Salle 350 is represented here by the 700-16 size, and the available offerings include classic bias-ply passenger-car tires as well as heavier-duty 700-16 alternatives. The size itself is clear, but the exact original tire brand or sidewall treatment for a particular car depends on how that individual automobile was specified and presented when new. Several period-appropriate series exist today within that same dimensional fitment.

For restoration work, the most accurate path is to match the 700-16 size first and then verify sidewall style and overall appearance against period photos, factory literature, and marque references. That is especially important when deciding between blackwall and wide whitewall presentations on a La Salle 350.

Correct tire fitment can absolutely affect how a La Salle 350 is judged and how convincingly it presents as a restoration. Size, sidewall style, and tread family all influence whether the car reads as authentically prewar luxury transportation or as a car wearing a more generic replacement tire. Even when the wheel diameter is right, the wrong visual treatment can stand out immediately.

For owners concerned with value, concours presentation, or marque-club scrutiny, tire choice should be treated as part of the restoration rather than as a late-stage consumable. Matching the car’s era and personality with an appropriate 700-16 passenger-car tire is usually more important than simply choosing any tire that physically mounts.

La Salle 350 tires are available here in blackwall and wide whitewall forms, and either can be relevant depending on the restoration direction. Wide whitewalls often suit the formal, upscale character associated with a mid-1930s La Salle 350, while blackwalls can be correct for a more restrained presentation. The correct answer turns on the specific look the owner is trying to reproduce.

A restoration should treat sidewall style as a visual authenticity decision, not merely a cosmetic add-on. Period images, original sales material, and marque-club references are the best way to decide whether a particular La Salle 350 should wear blackwalls or a more prominent whitewall treatment.

A properly selected new-production bias-ply tire in the correct 700-16 size can be suitable for public-road use on a La Salle 350 when the rest of the car is mechanically sound. Safety depends on more than the tire itself, though, because brake performance, steering condition, wheel integrity, alignment, and inflation are all part of how a prewar car behaves. The truck and military-pattern 700-16 options also need to be matched carefully to the intended use.

The best practical standard is to think of the tire as one element in a complete vintage operating system. A La Salle 350 should be driven with an understanding of prewar handling, longer stopping distances, and the different feel of bias-ply construction compared with modern passenger tires.

Before driving a La Salle 350, check tire inflation, visible sidewall condition, valve stems, wheel security, and any sign that the tire is shifting on the rim or losing air. On a bias-ply prewar setup, you also want to confirm that the car tracks properly and that no tire shows bulges, severe flat spotting, or unusual wear. Basic undercar checks and brake feel matter just as much as tread appearance.

That walk-around becomes especially important on a collector car that may sit for days or weeks between outings. A La Salle 350 that looks fine in the garage can still reveal age-related tire issues or low pressure that changes steering response once the car is underway.

A La Salle 350 running period-style 700-16 bias-ply tires should be driven at moderate speeds that respect the capabilities of a 1930s luxury automobile and the condition of its chassis, wheels, and brakes. Even with correct new-production tires, the overall vehicle was designed in a very different road environment from modern highway traffic. Tire choice does not modernize the rest of the car.

In practical terms, that means smooth, conservative driving with extra following distance and no assumption that the car will react like a modern sedan. If the La Salle 350 is newly restored or back on the road after long storage, start with shorter, lower-speed runs and build confidence only after the entire car proves stable and predictable.