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INF - 025 (8-44) OFFICE OF PRICE ADMINISTRATION August 8, 19-.4
Washington 25, D. C.
THE TIRE SITUATION
Pc saenger Car Tires
Allocation of passenger car tires (size 6.00" X 16") Is currently at
1,950.000 monthly. General performance of today's tire, which Is made principally
of synthetics, compares favorably In all respects with pre-war natural rubber tires
and, unless abused by overspeeding or Improper Inflation, should give mileage and
service comparable to the pre-war tire. Comparing a monthly pre-war replacement
market of about 3,000,030 with our allocation of 1,950,000, It can be seen that as
soon as the present backlog of applications Is cleared away there should bo no
serious problem in supplying occupational passenger car operators — doctors, sales
men, and preferred mileage home-to-work drivers — with an adequate number of tires.
The situation thus is hopeful in the passenger car tire field. In all
probability, however, passenger Car tires for "A" card holders will wait at least
upon the end of the European phase of the war*
Light Truck Tires
The production of light truck tires (sizes smeller than 8.25) enjoys some
advantages common to passenger car tires: they are not too difficult to construct,
a worker can be trained to build a light truck tire In a relatively short period of
time (20-60) and a light truck tire does not require a large amount of rubber,
natur u and synthetic, and not too much cord. They are more difficult to make than
passe iger car tires, howevo", Find as a result are In less generous supply, In
relat.cn to demand. Nevertheless, It Is expected that, unless manpower Is diverted
to ieuvy truck tire production, allocations and production will be adequate to meet
demands of the present eligibility group.
He' -y Truck Tires
The production of heavy duty highway tires (size 8.25 and larger) Is r re
than 50% behind estimated requirements and a back-log of demand for more than 15'. ,000
tires has already accumulated.
Present production permits a civilian allocation of only about 60-75
thousand tires monthly. Needs are estimated at about 165,000 monthly. Recently
the full War Production Board worked for two days trying to divert these tires
from military, lend-lease or other possible uses, with only limited success.
Apparently the best way In which civilian needs con be net. In fu 1 is
through increased production. Experts claim that there Is cn adequate supply of
materials and mold capacity end that the bottleneck is manpower. Some dlifcaonce of
cp' nton exists on this p^lnt, but it is no doub> true that manpower Is the prn.ipal
bioo> to increased production. More numbers of men 'the Rubber Director sale! t .it
»S,PC'J hus,py men would solve cur truck tire problem entirely”) are not the piv hi ecu
A heavy tin requires a large amount .f hand work Jn the beading and molding oper
ation-. Kan used in this operation must be sturdy ito handle the weighty tires) and
skilled, (to do the careful custom w..rk). To take a green man, with th^ necessary
brawn and capabilities, and train him requires from three to six months.