Register now to get rid of these ads!

1948 to 1950 Ford Trucks: Rubber

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Ryan, Oct 14, 2009.

  1. Ryan
    Joined: Jan 2, 1995
    Posts: 21,666

    Ryan
    ADMINISTRATOR
    Staff Member

  2. 1950ChevySuburban
    Joined: Dec 20, 2006
    Posts: 6,187

    1950ChevySuburban
    Member Emeritus
    from Tucson AZ

    Even after pics are discussed, things look different based on rim width, offset, etc....
    Narrow it down with pics, but having a friend with a tire shop is great! Like trying on shoes.
     
  3. JeffreyJames
    Joined: Jun 13, 2007
    Posts: 16,628

    JeffreyJames
    Member
    from SUGAR CITY

    Sounds like call for The Mother Of All Tire Threads!!!!

    http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=256812

    I think Chris will have some options since he seems to have a really good grasp at this and knows how to get a car sitting.

    I was worried when ordering my tires for my '35 whether to go with 6.00-16's or 5.50-16's up front. In the end i went with the 5.50's because I needed room to turn. I am still waiting to see how it pans out. I hope I made the right decision.
     
  4. Alex Yohnk
    Joined: Sep 7, 2005
    Posts: 828

    Alex Yohnk

    i love these trucks, all photos lifted from the hamb
     

    Attached Files:


  5. Jive-Bomber
    Joined: Aug 21, 2001
    Posts: 3,760

    Jive-Bomber
    MODERATOR

    I had a '56 Ford truck about 10 years ago (hence the red wheels and goofy flames), which had 15" wheels. I went for the "big and little" look on it, and the rake was kinda cool...
    (Probably 7.00 x 15s on the rear and 6.00 x 15s on the front.)

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
  6. Alex Yohnk
    Joined: Sep 7, 2005
    Posts: 828

    Alex Yohnk

    if you lower that f100, that tire size looks really good.
     

    Attached Files:

    Atwater Mike likes this.
  7. mine with 6.50-16s with stock caps and some smooth trim rings. They fill out the wheel wells nice, but they're damn skinny when looking at them from the back. The other pic with the thin whites (old G78-15s) and caps is more to my liking.
     

    Attached Files:

  8. Jive-Bomber
    Joined: Aug 21, 2001
    Posts: 3,760

    Jive-Bomber
    MODERATOR

    Man! Now I wish I had it back!! :)
     
  9. <<<--- L78x 15 and 670 x 15 Rears are like 28" tall
     
  10. Paul
    Joined: Aug 29, 2002
    Posts: 16,410

    Paul
    Editor

    yes deffinately bias and on a 15" rim

    I think width is also important here

    with a skinny tire it can look a little goofy from the front or back
    especially if the tire is tucked way in

    I would go with about 6" of tread in the rear
    and a little less in the front

    so a 29 inch tall tire in the rear on a 15 by 5-1/2 or 6 inch rim with 6 inches of tread
    and the same wheel up front but with a tire about 1/2 to 1 inch shorter and narrower tire

    L78-15 rear and G78-15 front with nice wide white walls
     
  11. orinpowell
    Joined: Apr 21, 2008
    Posts: 2

    orinpowell
    Member
    from canada

    I'm also looking for some tires for my 55 gmc. Shes a farm truck and I want to keep it that way with some 6 or 7 inch wide tires on 16s as well. I think they look great. My problem is finding tires, aside from paying 700 bucks from coker they seem to be hard to find. Where do you get these treads?
     
  12. flatheadbob
    Joined: Aug 23, 2009
    Posts: 1

    flatheadbob
    Member

    I found this on the Classic Trucks website - it's one of my favorite trucks. Stance is perfect!

    Front tires: Diamond Back Classics WW, 205/70R15
    Rear tires: Diamond Back Classis WW, 235/70R15

    [​IMG]
     
  13. I'd don't have one of these trucks, or pics even, but since I'm an expert on everything I'll jump in anyway.

    I'd go with a pair of 6.00x16 'Stones in front with a pair of 7.50x16 'Stones in the back. Then lower it as much as possible over them. Blackwall or whitewall, depends on the truck.

    JH
     
  14. shmoozo
    Joined: Aug 14, 2007
    Posts: 671

    shmoozo
    Member
    from Media, PA

    That, to my eyes, in at least some ways looks like the best stance out of everything I have seen in this thread so far. The way the top edges of both the front and the rear fender well openings line up just slightly above the top of the wide whitewalls looks absolutely perfect to me. It also appears to leave enough ground clearance to actually drive the car on normal roads without worrying too much about scraping over speed bumps or crashing body, frame or whatever into the pavement when negotiating pot holes and driveway entrances.

    Personally, I also appreciate the fact that the owner wasn't afraid to use radial tires. It may not be period correct or traditional, but if you are going to drive the thing regularly and for any sort of distances the improved traction radials provide for braking wins out for me. Yeah, I know that isn't generally accepted view here, but on a vehicle that I actually intended to drive more than to and from the local weekly cruise night parking lot I, for one, would prefer the extra margin of safety provided by radials over the period correctness or tradition of bias plies.

    If the wider aspect ratio of the 70 series tires seen above looks a bit wrong to you on a truck of that vintage (and I can certainly see where folks might feel that way about those tires as I'm thinking exactly the same thing) there's always tires like the Coker Classic Radials which are available in some of the same tire sizes as the bias-ply tires folks here favor and with the same wide whitewalls. Frankly, tires like those Coker Classic Radials seem like the perfect solution for a guy like me who wants both the traditional look of the old bias plies and the safety of modern radials.

    So, for me, the combination of something like the 600R16 Coker Classic 3" whitewalls up front, and the 700R16 Coker Classic 3.5" whitewalls in back (yeah, I like the 16 inchers) might be the way to go. The tire sizes might need to be taken up or down just slightly to make the look and the stance just right, but care should be taken to make sure that the tires are large enough to carry the loads they'll be subjected to on a truck like that, especially if the truck will actually be used for hauling now and then.

    Safety first and all that.

    :cool:
     
    Last edited: Oct 14, 2009
  15. I dunno, I always just assumed I would put wide whites on my F-1 when it got to the appropriate stage, but with green and the red wheels and whitewalls it looks like Christmas candy or a rolling Italian flag.

    Chromed steelies with blackwall piecrusts....think it over.
     
  16. Which is not to say the above truck isn't gorgeous or anything. I just feel a truck should be a little more 'serious' looking.
     
  17. shmoozo
    Joined: Aug 14, 2007
    Posts: 671

    shmoozo
    Member
    from Media, PA

    Yeah, I was withholding my reservations about the color choices on the wheels, too, but I winced a bit when I saw that red with the green, too.

    I do like the green, but that red just doesn't work for me with that green. Then again color choices are an entirely different subject and not what we're trying to discuss here.

    Right?

    :cool:
     
  18. 4tl8ford
    Joined: Sep 1, 2004
    Posts: 1,087

    4tl8ford
    Member
    from Erie, Pa

  19. James66g
    Joined: Sep 20, 2006
    Posts: 558

    James66g
    Member

    My girl wants one of them bad I am real partial to the above orange one w teeth instead of bars and black scalloping . I believe that is the truck that was upholstered at A.S.S man just love that interior !as for tires and stance I believe Mr . Weesner has done a rendering called ..... Um. Think swap king or something like that tat t th look perfectly maybe this could (an un official friday night art show theme ?
     
  20. RHOPPER
    Joined: Mar 12, 2006
    Posts: 263

    RHOPPER
    Member

    If you run a modern radial, look to the common SUV sizes. They'll all be blackwall, but 28"-29" tall is easy on a 16" rim. 215/70, 225/70 or 75, and 235/70r16 are all in that height range, relatively narrow, and available every where. A same size spare will fit in the stock spare tire carrier. They all have enough load rating so if you want to carry a load, you're ok. Plus, your chances of finding a replacement out on the road are good because they're all common sizes.
     

  21. 6.00x16 in the front and 7.00x16 in the rear. Takes alot of meat and alot of lowering to stuff those F-1 wheel wells :)

    EDIT: I've had several PM's about the suspension setup. It's got a Mustang II with 2" drop spindles up front and a new rear leaf spring kit from CPP in the back with 2" blocks and a small c-notch. I just posted a build thread here---> http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=4451582&posted=1#post4451582
     
    Last edited: Oct 15, 2009
  22. Paul
    Joined: Aug 29, 2002
    Posts: 16,410

    Paul
    Editor

    here's k-member's pu
    he'll have to tell you about the chop, drop and tires
    but it looks damned sweet to me

    [​IMG]

    and in this clip you can see it in motion..

     
    Last edited: Oct 14, 2009
  23. Ryan
    Joined: Jan 2, 1995
    Posts: 21,666

    Ryan
    ADMINISTRATOR
    Staff Member

    The Anvil truck is titts... I don't even mind the 15's...
     
  24. spoons
    Joined: Jan 1, 2004
    Posts: 1,738

    spoons
    Member
    from ohio

    Radial crossover on the wife's truck are 165r X 15
    235r X 15

    Mine are standard coker Bias ply Big and Littles

    What makes a difference between 15's or 16's???
    It's all about the stance and you couldn't see the inch different if you paid yourself....:eek:
     
  25. Michigan Rick
    Joined: Mar 21, 2002
    Posts: 259

    Michigan Rick
    Member
    from Owosso Mi.

    (((The Anvil truck is titts... I don't even mind the 15's... )))

    Best part is it's a MERCURY!


    Michigan Rick
     
  26. benflathead
    Joined: Nov 15, 2007
    Posts: 249

    benflathead
    Member

    I know its a bit earlier but I went same size front to back for my jailbar.

    [​IMG]
     
  27. chevpickup
    Joined: Aug 25, 2009
    Posts: 196

    chevpickup
    Member
    from Australia

    I am going through this exact thing right now with my 55 1st series chev pickup, debating 15's vs 16's and rim width as well as ww width. Need to make a decision soon cause I have a container coming to Australia I can piggy back for free. Sorry for the OT, but it kind of relates
     
  28. TERPU
    Joined: Jan 2, 2004
    Posts: 2,374

    TERPU
    Member

    [​IMG]

    This is 7:50 rears and 6:00 fronts on 15" ford truck rims.

    Tim
     
  29. SMOKINFLATHEAD
    Joined: Apr 2, 2008
    Posts: 503

    SMOKINFLATHEAD
    Member
    from SOCAL

    205/70R15 on 15x8" in front & 235/70R15 on15x 9" in the rear.
    [​IMG]
     
  30. Mark in Japan
    Joined: Jun 19, 2007
    Posts: 1,466

    Mark in Japan
    Member

    These trucks do look completely different when dumped....defnitly do that first. After that, they look cool on just about ANY wheels....just be certain to get the door handles horizontal.....nuthin looks good saggy:p

    Also, the front axle 'moves' away from the centreline of the fender opening as it comes down too!

    Weezner's "Swap Meet King(???)" Black 52 artwork looks to be based on 16s.....and his proportions are always so correct, I reckon it HAS TO be based on something real....so I hope he can chime in here!

    Can I mention 'this thread is worthless without pix'??? :D
     

Share This Page

Register now to get rid of these ads!

Archive

Copyright © 1995-2021 The Jalopy Journal: Steal our stuff, we'll kick your teeth in. Terms of Service. Privacy Policy.

Atomic Industry
Forum software by XenForo™ ©2010-2014 XenForo Ltd.