I'm seriously considering a modern radial, all black, the right size to replace a 750-16 on a 5 1/2" wheel, and 600-16 on a 3 1/2" (or 4") wheel. I try tire conversion charts, been on the Discount tire thing, but holy butt munch it ends up feeling like acid flashbacks or something. And I never took acid! Anyways, I'ma ask the lazy question way. What have some of you used? I want the hgt of the 750, I'm hoping the front doesn't end up looking like emergency spares, and worse case I get talked out of radials completely which I may be ok with anyways. I don't plan on high speed road trips or maneuvers best suited to the likes of which our fearless leader @Ryan has been sharing in the blog the last several weeks. But still, I think a decent everyday radial might be a good idea for ride quality and less rolling resistance, and if I go with just plain ol brand X black it won't much matter or even get noticed. Not interested in "...and these blackwall bias look radials are so great and only cost $400 each!" type stuff. Yeah, I'm being cheap in that regard. Hit me, what's a good size, what did you like. And as always, thanks in advance...
215/85/16 they are more like a 700 than 750. I think the fronts are 185/75/16, more like a 550-16 than 600. They are a little too wide, but 16s are very limited in size choice. The fronts were hard to find....really hard, and have a hideous sidewall, but I needed tires and they were available when coker and db weren't and they look okay going down the road. I may sand the sidewalls smooth this winter.
Looks like commercial wide 5s out back and spiders front? Same as mine. I like the look. Any steering/fender issues?
Towel city does some cool shaved sidewall radials, I don’t see a 16” listed but maybe make a call..these look great
Are the 235or 215 /86-16 a passenger car tire ? I was looking and they were all trailer tire or lite truck tires. I know guys that run the LT and air them way down.
75 and 85 series are probably the skinniest today. I usually go to Tire Rack when searching. Good luck.
I am certain you will be pleased with the tire design. Need to be just as certain that you understand that you will mount them on both ends. I failed to do so in '93. Still, this day I carry the effects of that boo boo.
The rears are light truck. Both are from Walmart. Rears are Dextero LT 235/85r16 and fronts are Otani EK1000 195/65R16 92 V. Just over $100 each for rears and $81 each for fronts. Fronts are 149MPH rated. I run 24 lbs rear and 28 lbs front. Stiff? Maybe but the whole suspension is stiff as is most hot rods. I had 215/70r16 on the front but looked big. These 195's balanced and drive MUCH better. While the rears ARE 10 ply rated, the sidewalls are not that stiff unlike more expensive LT's Dave
Rears rub a little rounding corners too fast, or on long sweepers, like a cloverleaf or roundabout, but I try to slow down ... a panhard would fix that. Fronts do occasionally at full lock, so I just don't turn that far. Front axle is a 37-41 dropped 2" and narrowed 3/4". Rears are 16"x6" rims on original centers. Fronts are 4" stock 16" wide-fives. Both front and rear are LT tires.... the fronts are apparently for a small courier van. All in, I'm less than 50% of Coker or DB and it runs great down the road.
215/85/16 BFG commercial rear, I forget the front size but I think it was a 185/75/16 tire I got from Universal tire called the English taxicab tire
15 minutes of searching shows that every 235-85 16 tire I can find is a light truck or trailer tire that usually is ten ply rated. That is going to make for a rough ass ride on a light rig even if you never get more than 30 miles from home with it.
love that car. I tried like hell to get the bucks together when that one was for sale. Eventually found my 39
The problem with radials on the old skinny wheels is the tread surface is wider than what an appropriate bias ply is which causes the tread to bow wearing the sender out. I also find radials harder to steer on an old car than bias plys. I changed out the radials for n my 51 Chevy to bias plys and it felt like it had power steering.
Well this thought process, input and sizing above, digging in tech specs for diameter, rim, width... Then I double checked my rear tire size and it's a 7.00 not 7.50. I may well just stick to what I have. The fronts out of necessity have to stay on the narrow wheels for turning radius and suspension clearance. No, not going to change axles and just get blah blah revamp and...why. it steers deep, clears the fenders so far, rears fill out nice. And I keep saying I'm not planning high speed antics. 65MPH should have me a tick over 2600 RPM with a fresh flathead so I'll just Alfred E. Newman til it's done. But now we do have some tire sizes for future endeavors so all is not lost. If in the future I break the law and install a SBC, we'll see. BTW @Nailhead Jason the steering effort thing can ring true in some cars. We stuck radials on a 37 Cord. The effort was noticed over the bias that came off in low speed and parking especially. Why? More contact patch by design, but that too had all the drive wt on em being front wheel drive. Still... And @gimpyshotrods yes a full (fat) fender 39 std.
The Jalopy Journal
