16" Wheels on (A)

J

jerry shook

Well-known member
I have a set of 16" wheels to put on my s/w dont wont to use the high dollar tires wondering what size will work on these wheels , in the 205-215-235 tires sizes. these are 1935 ford wheels .i see people running these what are they running.
 
I have 4.50-5.00 on the front. The backs match the diameter of the original tires. I thinlk they are about 29" tall. This is for a big and little hot rod style. I bought the Firestone bias tires from Coker Tire. I had radial tires but I did not like the looks and the bias tires make the car handle better. Do not forget to line the red dot up with the valve stem. Most tire changers do not know what the red dot is for.
 
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RED DOT????? I got a set of 6.00 x 16" Goodyear all weather Diamond Treads for my ccpu about 2 years ago, No red dots anywhere!! On inboard sidewall, there seems to be dots of different colors, yellow, blue and "pink"--No red. My local tire guy told me these tires are balanced when made at factory. P.S.--I don't seem to have any wheel shimmy or "out of balance" situation. What's the real story here???
 
ive ran 16" for yrs with all different size tires . just remember your gear ratio or youll be doin 35mph ! ............... 750x16 rear & 600x16 fronts . ... steve
 
I wonted something different then the specialty tires they cost so much. I drive my cars a lot . cant afford $200.00 each time. is there some were i can get 600 or 650 tires cheaper? The bias ply are cheaper but wont to dart around to much.
 
I run 7.50-16 on the back and 6.00 on the front of my coupe and I really like the look and the the way the tires handle. I bought them from Coker, they are firestone deluxe champions.
 
I would think that 650x16 would run the risk of splitting out the rims because of their width. I wouldn't go any wider than 600x16's.
 
I have used those wheels for about 8 years and have run 215/70-16 relatively cheap and easy to find. I have also run 215/75-16 but they are more expensive and harder to find. As for the speedometer error I usually don't worry about it because I am not sure how accurate the original is anyway.
I have hydraulic brakes and the wheels need the extra support not sure if the A drums need it.
 
mass A man said:
RED DOT????? I got a set of 6.00 x 16" Goodyear all weather Diamond Treads for my ccpu about 2 years ago, No red dots anywhere!! On inboard sidewall, there seems to be dots of different colors, yellow, blue and "pink"--No red. My local tire guy told me these tires are balanced when made at factory. P.S.--I don't seem to have any wheel shimmy or "out of balance" situation. What's the real story here???
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I am not familiar with the tires you bought. They may not have the red dot that are on tires for older cars and trucks. When I see somebody bought new tires for an old Ford and the red dots are on the inside of the tire or not lined up with the valve stem on the outside I figure they do not know where the dot goes. It probably does not make a difference and It will Probably be just fine. It is kind of like using padded sockets to protect the finish on nuts and bolts. My dots did kind of turn pink, I use a red paint pen to refresh them now and then.

Like I said- most tire mounters do not have a clue.
 
My understanding is that the red dot is from the days of the heavy metal stems, which would cause serious imbalance if not counteracted.

Steve
 
I am running a 7.50-16 on the rear and it has been done for 60-70 years now, no splitting because of rim width.
 
the most common radial size I have seen on Model A's with 16's is 215/70R16. I've seen up to 235s and as low as 195's. The 215s almost reach the original diameter of a 19 inch tire. However, its not an attractive look to many, tho' some hotrod guys seem to like it. But they wear well and don't cost nearly as much as bias ply tires or the fancy radials that look like bias... How odd, a few years ago, bias tires were the cheap ones. It's the law of supply and demand.
 
RichardW said:
I have used those wheels for about 8 years and have run 215/70-16 relatively cheap and easy to find. I have also run 215/75-16 but they are more expensive and harder to find. As for the speedometer error I usually don't worry about it because I am not sure how accurate the original is anyway.
I have hydraulic brakes and the wheels need the extra support not sure if the A drums need it.
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The only minor disadvantage to that size is the tire diameter is smaller at 27 vs approx 30 for 19 or 21 inch originals. 27 inch tires will up your RPMs by 11%/ I have them on the front($100 or less each). On the back, I bought the high priced spread from Coker 700R16 at $200 each(now $250) but they are 30 inches in diameter like the originals. I could have bought the 750R16 for a 3% overdrive at 31 inches!
 
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Jerry,

Remember you will probably need to let the air out of the tire to get it in the fender well if you have one. Leave the air out and carry a tire pump.

Charlie Stephens
 
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