16in wheel tires

DNLs1930

DNLs1930

Senior Member
Have a question for those of you who have 16in 1935+ ford wire wheels installed on your car.
What size tire are you running?
Same size front and back?
Same width front and back?

And finally I understand they (tires) are tubeless modern radials; is this a good guess or are you also running tubes?

Thanks in advanced!!


PICTURES are always welcome!!!
Looking to have a slight "rake" for a mild "hotrod" look which I think my uncle was trying to accomplish when he had the car. (car has been in our family since 1935) so not wanting to totally hotrod it just get a part of the look.
 
189f47bdbe99f96cbc50a553b1a96e52.jpg

These are radials back are 235R85/16 not positive on the front I will need to look at them to know for sure


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Agree with post 3.
I think a better place to post this is on the Hot Rods and Customs Forum.
 
Ok so you all know; I do have the original 19in wheels I plan to keep and use for those times that 1930s Model A specific look in desired.

I also have my family car that had the wheels in the picture installed so not sure where to draw the line.

My uncle wanted to rip the fenders off and make it a hotrod in 1966 so he too has a chapter written in this cars history.

After the car sitting for 50 years (locked up by gramps) in the garage to prevent the "destruction" my uncle wanted to preserve the car with some hints of hotrod so this is where we are...



FYI if anyone can identify the wheels on the car in the picture please let me know what they are. Hub caps? Rock shields? No clue here...
 

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A lot of Model A's got converted over to 16 inch wheels early on. I suspect it may have been do to availability of tires or fashion as the newer cars had balloon tires.

I had 16 inch wheels on my first 1930 Model A in the 1960's. I liked the look of the earlier wheels and tires so I switched back to originals. I discovered that the car steered easier with the 19 inch tires. If you are going to stick with the 16 inch wheels you may want to consider switching over to a F-100 steering box.

Great photo, by the way.
 
The wheels you are trying to identify on the model a coupe look to be wide 5, 37-39 ford with the corresponding hub caps.
 
The wheels on the coupe do appear a bit like the wide fives, but a closer look will show the spokes beneath the wheel covers. Fred A
 
Back in the 20's, 30's & 40's the regular day-to-day users of Model A & T Fords would make modifications to their cars. It was way of life for them. It was a way of life for the Model A & T. It wasn't hot rodding. Changing the size or look of a wheel was normal. Even now, changing the look a little is still normal. Like driving lights in front, LED tail lights that can actually be seen at night. To be a normal Model A it doesn't have to be a perfect Model A unless you are looking to be judged. By a real judge, not a casual observer on a bad day.
I like snow tires. I am a normal Model A owner.
DNLs1930, don't worry about it. Find the wheel you want to keep it like the family wanted it to be.
 
Back in the 40s to the 60s it was common to go with V8 wheels to lower the car and soup it up. Kind of like a light version of hot rodding. Just going for the look.
 
Fred A said:
The wheels on the coupe do appear a bit like the wide fives, but a closer look will show the spokes beneath the wheel covers. Fred A
Click to expand...


YES there are spokes in the wheels behind the hubcaps.

I just have not been able to find a hubcap that matches that design.

For all I know they are not ford wheels at all. I'm sure they installed whatever they could get/find so next step is to figure out what wheels would fit the ford lug pattern and expand the search...
 
I’ve read that 16” wheels were put on during WW2 tire rationing because those used tires were more available.
 
The last year Ford used spoke wheels was 1935 ,36 to 39 used the wide spaced type rims similar to older VW bugs. But as you said may not be Ford . I can remember when I first got my first Model A(late 1960s) “old timers “said the older sized tires weren’t available so they went to 16 and 15 inch rims and tires.In fact that is what the Model A had when I bought it,1935 Ford ,and one of the first things to find were 19 rims .
 
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