16in wheel tires

I am using tubeless radials with no tubes and I am not having any problems. I worked to get a tire that was the same overall diameter as the stock (in my case, 21”) tires to keep the gear ratio and speedo accurate. I also wanted the radius of the tire to match the radius of the wheel opening with a consistent “tire gap” from 9 o’clock to 3 o’clock.
 
To those of you that think he has screwed up his car I would point out that HENRY himself realized the benefits of smaller diameter wheels when, in 1930 HE switched from 21” to 19” wheels. Then to 18” then to 17” and finally to 16”. I say that to each his own and if you don’t like the thread then don’t participate, it’s that simple. How many of you have an overdrive? How about a B motor? How about juice brakes? How about 12volts, an alternator, a high compression head, a centrifugal advance distributor? The 16” tires are exponentially safer because of the huge increase in the contact patch between the tire and the road. This is the Model A forum on the Ford Barn, nowhere does it say, go stock or go away. You shared your opinion, now I’ve shared mine.
 
My '31 truck had the 16's put on it during the final years of WWll and brush painted at that time also. The old timer I bought it from told me so. He could not get any decent 19's at that time, but for 5 dollars got a set of 16's off a wrecked '35 Ford at local junkyard in New Hampshire where truck was still being used for mostly farm work. Even tho' I have a couple of sets of old 19" rims here, I'm leaving the 16's on AND the old brush paint job with mostly all unrestored other areas of the old truck. I'm using Goodyear Diamond Tread 6.50 X 16 tires with tubes. the spare tire is a well-worn original Firestone 19"tire on rim. No tread on it at all. I keep a spare16" in back just to be safe.
 
Did he use house paint? That’s what I see most often LoL. Maybe you could put some matte clear over it to preserve it (if you feel that would be of use).
 
jeepguy1948 said:
To those of you that think he has screwed up his car I would point out that HENRY himself realized the benefits of smaller diameter wheels when, in 1930 HE switched from 21” to 19” wheels. Then to 18” then to 17” and finally to 16”. I say that to each his own and if you don’t like the thread then don’t participate, it’s that simple. How many of you have an overdrive? How about a B motor? How about juice brakes? How about 12volts, an alternator, a high compression head, a centrifugal advance distributor? The 16” tires are exponentially safer because of the huge increase in the contact patch between the tire and the road. This is the Model A forum on the Ford Barn, nowhere does it say, go stock or go away. You shared your opinion, now I’ve shared mine.
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Where's the like button?


In reality I figure Henry went to the smaller rims because they used less material saving him money.
 
Jeepguy1948, The paint was an enamel, fairly well brushed on. No matte clear coat for this, a wax job works well enough.
 
Post # 3 - Model A Ron: "I would keep the original Model A wheels......the 16's make it look more like a hotrod in my opinion."
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I do not think they necessarily look like a hotrod. But rather the Ford Model A as it was typically seen in the 1935 -1960 era of 'daily drivers'. However, I do think that they make the car look 'stumpy' and un-natural. They are not in esthetic balance.

However, that not-with-standing, I like (and have on my '31 Dlx Coupe) a set of 1932 Ford Model B 18" Kelsey-Hayes wheels. These wheels look (and are) 'period correct' and have the moden 'panash' of other marques of the era. And have the added benefit of being a very close 'relation' to the stock 19" Ford wheel.

- Doug Vieyra, Eureka, Calif
 
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