1945 1/2 ton Pickup Tire Help needed

will.rynerson

Senior Member
I need some assistance. I have at least 3 different tires on my truck 5 lug nut rims. Does anyone know the tire size and rim info for my 1945 1/2 ton?

My book does not tell me. I have a 225/75R16 and
6.5 - 16 on the front And back is a H78 - 15 on one back and something else on the other with no info..

Any help would be great
 
Ya know, out back I have what I think was the original spare, or original tire on the wheel, that was on a ‘42 I had. It is 15inch. Same family of pickups, but I don’t know what was available as options in those years.
 
I think I figured it out, my new book just showed up!!!🤓
And it says light duty truck i.e.. 1/2 ton 6.00x16 front and rear, front tread 58.0 inch and rear tread 60.0 inch.
 
15-inch wheels were not common on early Fords prior to 1948. Post war Mercury cars had 15-inch but changed style for 1949 through 51. Lincolns had 15-inch post war but they had hub cap clips till 1948. The 15-inch wheels were more common on the F100 pickups that came later but there were still 16-inch types available too.

Most post war 1/2-ton pickups were 16-inch. Heavier pickups of 3/4-ton on up had different type wheels.
 
The standard 1/2 ton wheel, '40-56 is a 16 x 4.5, 5 on 5.5 bolt pattern, inside hub cap knobs. The standard tire is 600 x 16, 4 ply, the HD option is 650 x 16, 6 ply.
A modern option for the F-1/F100 series is the '57-66 F100 15" wheel, which is a 6" or 6.5" wheel with inside hub cap knobs, therefore the stock hub caps fit.
A good tire size for the 15" wheel is a 235/75R15, it is a 28" tire, same as a 600x16, just a little fatter. It is a good idea to install a hydraulic steering dampener on the tie rod when radial tires are used on the front end of a solid I beam axle pickup.
 
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