Tire Size Question
- Thread starter drtung
- Start date
blucar
Well-known member
The 6.50 x 16 size tire was a very common application on the older pickups when they were in common usage.. I believe that the commercials could be ordered with the 6.50 tires, and/or the dealers would upgrade the tire size for an additional sum..
Remembering back to 1940: I can remember my father purchasing a new '40 Chevy pickup.. The price of the truck was $25.00 plus my dads '39.. Dad got the salesman to agree to putting 6.50 tires on the new truck, because he had that size on the '39.
A word of caution... The over size tires had a tendency to break the rims at the bead line. My dad had it happen many times.. He finally switched to the "artillery" type of wheels, which are heavy duty wheels on his pickups...
Of course, most restored pickups will most likely never be used to carry heavy loads like they were expected to carry when they were used as work trucks, so the broken rim issue may not be a problem...
Remembering back to 1940: I can remember my father purchasing a new '40 Chevy pickup.. The price of the truck was $25.00 plus my dads '39.. Dad got the salesman to agree to putting 6.50 tires on the new truck, because he had that size on the '39.
A word of caution... The over size tires had a tendency to break the rims at the bead line. My dad had it happen many times.. He finally switched to the "artillery" type of wheels, which are heavy duty wheels on his pickups...
Of course, most restored pickups will most likely never be used to carry heavy loads like they were expected to carry when they were used as work trucks, so the broken rim issue may not be a problem...
Brendan
Well-known member
Nope, i have that size on my pickup, i won't to up grade the rear to 7.50
i like the way 7.50's fill the weal well!
Walt Dupont--Me.
Well-known member
I remember in 46 my father bought a new Chev pickup, he had it ordered for 6 month right after the war, paid $900.00 for it, he was offered $1200.00 before it left the lot, he wouldn't sell it. I was 10 yr's old. Can you figer my age> Walt
blucar
Well-known member
Sorry to break your bubble.... Dad had a '39 Ford 1/2 ton in the mid '40s, he had trouble with breaking wheels at the bead line... There was not much of a selection for HD wheels for the Fords at the time.. The truck was also a V8 60, one of Fords dumber ideas.. Dad sold the truck opting for a "Brand X".. In '52 dad went back to Ford, a '52 F-100 V8 with HD split rims... I loved that truck...
Evidently Marmon-Harrington must of encountered trouble with wheel breakage... I have seen several '37-48 M-H 4xs, cars and pickups, with a HD reversed split rim using the '36-39 wide bolt pattern centers. Looking at the M-H vehicles you can't see the locking ring on the wheel..
I have a set of these wheels in my collection of stuff.
Kube
Super Moderator
In reality the 6:50 is only about 3/8" wider at the tread than the 6:00. They are considerably taller though - about 2".
The 6:50 was an option on your truck.
There will be no problem mixing sizes as long as you don't mix on the same axle.
Personally I like the looks of the 6:50's as it fills the wheel opening nicer. The 6:00's have always appeared too small to me.
ford38v8
Well-known member
There you have it: The V8 60 wheels were narrow and took 5.50 tires. 6.50 would be a bad choice for that wheel.
