I can remember tubeless 16.5's on 1 ton rated bread trucks as early as the late 1950's. They were the same profile height as corresponding 15" tube type tires, and could be used interchangeably on dual-wheel rear ends with one 15 and one 16.5 without a height difference. 17.5's matched the height of 16" tube tires.
Jerry

"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln
Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt!
There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway
Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!