The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Tons 'o Fun 1955 Gen 2 3800 - radial tire swap

I think maybe the first question to ask/answer before going further is are you looking to lower the stance or tire profile with the 65 series radials? The typical tire diameter for the original 17x7.50 tires is around 30 inches. A 215 65R17 from many vendors specs out at about 28 inches.

That's going to affect not only the appearance/stance of your truck, but performance and gas mileage and even may change steering effort to an extent.

FYI - The original 1955.2 series 3800 optional wheels for 17x7.50 tires are 17" x 5.0". Most of the current radial tire offerings I see indicate a minimum wheel width of 6.0" to meet tire manufacturer safety specs.