The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The HiPo Shop 1956 GMC tire sizes

I am curious what you guys are running on your second series pickups for tire and wheel sizes front and rear..not an original truck but a streetrod. I am thinking around 215-65/70 in front and maybe 235/255 70 in rear? Also was leaning towards 16's in front and 17's in rear. The truck is setting on a 73-87 chevy 1/2 ton frame lowered front and rear.

I can't help you on tire sizes but I can tell you a '56 is not a second series pickup. There were two different series of trucks sold in 1955. All '56s had the same cab as the '55 second series but they are not considered second series trucks.

Cletis: I do not understand exactly what you are trying to say? I have always referred to them same as Chevy, 2nd series. GMC called the release of the new body "Blue Chip", Chevy called it "Task Force". I think it's OK to call 56GMC a second series. In our own 55-59 Gallery we lump them together. Collectors refer to them all as Second Series. It's all good and correct. GMC released the Blue Chip in March 1955.

GMC rod: On stock 1/2T TF trucks, 235/75/R15 is about same size as was used in the day. Maybe a person can get exact tires but probably are a "$$pecialty" tire. As far as your truck goes, different chassis, lowered and you want different size front and rear? We can't guess what would work on a hybrid. We don't know your clearances in wheel well or width of axles or where axles are in wheel well or the look you want and "Lowered" is a relative word.

regardless if GMCrod knows that 55-59 GMCs were called Blue Chip, the "2nd series" handle comes from most of the vendors using it .... odd they don't use 47 1st and 2nd series

but as bart indicates, your particular setup is ... peculiar - doubt anyone else here comes close to that arrangement and it sounds the sort of thing that would require some experimentation for you to decide what pleases your eye - you might find better info where they focus on that chassis

Bill

You can say I'm being technical but I thought this was supposed to be THE technical site for these old trucks. I see no need to spread misinformation because of the fact that most vendors do it.

I have no idea where the first series/second series started. Before the internet I always heard them referred to as '55 early model and '55 late model. And '56s were '56s.

Sounds to me as if you are going for the Calif raked look with your truck? Like we setup our cars in the '60s. We raked them with rubber. Some of the more well heeled guys cut the front springs to get low in the front. I setup my 55 2nd truck with 15in wheels all around, keeping the 6 lug mounting. It came with 4 American Outlaw ll wheels when I bought it. They were 10in wide. The PO had put 225x60 tires all around, they were almost 9in wide and the truck steered like a mule with two broken front legs! I replaced the two front wheels with 7 in wide rims and mounted 185x65 tires. I put 235x75 on the 10in rims on back. Truck steers ok now, and the big meats, on back, give a little more top speed and lower rpm. I think the truck has a nice rake look to it with out dragging the ground when going in and out of Dairy Queen.... And if I ever get a flat, it will be easy to jack up. Your setup may be different, but there are alot of factors to consider.

There is no misinformation given. We all try to give the best we can. Vendors use this term, that is true.

My 1959 GMC had 275/60R15 tires on all 4 corners when I got it. I changed the rims and tires to 31X10.5 tires on 4x4 rally wheels.

My opinion first and second series is only useful when identifying early and late production 1955 trucks. There are way too many differences between the 1955.2 and 1956 gmc trucks to call them the same truck. Here are some of the differences between 1955.2 and 1956 gmc trucks:

1955 gmc trucks with a 6 cylinder were 6 volts and used the gmc 248.
1956 gmc trucks with a 6 cylinder were 12 volts and used the gmc 270.
1955.2 gmc v8 trucks used the pontiac 287
1956 gmc v8 trucks used the pontiac 316.

The guy was asking "what do you guys run on your second series pickups.." I think we all know he is talking to owners of Chevy or GMC trucks built about Mar 1955 thru 1959. He has a 1956 Truck with the new design that runs from 55.2-59, that share the same basic Chassis and body for which he needs tires, except he lost the chassis. If you want to correct him, but you don't want/can't answer his question, knock yourself out. Yes, there are differences in engine options. Chevy had option changes also. That's not way too many differences. Positive 6V ground or not. You can call 55.2 and 56 the same truck as you can 56 and 57 and so on.

It will be difficult for anybody to answer the OP's question, due to his newer drive train.

My suggestions are:

Get out your tape measure and determine what will fit. Measure thrice, buy once.

Go biggest diameter and width you can shoe horn into the rear.

Do a web search. There are several articles out there on how to measure for your wheel/tires.

You lost me here. If I told you the following:

"If you can call the tail of a dog a leg, then how many legs would a dog have?"
The answer is simple... You can call the tail of a dog anything you want.... The fact of the matter is a dog only has 4 legs.

Yes, we all know he is talking about 1955.2-1959 chevy and gmc trucks. We use the terms "Task Force" and "Blue Chip" to refer to these trucks as a group. Other than the basic design, all of these trucks have numerous differences. So if a 55 and 56 are now a second series, does that make the 57 the third series, and the 58 and 59 the fourth series?

Bartamos, I am not correcting the original poster, I am correcting you

You're right about one thing, you have lost it. The dog analogy proves that. You have gotten a fair amount of attention, now you should feel better.

60-66 are the 3rd series! But they changed the windshield in 64, so maybe it's actually a series 3B!

ENOUGH. Cletis & BBSD are correct -- Only the '55's are differentiated 1st and 2nd series. 2nd series '55 through '59 are called the "Task Force" for the Chevies. If vendors are calling it any other way, they are incorrect -- again, as Cletis has accurately stated.

Let's get back to answering the OP's real question and quit barking at ants/agitating.

John

Hi Fellas, guess that was a bit dumb on my part to ask a question like that due to the modifications, but I do see a lot of these street rodded and just wondered what some were running size wise. Maybe by chance someone would have had one with a newer chassis under it. I appreciate the replies I got. I think I will go with what I am measuring and hope for the best! as far as second or first series, it does have a first series radiator in it. Someone once told me they sort of mixed parts in those years for the GMC. I don't see a way to add pics to a post? thanks