Hello, fellow old Chevy enthusiasts! I'm looking for tires for my 1956 Chevy 6500, but I'm having a hard time finding them. The current tires are 9R20s from the '70s, and I was wondering if there are any cheaper alternatives. I'm 14 and don't have a lot of money to spend—I’ve got about $300 or $400 to work with. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Hi ahatten, welcome to the forum. I found tires for my 2 ton at a tire shop that specializes in heavy duty truck and school bus service. I bought 4 virgin Firestone's that came off of school buses, I paid $60 each plus mounting and some wheel refinishing, I also bought 4 Michelin RV tires that I found on Craigslist, these were like new and I paid $75 each. Your 20 inch tires are going to be a little more difficult to find, mine are 22.5 inch and are still being used on modern trucks. edit-I just saw your pictures, 22.5 inch are widely available, make some phone calls locally for school bus garage, big truck service, etc.
1957 Chevrolet 5700 LCF 283 SM420 2 speed rear, 1955 IH 300U T/A, 1978 Corvette 350 auto, 1978 Yamaha DT175, 1999 Harley Davidson Softail Fat Boy
If you use 22.5” tires(a good idea), it will probably break your budget since wheels will also be required. But it will add to the value of your truck. Perhaps you could start looking for wheels and a good buy on 9 x 22.5 tires and do one pair at a time.
Ed
'37 GMC T-18 w/ DD 4-53T, RTO-610, 6231 aux., '95 GMC running gear, full disc brakes, power steering, 22.5 wheels and tires. '47 GMC 1 ton w/ 302, NP-540, 4wd, full width Blazer front axle. '54 GMC 630 w/ 503 gasser, 5 speed, ex fire truck, shortened WB 4', install 8' bed. '55 GMC 370 w/270, 420 4 speed, grain, dump bed truck from ND. Works OK.
If you use 22.5” tires(a good idea), it will probably break your budget since wheels will also be required. But it will add to the value of your truck. Perhaps you could start looking for wheels and a good buy on 9 x 22.5 tires and do one pair at a time.
Ed
His picture shows a 9x22.5 tire mounted on a rim so I think he already has what he needs. I think he wrote 20 inch by accident.
1950 Chevrolet 3100 (Ol' Roy)
1939 Packard Standard Eight Coupe (The Phantom) | 1956 Cadillac Coupe de Ville (The Bismarck) | 1964 Ford Galaxie 500 coupe |1966 Ford Mustang (Little Red) | 1969 Pontiac GTO (The Dishpit) I 1979 Ford F-100 | 1976 Ford F-150 (Big Red) | 1995 Ford F-150 (Newt)
I'd love to see some pictures of your truck and hear what your plans are for it. Does it run and stop?
If you just need tires to keep it rolling while you work on it check out your local school bus repair shop, they might have some that are out of date or that no longer pass inspection.
Mike B
Mike Boteler
1956 Chevy 3100 Resto Rod 1952 Willys M38 Army Jeep 1983 Jeep CJ7 Laredo 1984 Jeep CJ7 +++++ Silver Spring, MD
ahatten, Welcome to Stovebolt! Since your topic is better related to Stovebolt "Big Bolt" trucks, your converation has been moved to the best on-topic forum for further conversation.
FYI - your link to that other forum requires folks to be "logged in" to get in to see those pictures. Please use our "Attachment Manager" tool to add pictures to your post. See this quick Bolter created video to help you get them up here.
Catch you in the "Big Bolts" forum.
~ Dan 1951 Chevy 3 window 3100 Follow this story in the DITY Gallery "My Grandpa Carl's Truck and How it Became Mine" 1966 Chevelle (Wife's Hot Rod) | 2013 Chevy Silverado (Current daily driver) US Army MSG Retired (1977-1998) | Com Fac Maint Lead Tech Retired (1998-2021)
Ahh ok thanks for moving it i'm new to this, I attached one photo of it and I have a short youtube video of it running. I will be uploading some videos of it driving soon. www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBLOeXO37v8
Last edited by Peggy M; 02/05/20258:13 PM. Reason: adjust YT video to not be embedded ;)
I once knew a guy who drove a restored 1950 Chevy 1.5 ton dump truck as a regular vehicle. He'd take chicks on dates in it and everything.
1950 Chevrolet 3100 (Ol' Roy)
1939 Packard Standard Eight Coupe (The Phantom) | 1956 Cadillac Coupe de Ville (The Bismarck) | 1964 Ford Galaxie 500 coupe |1966 Ford Mustang (Little Red) | 1969 Pontiac GTO (The Dishpit) I 1979 Ford F-100 | 1976 Ford F-150 (Big Red) | 1995 Ford F-150 (Newt)
Those tires look a whole lot better than the 20" tires I bought new for this bus back in the '90s! if the tread's OK I wouldn't be too afraid to run 'em around town, although I wouldn't go out on the big road with 'em. Your pics show no notable cracks in the sidewalls at all-are they all in that good of shape?
Also lucky you have the 22.5" wheels already-versus the 20" widowmakers so many old 2 ton Chevys came with. Score!
Looks like you have the "GO" part all figured out with the 409 engine.
Have you replaced ALL of the steel and rubber brake lines to make sure you can safely STOP? The old lines fail from the inside out, so they might look good, but are rusty on the inside.
Does your hand brake work?
Post some pictures of the interior and engine compartment...we love pictures!
Mike B
Mike Boteler
1956 Chevy 3100 Resto Rod 1952 Willys M38 Army Jeep 1983 Jeep CJ7 Laredo 1984 Jeep CJ7 +++++ Silver Spring, MD
Nice truck with nice options. Your bed lift looks very useful!
~ Victor 1941 3/4-Ton Pickup (in process). Read about it in the DITY Gallery 1955 Grumman Kurbside "Doughboy" 235/3 on tree w/ OD 1957 3100 - moved on 1959 C4500 Short Bus "Magic Bus" - moved on 1959 G3800 1 Ton Dually "Chief" - moved on 1958 C4400 Viking "Thor" ~ moved on to fellow Bolter
Those are tubeless bias tires. They don't blow out like radial tires when they get old. I would just run them and spend your money elsewhere. Some time down the road a 255/70R22.5 would be a good replacement.I I still have quite a few 50 year old bias tubeless tires that I just don't worry about.
When bought new someone ordered it with the Deluxe Cab...you have the fresh air heater and the chrome knobs and more than likely the deluxe seat. Also looks like you have your work cut out for you with rust repair...fixing the metal above the windshield is a PITA.
Your truck would have come with the 265 V8 engine...the 409 is a transplant.
Is the trans a 4 or 5-speed?
Does the 2-speed rear still work?
Keep your eyes out for a better cab...they are out there.
Mike B
Mike Boteler
1956 Chevy 3100 Resto Rod 1952 Willys M38 Army Jeep 1983 Jeep CJ7 Laredo 1984 Jeep CJ7 +++++ Silver Spring, MD
Its a 4 speed sm420, the 2 speed rear end I don't know if it works, its the next part im gonna tackle. it wasn't a original v8 someone put the badges on when they restored it in that early 80s, so the floors are pretty good and that one big hole above the windshield is where that speaker was but there are some smaller ones that i have just been ignoring, the only good thing about those holes is that i can hide my key up there!
